Kerala and tigers tour in India

Planet

Awareness of responsible tourism in India is on the rise with many hotels leading the charge. Your stay in Cochin is an excellent example of this. They have reduced their use of plastic from over 12,000 bottles a year and instead replaced them with glass bottles filled with treated drinking water which is placed in their guestrooms and restaurant, Plastic toiletry dishes have been removed and earthenware containers used in their place. Made locally to support handicraft workers to support their local community and help the environment.

Their second project is to educate and involve local residents in the maintained of their local area so the hotel organises initiatives to clean up the beach and local roads regularly.

Your visit to India will also take you high into the mountains to a tea plantation. Here you will find that the plantation will not use any fertilisers or pesticides on their plants to maintain the natural balance of the eco-system. Local staff help to maintain the tea growing traditions of the estate.

By spending time on a houseboat in Kerala, it is not only a fantastic way to explore the beautiful countryside but also leaves no trace on the land, leaving less damage from tourism as they are constantly on the move.

Finally, you will travel to the incredible national park of Banhvagarh. It has the highest density of tiger in all of India and this protected species finds a safe haven in the park. While it was once the hunting grounds of Maharaja of Rewa, it now encapsulates over 400 square metres of protected grounds. The park also holds the largest breeding population of leopards and deer. Over the years the park has seen an increase in the tiger population thanks to its tireless preservation.

The fees you pay to enter the park play a vital role in funding the protection and research on the tigers which roam the park and make your visit so unforgettable. Your lodge in the park has an organic vegetable and herb garden to ensure the freshest ingredients and they try to limit their use of packaged and processed food. Energy conservation and minimising their ecological impact is a the heart of everything they do - from recycling everything where possible educating its staff on its importance. Its luxury cabins offer environmentally sensitive and low-impact accommodation through their use of local stone and waste wood, while the lodge encourages guests to get out on foot or by bike to explore rather than just use vehicles.

People

We work closely with carefully chosen ground agents, who along with ensuring you have an unforgettable trip also have a responsibility to ensure that they are providing a responsible visit.

They have a wealth of community engagement activities on at any given time and their staff get out into the local community volunteering with aid projects. They have a Woman Empowerment project to use the skills and trade of local women and visit schools to see to both educational and welfare needs. They have adopted a school in Srinagar and contribute towards the Spiti Project – an organisation working to improve the life for the Tibetan Communities which live in the Spiti Valley.

During your stay in Cochin, the hotel has a firm commitment to working with and employing the local community for their mutual benefit. Alongside employing local people, they have partnerships with local street vendors and tuk tuk drivers to ensure that guests use local services and their stay is more enjoyable by getting to know the local community. The hotel also works with local residences to educate about waste and plastic use and organises clean ups of local beaches and roads to keep the town and region clean.

Your stay on a houseboat in Kerala plays a vital part in keeping traditional alive. Making a fantastic way to explore the waterways, these boats are also made and maintained by local boat builders and craftsmen, providing a consistent source of income and keeping these ancient skills alive.

During your stay in Banhavgarh National Park your lodge is committed to the preservation of the park’s inhabitants – both wildlife and people. They believe that local people can shape the environment for the better and so they work with them to educate them about responsible living and employ them in the maintenance and conservation work going on. They use local farmers to provide fresh ingredients which have not travelled far to get to the kitchens, supporting local markets and marginal farmers. Guests are encouraged to learn more about the native skills and social and cultural practices at play in the park and are offered village visits and interactive sessions to experience the culture.