Days 1 & 2
UK – Kochi -Thattekad

Our Walk on the Wild Side adventure starts with an overnight flight from London to Kochi airport in India. Our local Ground Agent will meet us at the airport on the morning of Day 2 and from there, we transfer straight to an amazing bird sanctuary in Thattekad.

This was the first bird sanctuary of its kind in Kerala and enjoys a lush and fertile home. Living up to its name, meaning flat forest, Thattekad is a low-lying evergreen forest and a perfect habitat for birds, sitting between two branches of the Periyar River. 

Our visit gives us a wonderful opportunity to spot a beautiful variety of both forest and water birds, including more than three species of cuckoos in the Cuckoo Paradise area.

Aside from cuckoos, we look out for orange-headed thrushes, large-billed leaf-warblers, Jerdon's nightjars and the Indian pitta, which visits the sanctuary during winter – and that’s only to name a few!

Tonight, we have our first group dinner and settle down at our comfortable camp in the area, listening to the chattering of birds around us.

Day 3
Thattekad – Lockhart Tea Estate, Munnar| approx. 9 - 11km/ 4 - 5 hours

This morning, we transfer from Munnar to the Lockhart Tea Estate, at a divergence from the road to Madurai. We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful place to commence our challenge.

Once off the road (1,606m), we follow a windy, dirt trail through the tea trees and stop for tea in the tea worker’s colony. Refreshed and energised with new insight into the lives of the workers here, we continue our undulating route, until descending to cross the road.

We then have a short climb to reach the Lockhart Tea Factory, where we stop for lunch at a pretty, wooden pavilion overlooking the rolling hills of tea trees.

In the afternoon, we have the fab chance to tour the Lockhart Tea Factory and see the tea-making process, from tree to the tea we drink. We also get to try the plantation’s variety of teas. When in Rome!

We continue our trek through a small forest and up to a clearing on the other side of the plantation. This is where we find our charming campsite, tucked amidst tea trees. We finish the day having dinner and watching the sunset over the hills and valleys.

Day 4
Lockhart – Rhodo Valley | approx. 9 - 11km/ 5-7 hours

Our day begins with a transfer to the Base Camp at the Silent Valley National Park, home to tea plantations, rhododendron and pine forests - and a whopping range of wildlife! Keep your eyes peeled for elephants, lion-tailed macaques and more!

After refreshments, we hike along a narrow trail through the enchanting forest, full of pine trees, rhododendrons, eucalyptus and mimosa. Our trail trail leads us up from the dense vegetation to the rolling grass hills and we tackle a steep last stretch to the peak, Meesapulimalai.

The panarama from the top is spectacular. We stop to take in the cliffs of the Western Ghats, the flat lowlands of Tamil Nadu and the rolling hills that surround them.

After a short break, we start our descent and make a small loop through a valley where the rhododendrons and pine forest grows wild. We walk through the unique ecosystem of grass land and alongside streams, to the campsite at Rhodo Valley, so named because of all the rhododendrons we’re seeing!

This is where we settle down for the night, camping by the side of the Western Ghats’ mountain meadows.

Day 5
Rhodo Valley – Yellapatty Valley – Camp Footprint | approx. 16 -18km/ 6 – 8 hours

After breakfast at camp, we head through more pine forests and zig zag through rolling grasslands and the dense sholas of Camp Mamaia, overlooked by handsome mountain ranges.

Pressing on, we pass a couple of lakes, before finishing our morning with a steep and short descent to the tea fields of the Yellapatty Estate, just in time for lunch.

This afternoon sees us once again following a route through gorgeous tea plantations, before ending with a short climb through dense forest, watching out for birds, reptiles and mammals as we go.

We camp on the mountain top, with vistas that more than make up for our long day’s walk. High in the misty mountains, clouds float under our feet as we look out at a panorama of surrounding peaks.

Day 6
Camp Footprint – Top Station | approx. 8 – 10km/ 4 – 5 hours

Camping on the eastern slope of the Western Ghats, we wake early to see a breathtaking sunrise with our breakfast. This lights us up to continue our trek along the mountain ridges of the eastern slopes. This awards us with incredible vistas of the mountain range’s second highest peak, the highest tea estate and the lowlands of Tamil Nadu.

All the way, we keep our cameras and binoculars handy, ready to see the myriad of endemic birds and wildlife in the area. Described as a treasure trove of wildlife by the WWF, the Western Ghats mountain range is home to nearly a third of India’s plant, fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. We’re bound to see monkeys and butterflies and it’s possible we could catch a glimpse of the elusive leopards and perhaps even the tigers living here.

We pass through a range of vegetation today, from shola and evergreen forests to mountain tops and grasslands to tea plantations and villages, until we finally reach the Top Station.

Our camp awaits us, where we have dinner before a good night’s sleep.

Day 7
Top Station – Vattavada Kovilore village - Pambadum Shola National Park | approx. 2 hours

We’ve made it to our last day of trekking! With only around two hours left to walk on the wild side, we stick to the Shola forest and look out for the diversity of plant and animal species unique to sholas.

We have a chance to spot birds like the Nilgiri Flycatcher, the Kerala Laughing thrush, the Black and rufous flycatcher and flocks more! This national park is also known for adorable golden-chested Nilgiri Martens, Malabar giant squirrels, Sambar deer and Nilgiri langurs. 

Eventually, we meet our finish line and transfer back to Munnar for our well-earned celebration dinner and a rest.

Day 8
Munnar Hills – Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary

After breakfast at the hotel, we have a three-hour transfer out of the Munnar hills to the Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary near Thekkady.

Nestled in the Cardamom hills of the Idukki district, this invaluable National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is home to the critically endangered Bengal tiger and Asiatic elephants, among giant and flying squirrels, fruit bats, mongoose and more.

Needless to say, we make the most of the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend the rest of our morning wildlife spotting!

In the afternoon we wander around the exquisite spice gardens, before ending our day at our hotel in the area.

Day 9
Periyar National Park – Kumarakom

We rise early today to spot even more wildlife, including the local early birds, before transferring in the afternoon to the backwaters of Kerala. Our drive takes us to the fairy tale-like village of Kumarakom.

Sitting atop the Vambanad Lake, the village is laced with canals and home to cuckoos, Siberian storks and many a houseboat.

After more wildlife spotting and dinner, we overnight in a hotel in Kumarakom.

Day 10 & 11
Kumarakom – Kochi – UK

Bidding goodbye to the gorgeous Kerala, we transfer to the Kochi airport after breakfast and catch our overnight flight back to the UK. Our adventure ends here and you make your own way home from the airport.