Kerala Silk Tour

After breakfast on day two of your Kerala tour itinerary, you’ll head for Mudumalai National Park, a 3-hour drive from Mysore. The park is home to the largest population of elephants in India and you might also come across deer, monkeys, honey bears, giant squirrels and even tigers. Otters and crocodiles inhabit the Moyar River that runs through the park. Mudumalai Park lies at the foot of the Nilgiris mountain range and borders the Bandipur, Nagarahole and Wayanad reserves.

When you arrive in Mudumalai on your Kerala tour itinerary, you'll go straight to your jungle lodge where you can spend the rest of the day relaxing before you're picked up for your jeep safari at the end of the afternoon. You’ll be staying in a comfortable cottage (authentic accommodation) surrounded by lush green vegetation. Almost every cottage has a view of the majestic Nilgiri mountain range, and the views from the natural pool are amazing. 

Late afternoon you'll be picked up at your hotel by jeep for an evening safari in search of wild elephants - a real highlight of your Kerala tour itinerary . With a bit of luck you might even spot a tiger, though admittedly sightings are rare. You’ll set out on the game drive in an open top jeep to spot wildlife while the sun slowly sets. Don’t forget to bring your binoculars and your camera, and keep those eyes peeled.

This morning, wake up slowly during a peaceful breakfast in your tropical surroundings and prepare for day three of your Kerala tour itinerary. Today you’ll drive across the green tea plantations and palm valleys of the Wayanad hills. Just sit back in your air-conditioned car and enjoy the views of the rolling tropical landscape pass by. All across the tea fields you can see the brightly coloured saris of the tea pickers, and big baskets filled with freshly picked tea leaves waiting to be picked up by the side of the road. You’ll be stopping off at a plantation to see the whole tea production process and even have a go at tea-picking yourself.

Wayanad is nestled in the hills of the western Ghats, with peaks over 2000m. This relatively undiscovered area offers some breathtaking views across the emerald rolling hills. You’ll be staying in a spacious stilted bungalow in a peaceful green valley, close to a lively village. Your bungalow has a private veranda where dinner is served if you like. The evenings here are pleasantly cool, a nice place to stop off on your way to the tropical south.

After breakfast on the last day of your Kerala tour itinerary, your personal driver will be waiting to take you around Cochin. You’ll visit the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue in the heart of the Jewish district, and the Saint Francis Church (the oldest European church in India). You’ll also take a look at the Chinese fishing nets that arrived in Cochin with the Chinese traders many centuries ago. In the afternoon, you’ll leave the hotel (probably with a suitcase full of silk) to travel on to your next destination. You can explore more of Kerala with the Backwaters and Wildlife module or perhaps take a flight to Chennai for our Living Temples of the South tour.