Spice & Tea Country
Choosing a homestay in spice country, from Kumily to the estates
Town, estate or forest edge: how to pick a homestay around Thekkady, Kumily and Vandanmedu, what to ask before you pay, and how to be a good guest.
Visiting Responsibly
Ethical wildlife viewing in Indian forests
Plain rules of thumb for watching wildlife in Indian forests and reserves: distance, noise, food, night lights, bird calls, geotags and elephants on the road.
Spice & Tea Country
Munnar or Vagamon: choosing a hill-town side trip from Thekkady
Tea slopes and Nilgiri tahr in busy Munnar, or pine woods and open meadows in quieter Vagamon. How to choose, with two-day plans and a side-by-side table.
Visiting Responsibly
What to pack for the Western Ghats
Muted clothes, leech socks, a rain shell, 8x42 binoculars and a dry bag for everything: a practical packing list for four days in the Kerala hills and forests.
Visiting Responsibly
Travelling the Cardamom Hills in the south-west monsoon
Green ridges, full waterfalls and quiet towns, but also leeches, wet ghat roads and sudden closures. How to plan a monsoon trip around Thekkady that works.
Visiting Responsibly
The best time to visit Thekkady, month by month
Dry months, pre-monsoon heat and two monsoons: how Thekkady and Periyar change through the year, and which month suits elephants, birds, mist or quiet.