NEI (UK)'s holidays to India... welcome..

Trek South India

The Western Ghats are a magnificent range of hills, rising up from India’s Malabar Coast, offering some of the finest trekking areas reaching up to 2675mts.This, combined with stunning scenery and wildlife, this adventure tour also offers exuberant temple architecture and painting, spanning several centuries and styles.

Route: Kochi - Alleppey - Munnar - Silent Valley - Roho Valley - Yellapatty - Korangani - Kolukkumalai - Madarai - Trivandrum.

DURATION: 13 days
Trekking: 4 days.
Best time: November to February
Highest altitude: 2670mts.
Highest campsite: 2150mts
Focus: Rolling grass lands, fine views, tribal villages, tea gardens, temples, culture and rich flora and fauna.

Day 1:     Leave London for Kochi ( India).

Day 2:     Arrive Kochi
Assistance on arrival and transfer to your hotel.Rest of the morning free. After lunch, there will be a walking tour of Fort Kochi, ending at the Chinese nets to view the sunset. You will then be escorted to a Kathakali dance performance followed by dinner in local restaurant .After dinner return to your hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 3:     Kochi - Alleppey (2hrs Drive)
After breakfast transfer to Alleppey to board a houseboat for a stunning backwater cruise through canals and waterways full of life and activity. Overnight on the houseboat where the staff will pamper you with a Kerala Fish curry and local food. Lunch/Dinner and overnight in houseboat.

Day 4:    Alleppey- Munnar ( Drive about 4/5hrs)/ 1400mts. After an early breakfast you will set off for Munnar. The drive initially passes through the city and small towns and villages and then through the foothills of dense forest along winding roads offering magnificent views. There will be lunch enroute in a local restaurant followed by a drive through the beautiful tea gardens to your hotel. Evening time free or visit to the local market, which has nice temple and a church. Early dinner and overnight in hotel.

Day 5:    Munnar- Silent valley (1600mts/ 25kms drive)- Trek to Rodho valley 5/6hrs (2150mts).
After an early breakfast you will be driven through the tea gardens and mixed forest to Silent Valley about 1½ hrs drive away. After a cup of black tea the trek through the tea gardens begins. After about 30min walk youcome to a wide path and follow the tea gardens on one side and the forest on the other. You will pass by a small forest rest house, a nice place for refreshment break. It also has a few toilets. You will then trek on a well defined path through the mixed forest, and ascend until a small ridge is reached. From here there is about a 20mins gradual descent to a waterfall providing a perfect place for lunch. After lunch you trek on a narrow path for about 45 minutes to your camp, offering fine views of the surroundings hills. The camp site is surrounded by rhododendron bushes and trees which are at their best in February. Dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 6:     Rodho valley – Meesapuli Peak- Yellapatty valley , 8/9hrs (2050mts).
Today is the longest and most challenging days trek. You begin early from the camp walking on a well marked path for about 20 min. You then turn left through rolling grass lands and begin a steep climb for about 100mts to a meadow with several types of grass and flowers; there is also a possibility of seeing elephants and the Nilgiri Thar. A steep descent through the grass land follows and then a steep ascent to the 2nd highest peak in South India- Messapuli (2675mts). The views are splendid : on one side Kerala and on the other side Tamil Nadu. After lunch you begin the trek on a well marked path used by villagers and forest department to your next camp. This is a long and tiring descent through grass land, mixed forest and finally through the tea gardens. Your reward is the commanding views of Tamilnadu. Dinner and overnight in tents.

Day 7:    Yellapatty valley – Korangani 6/7hrs ( 850mts).
After breakfast, the days trek begins along undulating terrain , passing through two beautiful small, tribal villages and through a deciduous forest. Lunch will be just outside one of those villages. Then there is a long descent through tea gardens and mixed forest, to the village of Korangani, where there are a few small tea shops, and a temple dedicated to the local deity. The area is bird and butterfly heaven, supporting almost 100 species of bird.
The camp is set in a terraced cotton plantation, with a small house. Dinner and overnight in camp. ( Temperature here will be warmer than the other camps).

Day 8:     Korangani- Kolukkumalai 7/8hrs, 2129mts.
After an early start to avoid the heat in the day the trek begins over similar ground to the previous days. Lunch will be on grass land and then you will ascend to a tribal village and fascend agin steeply for about 100mts to possibly the finest camping spot ,offering magnificent views of the route of the days trek and the surrounding mountains. To celebrate your last night camping, there will be a camp fire and singing by staff. Dinner and overnight in camp.

Day 9:     Koulukkumalai-Madurai.
After breakfast you will trek down about 100mts through the highest tea growing estate in the world, to see the process of tea making in a factory. After a the required cup of tea, there will be a bumpy jeep ride for one hour through tea gardens and villages to Suryanelly, where your transport will be waiting to drive you to Madurai ( 4hrs).Overnight in hotel.

Day 10:    Madurai sightseeing .
After breakfast there will be a tour of Madurai, the City of Festivals and one of the great medieval temple-cities which are a unique feature of South India. The highlight of the tour is the fabulous temple dedicated to Meenakshi. The temple is famous for its cavernous interiors, fine sculptures and extraordinary atmosphere. Overnight in hotel.

Day 11:    Madurai- Trivandrum ( Train)- Kovalam Drive:
Early morning transfer to the railway station for 04-30hrs train to Trivandrum, arriving at
11-35hrs. Travelling in 2nd class air-con sleeper, this is quite an experience. Arrive and transfer to the beachside hotel in Kovalam for two night stay.

Day 12:    Trivandrum day free, late night departure
A day free lazing on the beach. Overnight in hotel.

Day 13:    Fly to your home country

Please contact us for further information and prices.