The Ultimate Adventure in Kerala

Your host is an expert in all things Kerala, specialising in the region and running trips there for over two decades. If weather or other factors affect the ability to visit a specific place or conduct a particular activity, your host will have plenty of alternative options.

As well as the general risks of adventure travel (e.g. transport, accommodation, and medical standards being different from home, as well as the risks involved in the adventurous activities themselves), we have identified the following trip-specific risks you should also be aware of. Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the details of the itinerary to ensure you are happy with the level of risk involved in the trip. If you have any questions, please get in touch!

Wildlife Factors to Consider

This trip visits locations where wild animals are present in a natural environment, where protections and controls on their movement may be limited or non-existent. Some wild animals may be predatory, poisonous, venomous, or otherwise considered dangerous in a close encounter. Wild animals, by their nature, are unpredictable, and visitors in their habitat should follow the safety instructions given by their local guide(s) and/or any signage present. It is a privilege to see wild animals in a natural environment, and this experience should be conducted respectfully at all times.

Climate Factors to Consider

This trip visits locations where daytime temperatures can be extremely high during the times of year when this trip operates. High humidity and limited access to shade can also be factors, and warm temperatures can continue into the night, further influencing the body’s ability to cool down. Personal care should be taken to keep cool as best as possible in these conditions, such as wearing appropriate clothing and maintaining proper hydration. Very high temperatures can impair an individual’s physical abilities to perform activities that they may otherwise be able to do competently in cooler temperatures. People may experience symptoms associated with dehydration and heat stroke. Your guide(s) are trained to mitigate the risks associated with high temperatures by carefully managing the intensity of the activity and providing the appropriate support response should someone feel ill during the trip. Should you experience health issues during your trip, you should inform your guide immediately so the proper care can be provided.

There is one main guide for groups of up to 10 people, and an additional guide for groups of 11-14 people. During the hikes in the Western Ghats, an additional guide joins the group for some local expertise. For the day trek at Periyar Tiger Reserve, a local community guide leads the way. For the kayaking day in the backwaters, an additional kayaking guide joins the group.

This trip starts and ends at different hotels in different parts of Kerala, so it's not viable to leave luggage in Kochi at the start of your trip. The same vehicle is used throughout the adventure, so you are free to leave additional luggage securely in the vehicle for the duration of your adventure through Kerala.

Visa requirements often change, and you are responsible for obtaining any required visas for this trip. The following advice may be subject to change. Please check with your nearest embassy or consulate for up-to-date advice.

All foreign nationalities entering India require a valid visa, which in most cases must be obtained in advance of travel (please check the regulations for your nationality). You must have a machine-readable passport, valid for at least 180 days from your arrival date in India. Persons of Indian origin must have an OCI card. Clients with a Pakistani passport or of Pakistani descent will need extra time and additional documents for visa processing.

Applicants of eligible countries can either apply online for an Indian e-Visa or apply for a Standard Visa, which involves an in-person visit to a branch of the Indian High Commission's Visa Facilitation Service (VFS). There have been delays to Standard Visa processing times so please book your appointment ASAP if using this service.

Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US, CA and EU, can apply online via https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html. Applications for 30-day e-Tourist visas can be made from 30 days before the proposed date of travel and not less than 4 days before your arrival date in India (applications for multiple entry 1-year e-Tourist visas can be made from 120 days in advance).

Applications for a Standard Visa (requiring both an online application and an in-person appointment) can be made via the VFS Global website.

We recommend checking out the country specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.

Filtered water is available at most of the hotels you stay at on this trip, allowing you to fill up your refillable bottle and bike bottle each day. Additionally, your tour leader and driver will carry a large container of purified water for the group to refill their bottles from.

Tipping is part of the culture in India. Your guide will offer to run a tipping kitty whereby everyone contributes an equal amount, and they then take care of tipping on behalf of the group. This is often the easiest way to avoid the hassle of needing small change and knowing when and what is an appropriate amount to tip. The tipping kitty will cover tips for drivers, any additional local guides, and hotel staff (excluding restaurant tips). Your guide will keep a running record of all monies spent, which you can ask to see at any time. Participation in this kitty is at your discretion, and you are welcome to manage your own tipping separately if you prefer. For this trip, the kitty will be in the region of INR 4,000 per person (for 10 days). Please note the tipping kitty excludes tips for your main guide.

Tipping Your Main Guide

If you have received excellent service and wish to tip your guide, the amount is entirely a personal preference, and you are free to tip any amount you feel is appropriate. As a rough guideline, your host recommends INR 5,000 - 5,500 per person (for 10 days), but you may decide to tip more or less as you see fit. Remember, a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

You'll be using sit-on-top kayaks. These are very stable and easy to paddle for everyone, from new paddlers through to experienced paddlers. Sit-on-top kayaks can be used on the sea, estuaries, rivers, lakes and canals. Your host has a mixture of single and double kayaks for use, depending on the group size and individual preference. It's more than likely that you'll be able to have a go at both during the trip.

The sit-on-top kayaks are made from a plastic and polystyrene composite, are designed for two persons, and have an average weight limit of 170kg.

You'll be riding a hardtail mountain bike, with front suspension ideal for the tarmac and light dirt roads that you'll be cycling on. While the quality of the roads in Kerala are a decent standard compared with other parts of India, having front suspension will still be required compared with a rigid front fork on a classic road bike. Your host will provide helmets, however if you prefer to use your own please bring it with you.

Houseboats in the Kerala backwaters have a mixed history regarding their impact on the environment. In short, some are excellent, but others leave a lot to be desired. Therefore, we have carefully selected a boat and crew with a strong approach to sustainability. The departure starting on 15 March 2025 will use Evergreen Tours houseboat (due to availability), whereas all other dates will be on Marvel houseboat. Marvel houseboat is certified 'Golden Category' by the Department of Tourism in Kerala, using solar power for all the electrics on board and bio-septic plumbing to ensure non-toxic and non-harmful waste disposal. They have their own sewage plant, so waste is treated properly rather than being dumped in the backwaters. Since 2022, the crew have moved away from using bottled water and instead use a large water dispenser to reduce their single-use plastic footprint. The houseboat only moves through the canals, lakes, and rivers up until 17:00, after which time it is anchored in a safe lake area. From 17:00 to 06:00 is when local people go fishing in their small boats, so any noise will disturb their fishing activity, which is their livelihood. The crew are all locals of Kuttanad in Alleppey, whose families depend on the backwaters—this gives the staff the ultimate incentive to protect this area.

Tiger sightings are less common compared to elephant sightings in Periyar, so there is a chance that you won't spot a tiger. There are an estimated 40 Bengal tigers in the park, living in the dense forests with abundant prey species. The sanctuary provides a suitable habitat for these apex predators. This is a true wilderness area and offers a magical experience regardless of tiger sightings, so keep your expectations in check. However, if you are lucky enough to spot a tiger, it will be a memory of a lifetime.

The Periyar forest programmes, such as the full-day hike you'll be doing on this trip, are tightly controlled and managed to benefit the ecology of the national park. A coalition of local communities, tribal populations, and ex-poachers manage tourism in the park in conjunction with the national park authority. Income from running the guided hikes goes directly to these local communities and tribal members, who are employed as guides and naturalists. This is a highly acclaimed, award-winning eco-tourism initiative. The Eco Development Committee (EDC) at Periyar has established the tourist carrying capacity of the tiger reserve using scientific tools, so there are strict rules for full-day hikes—only six persons per group and a maximum of four groups. This controls the number of people in the forest at any one time, which also benefits the overall experience with very good sightings of birds and mammals. Our groups will be staggered according to the maximum group sizes in Periyar.

This trip visits locations where wild animals are present in a natural environment, where protections and controls on their movement may be limited or non-existent. Some wild animals may be predatory in nature, poisonous, venomous or otherwise can be considered dangerous in a close encounter. Wild animals by their nature are unpredictable and visitors into their habit should follow the safety instructions given by their local guide(s) and/or any signage present. It is a privilege to see wild animals in a natural environment and an experience that should be respectfully conducted at all times.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.

Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're always in good company on one of our adventures.

Our trips are typically made up of a mixture of solo travellers and small groups of 2 or 3 friends, with most in their 30s-50s.

Our sociable adventures are solo-friendly by design and naturally attract outdoorsy people with a shared mindset; a love for adventure, a desire to push themselves and meet awesome, like-minded people along the way.

It’s this camaraderie that has so often turned a great adventure into a life-changing one.

Don't just take our word for it:

• 95% of people rate the group dynamics on our trips 5/5
• 90% of people recommend joining a trip to make new friends
• 75% of people have met people on our trips that they would now consider friends

See here for more info about the Much Better Adventures tribe.

Interested in a more exclusive experience? Opt for a 'Private Group' through the dates and prices tab to book this adventure for just you and your chosen companions.

Our team of Adventure Hunters create exclusive adventures with highly vetted, specialist hosts. We only work with independent, local in-destination experts who know the very best places to explore and how to stay safe. Read more information about the local teams we partner with.

Much Better Adventures refer to the UK Government’s official travel advice when designing trips and monitoring trip operations. We recommend that all customers are familiar with the practical information provided on the Government’s FCDO website, where current travel advice can be found by searching for the applicable destination(s).

For customers joining this trip from other international destinations – please also read the official travel advice applicable to your country of residence/origin, as this may differ.