Travel to:
The Gambia
Iceland
India
Nepal
Norway
Romania
Senegal
Thailand
Uganda

Holidays 2012:

GAMBIA:
Yoga on the Beach
Selected dates

SENEGAL:
Abéné Music Festival
27 Dec-2 Jan 2013

NEPAL:
Yoga Trekking
25 March - 8 April
15 - 29 October
6 - 20 November

Green Triangle
19 - 30 October

Responsible Peak
30 Oct - 11 Nov

INDIA:
Classic Kerala
29 Sep - 14 Oct

Green Triangle
1 - 11 November

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead

Cultural and Culinary Trail - Local Secrets Behind the South Indian Cooking

Location:India, Kerala: River Nila and Nilambur.
Optional extension on Houseboat (Backwaters) and Fort Cochin.
Date: On request. Eight days and seven nights.
Optional extension four days and three nights.
Group size: From two to ten people.
Price: Contact us for details.

Description: A fantastic opoertunity to learn how to cook real Indian food! Enjoy the local atmosphere and experience responsible tourism along River Nila in Kerala, Southern India. This area is an outstanding prove how tourism can contribute to the better. You will be accompanied with local natural and cultural interpreters and story tellers who will take you through traditions, culture, folklore and way of living. You will learn from local experts how responsible tourism is benefiting the local communities along the river.

Do you have questions or want to book the "Culture and Culinary Trail in South India"?
Contact us here.

Day 1: Arrival Cochin and transfer to River Nila: Legend Trail and Folk Expression.
Arrival into Cochin, meet our representative outside the airport terminal and transfer to River Nila (3 hours drive). Check into hotel / home stay. Relax until late noon.

Your stay along Nila will start with stories and legends of Nila interpreted by your local guide. The stories of Nila, the dying river, will be told along the river as the sun is setting…

Continue on to engage in the local Folk Expressions - an evening with folk artist in a village to understand the folk traditions of the region. A young team of performers will take you through dance forms, music and percussions that make the region so rich in its cultural tradition.
Return to hotel by late evening...
Dinner and overnight at River Retreat Resort or guesthouse

Day 2 River Nila: Papadam making and Cocunut Craft
After breakfast your will enjoy learning the art of making the famous Indian Papadam, which basically is a tasteful giant chip! Learn from a local woman who make her living og making and selling papadam to the locals. See how she manages to make them so incredibly thin! It’s still common to find people doing this here and there, but with none of the youngsters showing an interest, it may be a rare sight in the future.
Lunch will be served your own papadam complementing the meal.

After lunch you see how a coconut can be used to its uttermost! Here you will not be making any food of the coconut, but see how the shell can be used. The shell is the only thing “no one” uses and is considered to be a useless waste material, but carpenter Narayanan thinks otherwise. For years he gained skills as a carpenter. Now he has decided to employ those skills for something new, his own idea. Visit his house and see his innovative use of his carpenter skills and the coconut “waste” to create beautiful art.
Dinner and overnight at River Retreat Resort or guesthouse.

Day 3 River Nila: Pottery and Bell Metal workshop.
After breakfast you will visit Gopalan, our local potter. Watch him spin the disc, his hands posed around the lump of clay, and the jug he wants to make seems to appear voluntarily. Try and see if you can make a copy Gopalans jug!

Next stop is the Bell Metall workshop. Kerala has millions of oil lamps, “Kindi’s” and many ritual ornaments made of Bell Metal. You may have seen them being sold in small shops on the roadside. This very shiny metal is a mix of copper and tin. You will visit Narayaran and see how to make these artifacts by hand, knowledge that stems from the eighth century. He’ll be proud to invite you into his new workshop and share the secrets of his craft.

Afternoon proceed to stay at a 400 year old house built according to the traditional architectural style. Visit herb and spice plantations and stay with the family for rest of the days. Learn about the different species used in Indian food and basic cooking instructions.
Dinner and overnight at Kodeeri Mana.

Day 4 River Nila: Musical Trail and Indian Cooking Lessons.
After breakfast a 90 minutes transfer to Mulayankaavu for Musical Trails. This is a 2-hour lecture demonstration of various school of music that evolved and nurtured on the banks of River Nila. This is a program to showcase the percussion culture of the river valley civilization. The program is organised in the house of lower caste musicians including girls and they play more than 15 instruments. This involves a lecture demonstration of various styles of music and how certain school of music evolved on the banks of the river Nila. The one room school that exist in a 20*16 Ft room is now being re-furbished into a larger school for teaching music to students from all segment of the society including girls without take any fee from students of less privileged.

Afternoon: Culinary trail and learn how to cook traditional food in a typical Kerala kitchen. Your hosts Nambu and Uma will be your instructors. Cook your own Kerala Dinner under their supervision.
Dinner and overnight at Kodeeri Mana.

Day 5 River Nila: Thoni Cruise and Indian Cooking Lessons.
After breakfast simply enjoy a relaxed morning at your homestay.
Take part in preparing your lunch with help from your hosts.

In the afternoon enjoy Thoni cruise (country boat cruise) combined with a visit to Thunjan Parambu Literature Park and language museum in Tirur. The boat trip travels calmly along the riverbanks where you can observe the daily life of the local people and listen to legends and storytelling by your guide. The trip ends at the Vakkad beach.
Dinner and overnight at Kodeeri Mana.

Day 6: River Nila to Nilambur.
Transfer to Nilambur and Maranat Mana. The place is a several hundred years old heritage property reflecting the age old traditions of a Kerala Brahmin family. Focusing on sustainable living, this place strikes an excellent balance between traditional life style and modern living. The two acres of sacred grove inside the farm is a representation of bio-diversity that is still sustained. There are only 4 such structures remaining in the whole of Kerala.
Dinner and overnight at Maranat Mana.

Day 7 Nilambur: Kerala Cusine Trail
Enjoy breakfast. Opportunity to visit local schools, teak forest, and join the farmers in the paddy field for harvest or sowing depending on the season of guest arrival.

Day 8 Nilambur – Calicut or Cochin airport or extension opportunity.
Transfer to Calicut or Cochin for your journey back home. Or continue on the recommended extension program.

Extended Program

Day 8 Nilambur to Alleppey: Houseboat and cooking with the crew!.
After breakfast drive to Alleppey for your Backwater houseboat experience.Here you can join the crew for cooking real Keralean seafood. Dinner and overnight onboard.

Day 9 - 10 Fort Cochin.
Breakfast onboard. Enjoy two nights at the old harbour town Fort Cochin. Get lost in its history, markets and shopping areas or just relax by the shore. Overnight including breakfast at Fort Cochin.

Day 11: Departure.
Breakfast at your hotel befor transport to the airport. (Dependin on your flight schedule).

Do you have questions or want to book the "Culture and Culinary Trail in South India"?
Contact us here.