Kerala tours, three weeks in Kerala

Planet

Single-use plastic free

We’ve designed this vacation experience after carefully ensuring that a traveler will not need to encounter drinking water from any single-use plastic source, for the duration of the entire trip. Hence we will ensure that each traveler will get a LifeStraw bottle at the beginning of the trip. Each of our traveler will have their own litre-sized LifeStraw bottle for the duration of the trip, which they can take back with them. Each LifeStraw is designed to be a hundred percent safe from bacteria, parasites and micro-plastics, which gives a traveler the ability to fill from any drinking water source during the trip and be assured of the safety and purity of the water being consumed. Obviously all the properties and Homestays we work with have either RO treated water or filtered and boiled water available at all times and for the rest of the time during travel, our Drivers will ensure that travelers have access to safe drinking water which can be accessed to fill their respective LifeStraw bottles. In our small way, we’ve created a traveling environment which is free from single-use plastics.


More walking and rail, less motoring

This trip was specifically designed to be a low carbon-footprint experience. We’ve ensured activities in place which require more travel on foot, cultural walking experiences as well as treks and walks through reserves. Hence the requirement of a vehicle is minimal and only between destinations, which are fairly close to each other. We’ve coupled this high walking quotient of the vacation along with rail journeys up and down the coast of Kerala, ideal to bridge the long journeys potentially between two destinations. This further reduces our vehicular carbon footprint during this vacation experience.


Conservation-based safari experience

Partnered with Kerala Forest Department, our full day safari experience is an eco-tourism initiative designed to not just provide employment to local tribal youth as Guards but also provide unique forest experiences through a part of the Periyar National Park with the objective of generating revenue to protect endangered species such as the Lion tailed Macaque as well as the Nilgiri Tahr.

The Kerala Forest Department uses revenue from such an activity towards animal protection and conservation of wildlife in the Periyar Forest reserve. Resources from such eco-tourism activities go toward funding in part, national level projects such as the Project Tiger as well as Project Elephant - projects that specifically aim to track, protect and increase numbers of said animals.

In addition activity resources go toward mitigating man-animal conflicts as well as towards compensation payments to victims of animal attacks. The forest department implements preventative measures such as solar fencing and trenching on the fringes of the reserve as well as conducting awareness programs with forest fringe dwelling communities.

Finally, proceeds of this full day activity, in part, goes back to the community of forest Staff, Guides and Guards as well as towards the upkeep of the reserve infrastructure.

People

Live Local, eat local

Living with local families, on the local farm stays and plantations whilst on this vacation, travelers have the opportunity to experience truly local cuisine. Locally sourced and authentically prepared, travelers get to live as local as it gets and eat food prepared from produce farmed local to the region. Our support of local Homestays ensures that they continue their proud heritage of local cuisine and their support for the local farming communities of the region.


Community-driven backwater experience

We partnered with the Government of Kerala’s community program to bring to our travelers to opportunity to experience the small communities beside the backwaters, accessed through the more intimate canals of Vembanad. We work with the locals to help travelers experience local occupations such as the centuries-old tradition of toddy tapping - a drink wonderfully refreshing and a scintillating combination with local seafood, but also weaving of traditional braided coir ropes and for the adventurous - pearl spot dive-fishing in the canals. We return all the proceeds of these activities back to these communities of farmers, fishermen and artisans, making the backwaters a more responsible eco system.


Rural employment

This vacation experience ensures a comprehensive responsibility to the local communities we operate within. We’ve made sure that this experience generates employment only locally not just within the state but within the region of a particular experience. The support of Homestays, plantations and farmstays ensures that they employ and support the resident locals from their regions.

The forest Guides we use are local tribals from the region, employed to ensure the betterment of them and their families. Our trekking Guides are local from the region of Munnar and hence know the region and topography of the mountains intimately.

Finally all our Drivers are from the state of Kerala and not just know the region well, but serve as excellent conversationalists when it comes to the people, the challenges of the region and general banter about daily life in the region as you drive along.