- A School Adventure in India’s tropical south
- Trekking in the Cardamom Hills
- Houseboat cruise on the Kerala `backwaters`
- Madurai`s outrageous Sri Meenakshi Temple
A School Adventure through India's tropical south. At the southern tip of India, the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu offer a range of experiences unlike anything else on the Indian Subcontinent. After a day’s relaxation on the Indian Ocean beaches of Kovalam, we transfer to Alleppey to meet our houseboat for a sunset cruise and overnight stay on the uniquely atmospheric Kerala 'backwaters'. Our next stop is at the Periyar Wildlife Reserve, home to wild elephants and tigers, where we have a full day’s exploration with Kerala Forest Department guides. Another unmissable attraction is the amazing Sri Meenakshi temple complex at Madurai, probably the most colourful example of Indian religious architecture. Then, from the British Raj hill-station of Munnar, 4-days of trekking takes us through tea plantations, shola forest and rolling grassland, with a high point at the summit of Meesapulimala (2600m / 8530ft), the second highest Indian peak south of the Himalayas. Between the plantations and tribal villages and the highest peaks of the Cardamom Hills there is a world of forest and high moorland which provides excellent trekking. This area is also the natural habitat of a number of endangered animal species, most notably the ibex-like Nilgiri tahr and the Nilgiri langur, a large monkey. A visit to the picturesque old Portuguese city of Cochin brings this varied School Adventure to a close.
Educational perspective
The Kerala backwaters, with their mix of fresh and salt water, provide a unique habitat for many species of water birds, including kingfishers, cormorants and darters (also called snake birds).
Amend or Extend
Spend an extra day on the backwaters, allow more time in Tamil Nadu, or return to Kovalam at the end of the trip for another day on the beach.
Trip Guide
We recommend a minimum age of 14 years
This is not a long or sustained trekking holiday. We start out with a slow-paced introductory walk in the Periyar Reserve, looking for wildlife in the company of forest service rangers. Then, our 4-day trek through the Cardamom Hills begins with a straightforward uphill walk through a tea estate above Munnar and continues with 3 days of varied hiking, averaging 6 hours each day including lunch stops. The altitudes attained are never sufficiently high to cause problems with acclimatisation and the underfoot conditions are generally good, on tracks and trails through tea plantations and across open moorland. We may encounter some slippery conditions on forest trails. The trip also includes a number of half-day vehicle transfers on generally good roads. Each KE School Adventure is given a grade, taking into account the amount of walking involved, the difficulty of the terrain, the remoteness, the altitude and the overall length of the trip. The trips are graded on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most challenging. This trip is graded 4.
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