Kerala cycling tours

Planet

Kerala is one of the most attractive tourist destinations in our country due to the backwaters and scenic beauty, as well as an enthusiastic local community.

1. Wildlife: Our itinerary includes visits to Thattekad and Periyar, where elephant ride, elephant shower, timber dragging, and photo sessions are promoted as a major tourist attraction. We do not include such attraction in our tour, our guides and drivers do not assist in visiting these places, and we encourage our guests not to participate in it.

2.Waste: Initiatives to manage waste range from responsible purchasing to waste separation and recycling to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. As well as compositing green waste and using it in their vegetable gardens, hotels are now sending their non-degradable waste – glass, paper, batteries to be recycled by larger manufacturers.

3. Water: Water is a scarce commodity in many of the environments in India. Hotels we stay in play an essential role in water conservation awareness and practice. As well as simple initiatives, such as encouraging guests to reuse towels and minimize their water use, some of the hotels have installed low-pressure showers. They are also using rainwater for gardens.

To stay well hydrated while cycling is important and we encourage the use of refillable bottles.

4. Transport: We choose to travel by bike, minimizing transportation carbon footprint, and educate our guides and guests on the importance of looking after the areas they are visiting. Where we use a support vehicle, we ensure that it’s size is appropriate for the size of the group.

People

1. Friends & neighbors: We believe that to upgrade the standard of living of the local people, it is important that a major part of the revenue generated from tourism reach them. Our approach is to hire locally and pay a fair wage, for the entire travel value chain. We hire local agents, travel and cycling guides and transportation service providers. We invite the cultural group to perform traditional dance forms like Thiruvathira and Kolkali for the guests. This provides opportunities for interaction with tourists giving the locals exposure to new ideas and cultures, and also platform for showcasing their talents.

Wherever possible we stay in community run hotels and work with local and family-owned businesses that employ local residents. Our hotels and restaurants create a demand for fresh local food. This encourages farmers to produce a supply of fresh produce, eggs, chicken and fish, and gives them an opportunity to sell their products directly to the consumer. It also makes the local population an integral part of the growing tourism industry and promotes pride in their land and culture.

2.Traveling with Respect: Our itinerary ensures that our guests are not missing the very essence of Kerala - the taste of life in the village. We take our guests for ride through the canals in a country boat and for walks through villages. This slow pace helps guests to get a close look at the everyday village life on the banks. Guests can see people working in paddy field, different kinds of fishing, woman weaving coconut palm and so on. They can also observe people physically removing the water hyacinth from the waterways. This is one of the most noxious aquatic weeds in the world with its toxic ability to engulf vast expanses at an exponential pace and to restrict sunlight penetration that is required by the underwater flora and fauna for sustenance. Much of the research in Kerala is modeled on “use to reduce” concept where water hyacinth can be used as fuel, compost and mulch for soil improvement or as feed material for livestock. The natural colors from the flowers can be used for dyeing clothes and fabrics.