Biking,Hiking and Kayaking through Kerala

The UCPA group of 6 from France along with the Kalypso staff.

The 14 day journey started with the a 2 day stay at an organic farm in the company of our gracious host,Prof. Jose and his family.It was an ideal way for the visitors to recuperate from the long flight to India.Relaxing by the pool,a leisurely walk to the Thommankuttu falls,a rejuvenating ayurvedic massage,a guided tour of the self sustained organic farm are some of the activities that we did during our days there.

The following day we proceeded to Silent Valley,near Munnar.From here we started the trek to Rhodo Valley.The 5 hour trek takes us through beautiful valleys surrounded by Rhododendron trees.They are an amazing sight when the trees are in full bloom with their beautiful red flowers.We camped at the Rhodo valley in dome tents.The next day we started our trek to Meeshapulimala.

It is one of the highest peaks in South India.At its highest point it stands at 2637 meters.The views from the peak is mind blowing.We were able to spot a herd of Nilgiri Tahr's(Endangered species of endemic goats).A visit to the Worlds highest Tea plantation,Kolukkumalai tea plantation was another highlight of the day.

We spend the night camping at Suryanelli.The next day we started the cycling stint of the tour.Our destination was the town of Vandanmedu,a distance of 70 kms.I particularly enjoyed the challenging climb of 9 kms from Nedungandom.

On the 2nd day of cycling,we did a 40 km stretch to Kumily.Here we took a days break to explore the Periyar Tiger Reserve.A 3 hour walk in the reserve gave us the opportunity to see a wide variety of endemic birds,elephants,langurs, indegenous plants and trees.Being so close to nature and breathing in that pristine natural air is an invigorating experience.

Over the next 2 days we cycled through Kulamavu heading towards the backwaters of Alleppey.Kayaking through the backwaters is a great way to discover the local village life and interact with the natives.The sunsets here are beautiful and a sunset cruise would be an ideal way to end the day.

After 2 days in Alleppey,it was time to return back to Cochin.Here we spend a day exploring the little hamlet of Fort Cochin,with its mixture of heritage buildings,churches,dutch palace and the Jewish synagogue.In the evening we witnessed a traditional dance performance,Kathakali.

An finally we bid our farewells after 14 days of fun,excitement and adventure.Looking back one feels the 2 weeks passed away in the blink of an eye and even after all these days,our appetite for adventure has only grown.