Kerala Local

This trip is for anyone who wants a change of perspective — to step out of routine and enjoy lush nature and the company of the group.

We begin by settling into Fort Kochi, in a warm family home, going into the local traditions through yoga and through the centuries-old Kathakali theatre.

From there we move to the raw force of the Athirappilly falls. Then we climb into the mountains of Munnar to swim under waterfalls, cross tea plantations by jeep and walk unpredictable paths with Appu, our guide and great friend. It is an invitation to meet the wildest, most alive part of Kerala, where the jungle can close around you in silence, or the track can hand you the astonishment of crossing paths with wild elephants, gaur, bears, tigers or snakes.

Then we cross the famous Alleppey canals by boat, through a shifting landscape dotted with small riverside villages where life moves beautifully slowly. That carries us to the water maze of Munroe Island, where we watch the sun come up from traditional wooden boats and explore the backwaters by kayak at dusk.

Finally we return to Fort Kochi so you can move at your own pace and gather whatever you want to take home from India.

More than places to sleep. We think who receives you matters as much as where you are, which is why all three places we have chosen are ones we know, ones we trust, or ones we picked personally to be part of this route.

Aaron's Homestay — Fort Kochi. This was one of our homes in Kerala. Johnson and his family took us in as something more than guests, with a generosity that stayed with us long after we left. Coming back with the group is how we support their family business, and how we share with you one of the friendships that made Kerala far more than a place we passed through.

Tea Elanza — Munnar. Surrounded by the high country and the tea. Appu, our guide in Munnar, stays there, and he has become a close friend. Through him this place became part of our own Munnar.

Vrindavan Homestay — Munroe Island. A family house run by a young host alongside his parents. His parents cook the home-made meals and he helps us find the backwaters by kayak, by traditional boat, and through the life of the island.

Clean, well-kept rooms with air conditioning, towels, water, tea and coffee. And hosts who genuinely care how you are.

Food is an essential part of Kerala Local. Across the trip we find the richness of South Indian cooking by sharing tables in local restaurants and family cafés we have chosen, where every meal becomes another way into the culture of Kerala.

Dosa and idli with coconut chutney and sambar, Kerala parotta, thali, appam with ishtu, curries, meen pollichathu, masala chai, fresh coconut water. And, if the timing is right, a sadya served on a banana leaf.

Every meal we share as a group is included. The only thing paid separately is whatever you order outside the planned meals.

On the Noches de Bitácora, after dinner, there are about twenty minutes to write in private. It doesn’t have to sound good or lead to any conclusion: it’s a pause to put what you’ve lived into words.

Then you close the notebook — nobody reads it — and, if you feel like it, we talk. Speaking is optional; silence counts as taking part too.