Spice Trails of Kerala

All trips need a number of key ingredients to come together to make it work. The first is an interesting and varied itinerary, the second an effective and efficient leader. Finally, your fellow travellers. We were fortunate enough to have all three on our late February 2025 visit and we had the most amazing & relaxing time really getting to see the real Kerala. There were also lots of local support staff (i.e. cooks, drivers, guides etc) and these also played their part behind the scenes to make it work. Thank you !

An amazing adventure exploring beautiful Kerala with local guides.

This trip was just great on many levels. We had a very enjoyable holiday with a great small group and we all got on and laughed throughout the trip. Trekking for the first 6 days after arriving in Munnar, was through stunning scenery, tea plantations, mountains, views, a village seeing real local life. However it wasn’t always easy in 28-30 deg with some pretty steep ascents and I found it challenging at times even being quite fit although not at my peak! I think calling it a level 3 rating in difficulty underestimates the walking. We walked from 7-16 km each day. Camping was wonderful, excellent food was cooked in basic conditions and our hot lunch was carried by the guide each day. Just had to carry a lot of water & sun stuff. The second week was amazing too. As per itinerary we saw Madurai, temple is spectacular, we all did the street food tour & all ok after! Peniyar National park walk and the boat trip were great, saw elephants and other wildlife. The houseboat was so relaxing and the food was amazing. Out homestay was wonderful too, we were all together and spent time on the beach but it was v hot. Our guide Santosh was A** and looked after us so incredibly well, took us to all our dinners & lunches not included so we didn’t have to think at all!

Really enjoyed this trip. I liked the busy pace, the treks, houseboat and the homestay in particular. It was only a small group but we bonded easily over a couple of beers on the first night and that continued through the duration of the trip.

Although the trip notes said hiking on clearly defined trails, I found this not to be the case - much of the time there was no visible trail and we were bush whacking through leech infested mud. At one point, stopping for a short pee break I became separated from the group and became lost. Despite shouting loudly and blowing my whistle it was a few nerve racking minutes before I was able to find the group. Once again the lack of any clearly defined path made the situation worse. We experienced heavy rain every day while trekking through the Western Ghats, which made the leech situation horrendous, everyone suffered multiple bits on their torso. The provided leech socks were effective around lower legs and ankles, but were bulky and made hiking shoes far too tight - black toe nails etc. Given the condition of the walking conditions, which were treacherous and slippery, I feel we should have been accompanied by a second guide to deal with any emergency situations and perhaps to prevent trekkers from becoming separated and lost. Our leader, Santosh Kumar, was excellent in trying to address our concerns and varied the last scheduled day of trekking to avoid any further leech encounters or injuries. He also ensured that given the weather conditions we made camp in the higher ground rather than the planned site which was waterlogged. The food whilst camping was exceptional - probably the best Indian food I've ever eaten. All the other aspects of the trip were very good and enjoyable.

It’s difficult to give an average rating for this trip as most of it was excellent, especially the food and the enthusiasm of the tour leader, Santos. However, I have serious concerns about the trekking/camping element. 1. We were on the 29 October departure, which I think is too early in the season for trekking in this area. We had heavy rain most days. Leeches were a big problem (everyone got bites) and the provided leech socks were too bulky to fit comfortably inside footwear. We ended up with very sore feet and will definitely lose a few toenails. Having the team leader take out leech pincers with a penknife was not a highlight! 2. The trekking guide’s English was not good. Only one guide was provided (the tour leader did not join us on the trekking) and at one point my husband got left behind and his absence was not noticed. Contrary to the trip notes, the walk on Day 3 was not on paths - the guide simply tried to find a route through the forest. This was not safe and everyone had a fall. It was lucky that no-one was seriously injured.

This is a very active trip and full of different experiences. Max in Head Office provided excellent advice and customer service before the trip. It's actually a trip of 2 halves. The first week is spent hiking in the Western Ghats, with 4 nights camping. For me, this was probably the highlight. Each hike covered different types of terrain/landscape, and as others have mentionned, you need to be reasonably fit. But don't worry if you don't feel up to a long hike on a given day- you can sometimes do a shorter one or just relax. The guides were fantastic, and they even carried tiffin boxes on the treks for us to enjoy a full lunch ! The food on camp was out of this world- seriously some of the best food I've eaten in my life, creatively prepared by the executive chef and his small team in the middle of nowhere. Unbelievable! The second week is more of a sightseeing extravaganza, with several long 5/6 hour coach rides, as per the itinerary.

This trip has it all. A wonderful variety of adventure, challenges, culture, stunning scenery, friendship, busyness and relaxation. South India is stunning.

Excellent varied trip , very few early starts which is unusual for exodus but it is quite tiring given you are only staying 1 or 2 nights in places. Trekking was the highlight and it very integral to the trip so don’t underestimate it . If you are a regular walker you will be fine but it isn’t flat and can be quite challenging underfoot. The mileage in the trip notes is also not correct , we walked 5km in Munnar then 11km, 16km, 14km, 10km and. 4 km. what makes the walking so special is that there is very few others around….yiu get the place to yourself! People are so friendly, a very easy country to get around as most speak English. You feel very safe

I'd looked forward to this trip for such a long time and my expectations were high but these were easily met and far exceeded, what a truly fantastic trip. Each day offered new and enchanting vistas, challenges, tastes, smells, people, temples, wildlife, smiles, colours, sounds, food and spectacles - book up immediately.

This was a very varied trip and we took part in all the activities as did the rest of the party. The overall pace over the 14 days was very good and the only early start was at Periyar which is necessary to catch the wildlife and we were lucky to see an elephant whilst on the walk. We experienced some mist at the peak so that restricted our views but coming from England we're used to that at much lower levels!

All the positives about this mix of walking and touring in beautiful South India that others cite are true. It's a feast for the eye and the mind. To add that the group, the guides, and Exodus responded really well when I had the misfortune to fracture my wrist on day 2. Practical help was at hand and I was able to complete the tour apart from two nights of camping and the tougher walks. Week two - seeing Madurai and the Periyar forest - was fascinating.

Loved the trip with the mixture of walking and sightseeing. Would highly recommend.

This is a fantastic trip with a lot of variety. From trekking in the mountains to relaxing on a houseboat; from bird- and animal-spotting to touring a magnificent Hindu temple; from seeing tea and spices growing to tasting the most wonderful Keralan cooking; and generally seeing, hearing, and learning about the rich variety of South Indian life and culture. This was my first trip to India but it certainly won't be my last.

A good mix of hiking in the Western Ghat mountains was followed by visits to interesting historical sites, a trip on a houseboat and a swim in the Indian Ocean. The trip had a change of itinerary from the original planned version due to damage from the earlier monsoon. However, Sam, our leader took us along some different trails, which with the special interaction needed with the local people probably made the holiday even better.

A truly comphrehensive tour of Kerala with just the right amount of contrast throughout the 2 weeks.

First trip to India, and would travel there again. And recommend to others Excellent mix of sightseeing, culture, trekking and wildlife. A sensory overload of sight, sound and aroma. Hadn't anticipated the distances to travel between destinations

This was a superb and varied trip with so many experiences and all in two weeks! A lovely group and with an excellent leader.

I had the most amazing and extraordinary holiday and most of that was down to the lovely people in the group and our wonderful guide Sam Benjamin. From start to finish it was out of this world. The holiday proper started at our hotel in Cochin and ended there two weeks later when I actually felt very emotional - it was all over! The trek and camping were just incredible- our cook should be on Masterchef. Food was out of this world.

Our trip was the first visit I'd made to India and so having a guided tour was brilliant. Our tour leader was really good at his job and in addition was willing & able to discuss India and Indian life & society. This made our experience so much more than just a series of visits to tourist spots. I felt that the very best part of the trip was the trekking in the hills, which was hard work but well within my capability. We did experience unusual weather during this, with rain when it was totally unexpected. This meant a change to our schedule as one camp site became inaccessible. Our tour leader had this under control very quickly, and we had a night in a local hotel and a revised trek next day. This got us back on track by the end of that day.

A great all round trip with lots of variety.

Very interesting and varied itinerary with beautiful scenery, great food and lovely group of people to share the experience . Felt like we were off the beaten track a little when trekking which was great.

Mind Blowing experience jam packed with activities and things to see and do

A varied trip taking in the landscapes, culture and architecture of a lovely part of India.

A fantastic trip with a lot of variety! We enjoyed every activity. Our guide,Santosh Kumar was outstanding, and wow! The food while camping was amazing.

Extremely nice trip with a good balance of activities ( trekking), culture (temple, optional programs) and relaxation (houseboat) with plenty of nature and wildlife to see.

Well organised and led. A large number of additional activities and good variety of food

I enjoyed this trip very much; the accommodation was of a high standard throughout. I paid the single supplement and had a tent to myself on the camping days, this was very acceptable. However those sharing would have to get very close to each other. The walking days are described as moderate but I thought a couple of the walks would more accurately be described as hard or strenuous, particularly as the average age of the group was probably in their sixties.

The 'Spice Trail' gave us a wonderful opportunity to see the best parts of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu mountains. Our days of trekking were not too long and we were rewarded by the finest Keralan cuisine by Santosh's 'crew'. We have not had better food since we left the hills. Whilst we climbed 100m to 2630m over a few days the pace was slow and deliberate and none of the group found it at all difficult. Whilst we spotted tiger, leopard, deer and elephant prints and pooh we were not blessed with sightings! In Thekkady the Periyar tiger sanctuary guide was outstanding as was Abraham in his spice garden and Mr Sheril showed us how to cook up a feast at his Bar-B-Que cooking school. Back to the bigger cities was a bit of a shock from the quiet of the forests and tea plantations, however we thoroughly enjoyed the touristy bit of the holiday with temple visits and interesting highlights of life in Kerala. The trip took in all aspects of travel here with the tented camps, a houseboat stay, a beach side homestay and several very nice hotels. Overall the trip has given us a great feel for this part of India and a thirst for a return - perhaps to the North next time. Oh please don't let the leeches put you off - nothing that 'leech socks' and a handful of salt or snuff couldn't fix!!

Beautiful, wonderful place and a very well organised holiday with a great combination of trekking and culture. Helps if you like camping!