World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group (Day 4)

After an enjoyable 3 days of trekking and interaction, we all were under the impression that we had quite got the hang of things around Munnar. Trekking was almost second nature to the group as we moved along noisily everyday.

Little did we know what Day 4 of the trip had in store for us!

The trek today was a lot more challenging and strenuous. The entire group was quite exhausted by the time we were done.

An awesome dinner made up for whatever aches and pains we were complaining about. A huge spread - just what the doctor ordered in after the long and tiring trek.

An there was still more to look forward to - The Cultural Programme. Our objective - to give our Edinburgh team members an insight into the local culture of Kerala and India. Looking forward to it!

We get back to Kochi tomorrow! Log in soon, for a full fledged account of our eventful 5day Munnar trip. And don't forget to check out our videos and photos once we're done uploading them!

Want to go on a similar trek? Contact us at Kalypso Adventures and we'll cook up a trip tailor-made to suit you. Visit our website at www.kalypsoadventures.com! We are looking forward to hear from you!

World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group (Day 3)

Day 3 proved rather interesting in terms of sights to take in but was challenging as we spent almost 14 hours walking around.

The group's enthusiasm remained through it all and kept their spirits up. The group went through cardamom plantation and the Kalypso crew did a splendid job of teaching the group about tea-processing. Doubts and questions continued to be asked as we trekked through the plantation.

A long day of trekking and we finally reached our camp for the day Santhanpara...

Santhanpara is a picturesque village nestled among the dense forests of Idukki District. It is about 30km from Munnar. The name Santhanpara is derived from the saint Santhamuni, who is believed to have meditated in this place.

Situated in the foothills of Western Ghats, the magnificent stretch of land with tea, pepper and cardomom beckons one into an aromatic and dreamy landscape. The mountains surrounding the place make it ideal for trekking and long walks.

Last day tomorrow! Looking forward to it!

Check our updates out regularly as we trek through Munnar!

World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group (Day 2)

Today we restarted our trek early morning.

More beautiful scenery and more climbing and trekking brought us to a tribal village. We mingled with the local people and the children in the village and spent some time there.

The group from Edinburgh had a lot of fun giving the tribal children a lesson in performing arts at the tribal school in the village. The kids too, thrived in the attention, and showed off their prowess. The group mingled well and everyone seemed to have a real good time.

The tent pitching competition was held at the camp in Suryanelli. The competition was rather challenging with the wind blowing hard and disrupting the groups trying valiantly to pitch their tents. The wind speed at the camp here was insane!

Suryanelli is an enchanting hill resort near Munnar in Idduki District. It is enriched with the scenic western mountain ranges and an ideal place for a break. Suryanelli has a beautiful lake, surrounded by tea plantations. Anayirankal Dam and Power House Waterfalls are next to this spot.

Tomorrow a 14 km trek awaits! Log in for more as we progress...

World Challenge - The Edinburgh Group

I was privileged enough to be selected to go along with the group based from Edinburgh who were now in Kerala, for The World Challenge Expedition organized by Kalypso Adventures.

If you haven't been reading our older posts, World Challenge organizes expeditions to different countries for students in the United Kingdom as an opportunity to develop skills that cannot be taught in the confines of a classroom. Kalypso Adventures is proud to be able to give these students a chance to see more of India (Kerala to be more specific) and challenge themselves as they trek through the terrain in Munnar.

Munnar is a town located in the Idduki district of India's Kerala state, situated in the Western Ghats of India. The region in and around Munnar varies in height from 2,000 meters (6,562 ft) to 2,600 meters (8,530 ft) above mean sea level. Munnar enjoys a salubrious climate. The temperature ranges between 10 °C (50 °F) and 0 °C (32 °F) in winter and 8 °C (46.4 °F) and 16 °C (60.8 °F) in summer. The tourist season in Munnar is from August to May. However, even the monsoons are lovely with many streams and rivulets in the area and post drizzle the dew drenched tea gardens looking majestic and heavenly enshrouded in light mist.

Early today, we started our trek in Munnar and were enthralled by the beauty and serenity the hills of the region had to offer. The sights and sounds and smells, the chatter of the group as they made their way along the trekking route with the guides - everything seemed surreal and peaceful as we took in the beautiful scenery around us. Even the occasional drizzle didn't dampen our spirits.

We had a few thrilling moments every now and then - the most interesting being the seemingly precarious crossing over the ricketiest bridge I'd ever seen! Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they watched their team-mates crossed over.

We trekked through a leech-infested land and a steep uphill climb along a barbed wire. The girls from Edinburgh seemed excited and chattered away as we trekked, not really bothered by the leeches or being tired.

Our day ended with a tent-pitching demonstration carried out by our very own Kalypso Adventures guides. A competition among the group would be held the next day, and the girls listened intently.

An eventful first day of the trip!!!!

Check out our progress tomorrow night, as we move on to discover more around Munnar!