“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Gandhi
The other half suggested an Eid trip to Kerala in India. I admit it I was a little dubious, India? Can I do India? Two of the important things I’ve learnt about this trip is don’t let naivety and fear affect your travel plans. I packed cautiously having read copious amounts of travel advice, antibacterial wipes, hand sanitizer, plenty of Imodium, Deet mossy spray (a must), cereal bars and rice cakes (the other half can eat curry 24/7, I however cannot) and of course my sense of humour, all of which came in handy!
I learnt a few additional things along the way too. The visa process in Abu Dhabi was long and tedious and took me three frustrating hours to complete, it was the first time that I have also encountered are you female, male or transgender (not in person I might add) on an official form. Only five-star hotels serve alcohol in India (two of our three abodes were four star in the tea plantations) and one hotel even offered guests selfie sticks should they wish to borrow them, which I thought was hilarious!
My absolute top tip for making the most out of Kerala and enjoying a hassle free and pleasant trip is book a driver. We had the most marvellous chap called Nisanth, who was reliable, punctual, knowledgable, friendly, polite and had a very clean car!
In fact I would go as far as saying he was an absolute godsend and a good driver, I would recommend him time and time again (all his details are at the end of this post).
So here’s a little photographic snippet of our trip that took us through the most amazing scenery from historic colonial towns to lush green picturesque tea plantations, sunrise jeep safaris to fragrant spice gardens, animals in their natural habitat to traditional cultural shows, backwater cruising to fabulous tropical beaches and so much more. A manic schedule that included five hotels in just eight days covering many bumpy miles of Kerala countryside, here’s a look at God’s Own Country.
Our driver Nisanth from Dream Horizons Tours can be contacted as follows:
E-mail:shanthatravelskumarakom@gmail.com or nisanth.pj111@gmail.com
Telephone: +91 9995796773 or +91 8301093297
Unless otherwise stated, all photos on this page © Jo Brett 2015. All rights reserved.