Tour Overview
The Kerala Wildlife & Spice Trail is designed for nature lovers and adventurers who want to experience Kerala beyond the postcards. Over 8 thrilling days, you will venture deep into Kerala's wild heart — through Wayanad's ancient tribal forests, Thekkady's spice-scented hills and Periyar's legendary tiger reserve — before floating gently home through the backwaters.
Wayanad is one of India's most biodiverse regions, sheltering Asian elephants, leopards, sloth bears and over 300 species of birds in its verdant forests. Your experienced naturalist guide will lead early morning and evening wildlife drives, accompanied by expert trackers. You will also visit an Adivasi (tribal) village with community permission, gaining rare insight into a way of life that has coexisted with the forest for centuries.
Thekkady's Periyar National Park is India's most visited tiger reserve, famous for its boat safari where herds of wild elephants come to drink at the lakeside. Spice plantation walks with fragrant cardamom, pepper, clove and nutmeg, and an evening Kalaripayattu martial arts performance round out a truly extraordinary journey.
Tour Highlights
Periyar Wildlife boat safari — spot wild elephants at the lakeside
Wayanad Bandipur morning jeep safari with naturalist guide
Guided cardamom, pepper & nutmeg plantation walk in Thekkady
Adivasi tribal village visit with community guide (Wayanad)
Bird watching in Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary — 300+ species
Kalaripayattu martial arts performance — Kerala's ancient martial art
Houseboat cruise through Alleppey backwater canal network
Chembra Peak trek with the iconic heart-shaped lake (Wayanad)
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Arrival in Kochi → Wayanad (5 hrs)
Arrive Kochi, transfer immediately to Wayanad through the Palakkad Gap. Pass through coffee and pepper estates. Check in to your jungle resort. Evening: orientation walk around the resort's spice garden with resident naturalist. Night sounds walk — listen for nocturnal wildlife.
Wayanad — Bandipur Safari & Tholpetty
4:30 AM jeep safari in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary — prime time for elephant, gaur and deer sightings. Breakfast back at the resort. Late morning: Tholpetty sanctuary bird watching with our specialist birding guide (300+ species recorded). Afternoon: Edakkal Caves with their extraordinary 6,000-year-old rock engravings. Evening: Adivasi tribal cultural programme at the resort.
Wayanad — Tribal Village & Chembra Trek
Morning: guided visit to a traditional Adivasi (Kurichiya tribe) village — with community permission. Learn about indigenous forest medicine, crafts and daily life. Afternoon: Chembra Peak trek (3 hrs) to the famous heart-shaped lake at 2,100 m. Sunset from the summit. Return to resort for a fire-side dinner.
Wayanad → Thekkady — Into the Spice Hills (3 hrs)
Morning drive south through rubber and tea plantations. Arrive Thekkady by noon. Check in to a spice plantation resort — your very room is surrounded by cardamom and pepper. Afternoon: guided spice plantation walk with the resident farmer. Learn to identify 20 different spices. Evening: Kathakali dance & Kalaripayattu performance with demonstration.
Thekkady — Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
7 AM: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary boat safari on Periyar Lake — the highlight of the tour. Watch wild elephants, gaur, sambar deer and exotic birds at the waterside. Afternoon: Periyar Tiger Trail — an eco-tourism bamboo forest walk led by reformed poachers now working as conservation guides. Evening: cooking class — learn to make a traditional Keralan fish curry.
Thekkady → Alleppey — Descending to the Backwaters (4 hrs)
Morning: visit a pepper and cardamom auction market. Drive through the idyllic Sabarimala foothills. Arrive Alleppey. Board your traditional kettuvallam houseboat. Cruise through the emerald-green Vembanad Lake, passing through village canals. Dinner and overnight on the houseboat.
Alleppey Backwaters — A Day on the Water
Full day on the houseboat. Morning: early cruise through narrow village canals where daily life unfolds just metres from the water — women washing clothes, fishermen casting nets, children waving from bamboo bridges. Afternoon: visit a local toddy shop and coir weaving workshop. Sunset from the houseboat sundeck. Overnight on the boat.
Alleppey → Kochi — Departure (1.5 hrs)
Breakfast on the houseboat. Disembark and drive to Kochi. Visit Lulu Mall spice market for last-minute shopping. Transfer to Kochi International Airport. The jungle's call will stay with you long after you leave.
Inclusions & Exclusions
✓ What's Included
- 7 nights (jungle resort / spice plantation / houseboat)
- Houseboat 2 nights with all meals
- Daily breakfast at jungle/plantation resorts
- All transfers in AC private vehicle
- Wayanad Bandipur jeep safari (shared)
- Periyar boat safari tickets
- Spice plantation guided walk
- Tribal village community visit
- Kathakali & Kalaripayattu performance tickets
- Bird watching with specialist guide (Tholpetty)
- Cooking class in Thekkady
- All entry fees to sanctuaries
✕ Not Included
- Domestic / international airfare
- Visa fees
- Travel insurance
- Lunches (except houseboat days)
- Private jeep safari (upgrade available)
- Chembra Peak trekking permit (paid on-site)
- Tips & gratuities
- Personal shopping
- Anything not in itinerary