Trip-specific information
Best of Kerala: “Culture & Wildlife”
Bonus: Optional daily yoga with Peggy (included)
April 22 - April 30 (9 days)
Important Dates: The tour begins on April 22 in Trivandrum Airport, India and ends on April 30 at Kochi, India. We spend 9 days in the Kerala, and Western Ghat region.
You are responsible for securing your own tickets from the U.S. (or elsewhere) to Trivandrum. Please arrive as early as possible in the day. You will be picked up at the airport and brought to our beach hotel.
We will end the tour near the end of the day on April 30 in Kochi (Cochin). You will either be dropped at the airport on that day, or brought to a nearby hotel (your choice and expense).
Flying Strategies: Some people will purchase R/T tickets to/from the US to Colombo (for those doing the Sri Lanka tour), then a one way tickets to Trivandrum, returning to Colombo via Kochi. There is often no rhyme or reason for the pricing of tickets, so you will just have to explore the options. momondo.com is the best international search engine.
Kerala/Western Ghats Tour Cost and what’s included
The cost is $1,750 or discounted to $1,500 for early bird sign up (by Dec 1), or $1,300, if this is an extension of the preceding 15 days Sri Lanka tour . All land travel will be arranged by GeoWandering. Airfare is extra - we will help you find the appropriate flights and the best prices. The cost for any personalized services, like Ayurvedic spa treatment, massages, salon services, surf lessons, surfboard rental or alcoholic beverages is your responsibility. Accommodations, meals, safari's, park entrance fees, translator, and ground transportation is all included in the fee. This price is based on double occupancy - shared room, single room surcharge is $180.
Additional Information
If you would like to extend your time in either Sri Lanka or India, you are welcome to join any of SavingGanesh.org’s other tours, Since this is our final tour of the season, there is only one tour extension available (see Sri Lanka - “Culture & Wildlife”) That tour is priced at $2,450, with an early bird price of $2,100. Thus, a combined early bird price for 24 days of touring is $3,400. Depending upon your level of help toward SavingGanesh.org’s conservation work, much of your tour fees are tax-deductible. Because most of our tours are conservation based and filmmaking is ongoing, you are welcome to join and be a member of the crew with full tax advantages. As a fully working member of our conservation group, ALL of your fees will be tax deductible. See FAQ page for more details.
Please see FAQ page for more information about deposit and payment requirements, and other important information.
Primary Tour Plan: Arriving via Trivandrum Airport, we will drive 45 minutes south to Manaltheeram, the Ayurvedia Beach Village. This is where where Shiva Rea holds her Kerala retreats. The next afternoon we will travel north to the palm-fringed beaches of Varkala (Kerala’s best surfing spot) and its rich cultural and artistic life. Two nights here will allow plenty of time to connect with the culture and beach scene. As time, weather and road conditions allow, our route is carefully arranged to see a variety of Kerala’s offerings. We will follow a northward route, carrying us from the southern most tip of India - along beaches, before climbing into the lush high tropical lands of Periyar, Munnar, Plakkad, and later, into the majestic Wayanad region.
Upon departure from Varkala, we will enjoy peaceful cruising of the backwaters of historic Alleppey, Next, we escape the heat of the lowlands by heading into the hills, which rise nearly 8,000 feet. En route we will enjoy beautiful streams, waterfalls, pepper, cardamom and tea plantations and thick forests. Time permitting, we will either visit the wildlife reserve at Periyar, where herds of elephants roam freely in vast jungles, or Munnar, which is breathtakingly beautiful and is described by National Geographic Traveler as "one of the fifty must see destinations of a lifetime and one of the ten paradises of the world." The tea plantations present a carpet of green - the landscape offers one of the most romantic views in the world. Palakkad is among Kerala's most picturesque areas as a result of its distinctive palmyra trees and extensive green paddy fields. Palakkad lies near Palghat Gap - running thru the Western Ghats range which parallels the west coast of India and connects Kerala to the plains within the state of Tamil Nadu of south-central India. SavingGanesh’s most recent documentary - “Elephants of Kerala” is centered in this region. As time allows, we have the option of either hitting the beach again at Kochi, or visiting the National Parks at Wayanad and Mudumalai. Wayanad's name is derived from “wayalnadu” meaning ‘land of paddy fields.’ This area contains the largest concentration of tribal population, perhaps in all India. Our tour ends at Kochi (Kozhikode) on April 30.
Bonus: Optional daily yoga with Peggy (included). Peggy is a certified yoga instructor with years of experience, including owning her own commercial yoga studios in New Zealand.