India - Family Tour: Spices & Elephants

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1 India - Family Tour: Spices & Elephants Naturetrek 26 December January 2011 House boat trip on Kerala backwaters Kerala Landscape Orphaned Asian Elephant Report complied by Dhanya Venkatesh Images by kind courtesy of Pauline Parker Naturetrek Cheriton Mill Cheriton Alresford Hampshire SO24 0NG England T: +44 (0) F: +44 (0) E: info@naturetrek.co.uk W:

2 India - Family Tour: Spices & Elephants Tour leader: Dhanya Venkatesh Participants: Christine Parker Pauline Parker Mark Nicholson Kathryn Parker Day 1 Sunday 26th December Left UK heading for India Day 2 Monday 27th December Guests arrived at 8:20am in Cochin Intl Airport and after the initial round of introductions we proceeded towards Willingdon Island and we reached the hotel at 12 noon. We decided to have a couple of hours at leisure before going out for sight seeing. At 2:30pm we met up at the reception and were joined by our cultural guide Albert. We headed towards Mattancherry to see the Dutch Palace and the Jewish Synagogue, and after seeing these two monuments we proceeded towards St.Francis Church followed by the Chinese Fishing Nets. We left at 5:30pm to the theatre where the Kathakali Show was held. We saw the artists adorn themselves with the colourful patterning on their faces, and they began with salutations followed by demonstrating the basic facial and eye movements required to perform this art form. We got back to the hotel after a long day and retired to the rooms after discussing what s in store for tomorrow. Day 3 Tuesday 28th December We leave by 9am and proceed towards Kodanadu Elephant Camp the largest rescue centre for elephants in Kerala. We reached the camp at 11am and saw three young elephants that were rescued from the forest after their mother was poached. On our way out we visit the small zoo where they have housed both rescued and confiscated animals and birds which will be released once they regain normal health. We see porcupine, Barking, Sambar and Spotted Deer, Rhesus and Bonnet Macaques, Niligiri Langur, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Brahminy and Black Kites, Alexandrine Parakeets, Scaly-breasted and Black-headed Munias, and crocodiles. Following this we carry on with our three hour drive to Munnar. We decided to have lunch en route so we stopped at Kothamangalam for some authentic kerala food. After having had a sumptuous meal we carried on with the drive, criss-crossing the hilly terrain surrounded by rubber trees and cardamom plantations. As we draw in closer to Munnar we were welcomed by the greenery of the tea bushes that envelop the hills around us. We saw many waterfalls on the way. We reached the resort at 5:30pm, and we were shown our rooms. We relaxed and went to bed after deciding on the time for our start tomorrow. Day 4 Wednesday 29th December Today we headed out to town with a packed lunch. We headed straight to Eravikulam National Park and queued up for the entrance tickets. Naturetrek March 11 1

3 We were driven uphill by the forest bus and from there we walked uphill to look for the Endangered Niligiri Tahr. Luckily we saw a whole herd of about nine in the distance soon after we started the climb! We trekked further uphill enjoying the sprawling tea plantations below us. Soon we saw the Tahr a bit closer this time, resting in the grass and basking in the sun. We made our retreat to the point where we were dropped off and took the bus downhill. Kathryn, Mark and Pauline visited the museum while Christine waited in the queue for the return trip. We get to the parking at 12 noon and proceeded towards the Tata Tea Factory/Museum. Here we saw a documentary on how Munnar came into being and how British developed the hills to be a tea haven. We learned how tea leaves are processed into the various forms that are sold in the markets. We then had our packed lunch before going around the fruit, vegetable and fish markets before coming out to the local shops to buy some material for Mark, Pauline and Kathryn. At 3pm we decided to head back to the resort, having achieved all that was planned for the day. Once back at the resort we planned for tomorrow before relaxing through the evening, and watching the sun set from our balconies. Day 5 Thursday 30th December We left the comforts of this hotel on our three hour drive through cardamom plantations to Periyar. The hotel we will be staying at is ten minutes away from the National Park gate, yet situated away from the hustle and bustle of the town. We reach the hotel for lunch and went out to the spice plantation at 3pm. We were accompanied by Thomas guided us through the plantation explaining the plants and their uses in our lives. We started with rubber, pepper, also called the king of spices, and moved on to the queen of spices cardamom. Then we saw plants like nutmeg, cinnamon, chillies and other herbs. We also saw different types of coffee arabica, and robusta being the common ones. Kathryn enjoyed an elephant ride here and also fed the elephant fruit and vegetables after the ride.we got back to the hotel and decided to enjoy a quiet a day before the New Year s Eve party. Day 6 Friday 31st December We had an early start today for a trek into the forest; I accompanied Pauline and Kathryn while Mark and Christine decided to have a lie-in. We headed into the reserve following a forest guide. We heard Parakeets, Giant Squirrels and saw Sambar Deer. The guide pointed out the tracks from where the elephants crossed during the small hours of the morning. We also saw the digging done by Wild Boar for tubers. Following the trek we got back to hotel and decided to have a boat ride in the afternoon after our lunch. The boat ride started at 3:30pm cruising for 2hrs on Lake Periyar. We were really lucky as we saw a pack of Wild Dogs trying to hunt a Sambar fawn from the herd near them. Further up on the lake we saw more Sambar Deer, Wild Boar and a big herd of Gaur. We also saw birds like the Kingfisher, Swallows, Osprey and many others. We got back to the hotel after picking up our stitched shorts from a tailor in town. Today being the eve of the New Year the hotel had organized some programmes for our entertainment which began at 7pm until midnight. We relaxed and enjoyed the celebration programme. Day 7 Saturday 1st January We left Periyar after a relaxed breakfast at the hotel and carried on with our drive to Kumarakom where we would be staying overnight before we got onto the house boat the next day. 2 Naturetrek March 11

4 We arrived at this brilliantly constructed hotel on banks of the lake. After having had a long drive we decided to give the bird sanctuary a miss and relax by the pool instead. In the evening the hotel organized a complimentary boat ride on the waters which was thoroughly enjoyed by Christine and Kathryn. Day 8 Sunday 2nd January We were all excited about the house boat ride on the backwaters and are all set to board the houseboat at 12:30pm from the boat landing at the hotel. Our spirits were dampened when the house boat turned up two hours later, but once on the boat we relaxed, had a sumptuous authentic Kerala meal followed by dessert and tea. Kathryn and Mark had a go at steering the boat for a while before Kathryn adorned her hand with henna. We saw the tall coconut palms and many small churches and a couple of small temples as we cruised through the backwaters. Also we saw how people around here live, and the means of transport for them here is the ferry. Later after dinner the boat stopped at a quiet place for the night. We decided to get to bed as we had an early start to the airport tomorrow morning. Day 9 Monday 3rd January We left the houseboat in the early morning and had an uneventful two hour drive to Cochin. We did the check-in procedure and boarded the flight at 9:30am from Cochin and the onward journey back home bringing an exciting yet relaxing weeks holiday in India to a memorable end. Receive our e-newsletter Join the Naturetrek ing list and be the first to hear about new tours, additional departures and new dates, tour reports and special offers. Visit to sign up. Naturetrek Facebook We are delighted to launch the Naturetrek Facebook page so that participants of Naturetrek tours can remain in touch after the holiday and share photos, comments and future travel plans. Setting up a personal profile at is quick, free and easy. The Naturetrek Facebook page is now live; do please pay us a visit! Naturetrek March 11 3

5 Species Lists Birds Little Egret Ashy Woodswallow White throated Kingfisher Malabar Parakeet Hill Myna Grey Jungle Fowl Cattle Egret Great Cormorant Osprey White-browed Wagtail Red-whiskered Bulbul Mammals Wild Dogs Bonnet Macaque Gaur Sambar Deer Niligiri Langur Wild Boar Elephants (Domesticated) Spotted Deer 4 Naturetrek March 11