Walking in Kerala

This small-group walking tour by Explore Worldwide takes you from Kochi’s historic port through the varied landscapes of Kerala’s Western Ghats. After a gentle stroll around Fort Kochi, with its blend of colonial buildings and waterfront fishermen, the itinerary climbs into tea country at Munnar. Here, walks range from gradual climbs through cardamom and coffee plantations to a summit ascent above 2,000 metres with views reaching Anamudi Peak.

The route continues with a three-day trek across rhododendron forests, grasslands and villages, camping beside streams before descending towards the spice-scented market town of Thekkady. The National Park there offers chance encounters with elephants and a host of birdlife along Lake Periyar. A night aboard an anjili wood houseboat on the labyrinth of Kerala Backwaters follows, before a slow walk through local villages and vegetable gardens near Alleppey.

This is a paced walking holiday with varied terrain and some substantial climbs. The mix of mountain air, spice gardens and waterways makes for a fresh take on a southern Indian landscape more usually glimpsed from the road or rails than on foot. The group ends back in Kochi, free to depart at leisure.