v M On Foot in Kerala E a
Tour code: WIK Tour style: Classic Tour comfort: Simple Trek grade: Moderate
DURATION DAYS 11 TOUR
Pulikate Lake l a r New £780 TOUR ONLY £1499 FLIGHT INCLUSIVE Tour Highlights
✓ Western Ghats - Trek amongst the plantations and jungle of this biodiversity ‘hot spot’
✓ Meesapulimala Peak - Enjoy the views from one of South India’s highest peaks (2635m)
✓ Backwaters cruise - Observe daily life in the tranquil Backwaters aboard a converted rice barge
✓ Village walks - Meet the sociable Keralan people on rambles through the Backwaters
Walking in the mountains and Backwaters of Kerala
Discover the diversity of tropical Kerala on this walking holiday to India’s far south. We trek amongst the forests and grasslands of the mountainous Western Ghats - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s top ten biodiversity ‘hot spots’. We also walk in search of elephant and other wildlife in the Periyar National Park. In the tranquil Backwaters we ramble through villages, meeting the locals and spend the night aboard a coir-roofed houseboat.
11 day tour itinerary
Day 1 Join tour in Kochi. Day 2 Historic Kochi Walking tour around the streets of the Old Portuguese Fort. Drive to the hill station of Munnar in the Western Ghats. Day 3 Tea plantations Leaving the plains we drive to the Seven Malai Hills and walk through tea, cardamom and coffee plantations to a panoramic viewpoint. Day 4/6 Western Ghats hike A short drive takes us to the trailhead for our 3-day camp to camp trek. We climb through
3000m 2500m 2000m 1500m 1000m 500m 0m
Munnar Munnar
shola forests and across grassland to Meesapulimala Peak (2635m) - one of the highest in southern India - before descending through Rhododendron forest and wending our way through rural communities and villages. Day 7/8 Periyar National Park Driving to the village of Thekkady, we explore the bazaar and a spice garden. We walk in the National Park, a bird spotter’s paradise - with luck elephant, otters a nd wi ld bo ar m ay be seen. Day 9 Backwaters houseboat Travel
Silent Valley Rhodo Valley Top Station Rest Day Sea Level Day 2: 2hrs Day 3: 4-5hrs Day 4: 4-5hrs Day 5: 6-7hrs Day 6: 6-7hrs Day 7 Day 8: 2-3hrs Day 9
around the calm waterways and quiet lotus-fi lled lagoons of the Kerala Backwaters and overnight on a converted rice barge. Day 10 Village walk Drive to Kumarakom on the shore of Lake Vembanad, follow village footpaths and explore Backwater communities. Day 11 Drive to Kochi airport where the tour ends.
Please go online for our full detailed tour notes.
Thekkady Thekkady Lake Vembanad Rest Day Sea Level Day 10: 2-3hrs 84 For our latest dates, prices and more details visit
www.explore.co.uk
D11 D12
AYS AYS v
Includes a night aboard a traditional Keralan houseboat
INDIAN OCEAN
Fort Kochi walking tour
KOCHI
Backwaters cruise Stay on houseboat
ALLEPPEY 0 km 110 km On Foot in Kerala WIK
INDIA Tea plantations 4-day
KUMARAKOM Village walk
Lake Vembanad
Western Ghats trek
THEKKADY Lake Periyar
Optional boat trip KERALA
Periyar NP Forest trek
MUNNAR Hill station
Meesapulimala Peak (2635m)
Tour essentials
Accommodation: 6 nights standard hotel, 1 night simple houseboat, 3 nights basic camp. Meals: 11 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 4 dinners are included. Tour staff: Explore Tour Leader, boat crew, driver(s), ranger(s), trek crew. Transport: Boat, bus. Trekking details: We trek on 7 days with walks ranging from 2 to 7 hours in duration. On 4 of the days we will be trekking on uneven mountain trails through the plantations, jungle and grasslands of the Western Ghats. On the 3 other walking days the terrain is generally fl at - the jungle trails of Periyar National Park, village footpaths and in Kochi. Group size: Generally 10 - 16.
Planned tour dates
2015 Tour only dates 05 Nov - 15 Nov 26 Nov - 06 Dec
2016 Tour only dates 21 Jan - 31 Jan 18 Feb - 28 Feb 24 Mar - 03 Apr
Flexible fl ight options We have a range of fl exible fl ight options available, please call our sales team for more details.
Single rooms are available from £235
Asia and the Pacific - India
TREK LENGTH AND GRADIENT
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