Suggested Itinerary (11 nights/ 12 days)

Day 01: Arrive Cochin

Met on arrival at the Cochin International Airport by a Snow Leopard Adventures representative and transfer to Hotel Wyte Fort. In the evening enjoy a traditional cultural program followed by dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 02: Cochin

After breakfast, we explore the historical city of Fort Cochin. Fort Cochin is a heritage city and the list of interesting places here include the ancient Jewish synagogue, Jew town, Dutch palace, Chinese fishing nets and much more. In the evening, a detailed briefing of the tour by the trip leader.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 03: Kayaking

Early in the morning , we drive to Moolamattom (2 hours drive from Cochin). We disembark at KG colony near Moolamattom where the guides and kayaks are be waiting. Besides them, you will also be met by lots of local populace of all agesJ. We commence paddling from under a hanging bridge at KG colony with a cheerful adieu by the friendly locals.

The route is beautiful and very picturesque. We experience mild rapids during the first 30 minutes after which the water becomes absolutely flat. It is a good opportunity to see a bit of the village life along the way - people coming down to the river for their morning bath and women washing clothes.

We kayak for about 3 hours after till we reach the take out point near a Mosque. From here, we drive for  30 minutes by road to the second put in pint for the day. We lower the kayaks once again at the Malankara Dam. We take out at the ‘River Banks’ retreat where we stay for the night.

After lunch, we have a short siesta before setting out to explore the little town of ‘Thodupuzha’. As in most places in Kerala, we find most public places crowded, but interesting. In the evening, we visit a rubber estate and take a look at rubber tapping and processing. We also get to see the origin of car tyres and the rest of the rubbery stuff we use. Tea and snacks. We return to ‘River Banks’ for dinner and spend the night in the retreat.

Day 04: Kayaking:

After an early breakfast, we drive to Neriamangalam, 45 minutes away. We commence paddling from Neriamangalam, on the foothills of the Western Ghats where the river Periyar finally meanders onto the plains. The dense tropical jungles on one side and the myriad spice plantations on the other bank greet you as you buckle up to go down the river.  We will see the first ever rubber estate in India set up over a hundred years ago by a Mr. Murphy who built a huge mansion (now in ruins) amidst what was once dense impenetrable lowland forests.

We will also come across a ‘Kavu’ sacred grove - a holy forest preserved in its pristine state around an ancient temple. Besides the myriad birds along the way (over 275 species), we may also come across wildlife, notably elephants on the banks of the river! We take out at a lagoon near a riverside resort for a sumptuous lunch. We continue after lunch till we reach the world famous bird sanctuary at Thattekkad. Our stay will be at the Hornbill Camp, birder’s camp – set within the forests - the right place to relax for the night. 

Day 05: Kayaking:

After breakfast, we drive to ‘Bhoothathankettu’ barrage from where we start our next phase of paddling. Bhoothathankettu literally means a dam built by a demon. Legend says that the Demon, started damming up the river in order to flood the local village to punish the villagers for not paying obeisance to him. The ‘Devi’ or Goddess saw his intention and changed in to a Cock and crowed before he could place the final rocks in place. The demon, thinking that the sun was rising ran away without completing the dam. The village was thus saved from floods. The villagers erected a temple at the location in her honour.

The paddling for today is different from Day 1. We have 14 kms of white water kayaking ahead of us with a grade of 2-2.5. The route takes us through some very beautiful stretch of forests.  We pull out at Paniyeli, for a much deserved lunch. After lunch we transfer south, a 3 hour drive to Coir Village Resort at ‘Thrikkunnapuzha’ set in a beautiful lagoon.

Alternatively, we commence paddling from Hornbill Camp and explore our way to the Bhoothathankettu barrage for about 2 hours. We pull out at the barrage and set course for Coir Village.

A relaxed evening at the resort. We could visit the Snake Temple and if possible see some of the ceremonies and rituals or walk across to the beach and enjoy the sunset.  Overnight at Coir Village.

Day 06: Day at leisure/Paddling around Emerald Isle:

Today we explore the lagoon and the backwaters in the morning. Come back for lunch at Coir Village. Back to the beach in the evening or visit the nearby village/ market.

Day 07: Kayaking:

Today onwards for the next few days we will be experiencing the Keralite life on the back waters. We commence paddling to Green Palace our next stop. We could get transferred to the back up boat after 2-3 hours of paddling and continue to Green Palace on boat. Picnic lunch and visit the Karumadi Kuttan temple enroute to Green Palace.

For guests wanting a massage, the resort could arrange for one. We see a ‘kalaripayattu’ performance in the evening before dinner. (Kalaripayattu - The Orient's treasure trove, a gift to the modern world and the mother of all martial arts! Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to Sage Parasurama- the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the Arabian Sea. Crafted in ancient Kerala, drawing inspiration from the raw power and sinuous strength of majestic animal forms - Lion, Tiger, Elephant, Wild Boar, Snake, and Crocodile, Kalaripayattu laid down the combat code of many dynasties. Shrouded in deep mystery and mists of secrecy Kalaripayattu was taught by the masters in total isolation, away from prying eyes.)

Day 08: Kayaking:

We leave Green Palace after breakfast for Emerald Isle, a century old house which is today a home stay. We kayak through the narrow canals of Pulinkunnu to island of Kavalam – an erstwhile headquarters of affluent agrarian families - the majestic homes standing testimony to grandeur past. An excellent opportunity to see village life at close quarters - local people engaged in fishing, duck rearing, shell and mud collection for the farms. We may also see the traditional toddy tappers at their work on coconut palms. Toddy 'shops' (bars), traditional meeting places for men after a grueling day at work dot the landscape. We stop for lunch at a beautiful coconut grove on a ‘bund’ on the lakeshore. Continue our kayaking till we cruise into the beautiful heritage home "Emerald Isle" on the banks of the river Manimala. Enjoy a delicious Kuttanadandinner and a well-deserved rest. 

Day 09: Day at leisure.

We will start again by mid-morning. Stop for lunch on the banks of the Vattakayal lake. Visit a few ancient temples and churches on the way, and stop over at a local school and interact with the students -Back to Emerald Isle by evening to enjoy the serenity of a village home.

Day 10: Kayaking and Overnight cruise:

We leave from Emerald Isle and paddle on to R/V with the famous traditional houseboats of Kerala called “Kettuvallam”. This is the end of our kayaking phase and as we all embark on to a house boat for a leisurely cruise, we say our byes to our guides and our boat driver. We continue our cruise, watching the quite village life pass us by. After dinner some of us will shift to other houseboats for the night.

Day 11: Day at leisure:

We disembark the houseboats after breakfast and on to the waiting coach. Transfer to the beautiful beach resort at Mararikkulam. We spend the afternoon visiting the local fishing village and perhaps join them as they pull their catch in. Celebratory dinner at the resort.
 
Day 12: Cochin – Onward destination:

Transfer to Lotus 8, a hotel close to Cochin International Airport. Independent departures from here depending on travel plans.