Kerala Wildlife & Nature Package 4N/5D

Arrive at Cochin airport and transfer directly to Thekkady (Periyar) — a 4.5-hour drive through rubber, coconut, and spice plantations that gives you an immediate flavour of Kerala's agricultural bounty. En route, stop at a working spice plantation for a guided tour: walk through vanilla vines, black pepper creepers, cardamom clumps, nutmeg trees, and coffee bushes. Your guide explains the cultivation and uses of each spice, and you'll be offered a traditional lunch with a sample of fresh spices. Check into your Thekkady hotel and enjoy the cool evening air near the forest.

• Arrive Cochin airport; AC cab to Thekkady (4.5 hrs)
• En-route spice plantation guided tour with lunch
• Hotel check-in in Thekkady
• Evening walk near forest perimeter; overnight

An action-packed wildlife day. Start with the early morning jeep safari into Periyar Tiger Reserve — the best time for wildlife sightings before the heat of the day. Periyar is one of South India's most important tiger reserves, also home to Asian elephants (commonly seen in groups at the lake shore), Indian bison (gaur), leopards, sambar deer, wild boar, and over 260 bird species. After the safari, try bamboo rafting on Periyar Lake — guided by tribal boatmen who know every corner of the lake, this is a unique way to spot wildlife from the water. In the afternoon, take a guided tribal village walk to learn about the Mannan and Paliyan tribes who have coexisted with the forest for generations.

• Early morning jeep safari in Periyar Tiger Reserve
• Spot elephants, tigers, bison & deer in the wild
• Bamboo rafting on Periyar Lake — tribal guides
• Afternoon tribal village walk — local culture & traditions
• Overnight Thekkady

Drive 3 hours from Thekkady to Munnar through increasingly dramatic hill scenery. After check-in, lace up your trekking shoes for a guided 2-hour tea estate trek — walk through the undulating tea fields, learn to identify different tea varieties, and reach a high viewpoint for spectacular 360-degree views of the Western Ghats. Visit the KDHP Tea Museum in the afternoon to understand the complete journey of tea from plantation to cup. Evening at leisure in the cool mountain air.

• Drive Thekkady to Munnar (3 hrs)
• Guided tea estate trek (2 hrs) — Western Ghats views
• KDHP Tea Museum — tea history & processing demo
• Evening at leisure in Munnar; overnight

A full day in Munnar's most spectacular natural areas. Eravikulam National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site candidate, home to the Nilgiri Tahr (an endangered mountain goat endemic to South India), shola forests, and rhododendron blooms (February–March). The Rajamala area of the park offers a well-marked trekking trail that takes you through grasslands and rocky terrain to elevated viewpoints. Visit the scenic Kundala Lake and end the day at the Silent Valley viewpoint — on clear days, the views extend across the entire Munnar plateau.

• Eravikulam National Park — Nilgiri Tahr spotting
• Rajamala trekking trail — grasslands & Western Ghats views
• Kundala Lake scenic visit
• Silent Valley viewpoint — panoramic plateau views
• Overnight Munnar

Final breakfast at the hotel. Explore Munnar's lively market street — buy fresh Kerala spices (cardamom, pepper, vanilla), high-altitude teas (Darjeeling-grade quality), Munnar honey, and organic coffee at source prices. Transfer to Cochin International Airport (3 hours) for your departure.

• Final breakfast and check-out
• Munnar market — spices, tea, honey & coffee
• Transfer to Cochin airport (3 hrs); departure