This tour is organised and lead by Steve Davey | The land arrangements are sub-contracted to Intrepid Travel, but the tours don't appear on the Intrepid Travel website | The only way to book is through this site! | ||
 | | |
Kerala and the South of India is more verdant and tropical than the North. People tend to be more friendly and whilst it still has a pace and a sense of the exotic, it is more languid and relaxed. The food is completely different too: hotter and with more coconut! This exclusive travel photography tour visits many of the highlights of the region but also takes you off the beaten track to some hidden gems.
If this is your first trip to India, this will be the perfect introduction to this incredible country, and if you have been to India before, then this will be something utterly different to entrance you further.
The trip will include extensive photography tuition from professional travel photographer, Steve Davey, countless photo opportunities and the company of fellow photography enthusiasts.
This trip ran successfully in 2012. It went so well that we will definitely run it again in the future. You can see some pictures from this trip below.
Highlights of this trip
• Elephant Temple Festival
• Historic Town of Kochi
• Periyar National Park
• Kerala Backwaters Cruise
• Sri Meenakshi Temple
• Munnar Tea Plantations
• Relaxed Vembanad Lake
Please note: this tour ran successfully in 2012.
At the momement it is not scheduled to run again, but we may well run it again in the future. If you are interested please
do contact us!
better travel photography
•COM
impressions of kerala
Photo Tours Booking Now
photo tours with steve davey
Impressions of Kerala Itinerary
Day 1: Kochi
Day 2: Kochi
Day 3: Munnar
Day 4: Madurai TN
Day 5: Periyar
Day 6: Periyar
Day 7: Kumarakom
Day 8: Alleppey
Day 9: Alleppey
Day 10: Varkala
Day 11: Varkala
Day 12: Kochi
Day 13: Kochi (Festival)
Day 14: Tour ends
Included in the trip price
• 11 nights hotel
• 2 night heritage stay
• 13 breakfasts
• 3 lunches & 4 dinners
• All transport as per itinerary
• Kathakali performance - Kochi
• Jewish Synagogue - Kochi
• Sightseeing tour of Fort Kochi
• Tour of Dutch Palace - Kochi
• Tea museum - Kumarakom
• Guided walk - Periyar NP
• Visit to spice garden - Periyar
• Boat tour Kerala Backwaters
• Heritage Walk - Alleppey
• Mannarsala Nagaraja Temple
• Ayurveda Massage - Varkala
• Airport transfers in Kochi
• Pre-trip Facebook group
• Experienced Intrepid leaders
• Expert photographic tuition
• Post-trip picture crit. session
• Signed copy of Steve's book
Website, Images and text © Steve Davey/stevedavey.com 1990 - 2012
Land arrangements are sub-contracted to Intrepid Travel, who have many years experience in running small group adventures.
Bookings are made through the Intrepid Special Groups Dept. in Melbourne not the Intrepid website or Stores. Contact Steve Davey for information
Start:Not scheduled
End: Not scheduled
Code: TBA
Price: £ TBA pp ex. int. flights, based on
Min 8, max 12 people
Approx other currencies*:
€ TBA • US$ TBA
AU$ TBA • NZ$ TBA
Note: if you have travelled with Intrepid and have a 5% feedback discount you can use it on this trip
Impressions of Kerala 2012 itinerary
Day 1: Kochi
You will be met on arrival at Kochi airport and transferred to the group hotel. Kochi is comprised of a mainland area (Ernakulam) and several off shore islands. Our hotel is situated in the heart of Ernakulam in an area full of shops and restaurants.The only group activity today is our group meeting at 6pm, as people will be arriving from all over the world. In the evening we can all head out for an optional group meal.
Day 2: Kochi
Kerala's eclectic history is most evident in Kochi. Here, India's oldest European church sits alongside mosques and synagogues, Portuguese homes nestle against English manors, and Chinese fishing nets line the harbour shores.
Today we have a day of sightseeing, taking in some of the markets in Ernakulam, before heading to the old fort Cochin area to see the Fort, the Jewish Synagogue and the Chinese Fishing Nets. In the evening we can see one of the atmospheric displays of the religious Kathakali dancing where traditional costumed players act out scenes from the Hindu religious epics!
Day 3: Munnar
Today we drive about 5.5 hours through to the old British hill station of Munnar, which is set in a picturesque valley, and surrounded by craggy mountain peaks, tropical forests and lush tea plantations. Sip a local brew while admiring the view. The tea plantations make interesting subjects for your photographs.
Day 4: Madurai
Today is a slight detour into the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, as we drive approximately 3 hours to Madurai. A busy and thriving city, we weave through chaotic streets filled with bazaars, pilgrims, beggars and rickshaws until we reach the incredible Sri Meenakshi Temple. This fantastic example of Dravidian architecture has massive gopuram towers which are bedecked with colourful statues and religious icons. The temple is thronged with pilgrims, but for all of this frenetic activity, there are relaxed and quiet corridors and also a fantastic collection of Hindu religious art.
We also get the chance to visit the Mahatma Gandhi museum, which chronicles the life of this great man and even has the bloodstained dhoti which he was wearing when he was assassinated.
Day 5: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
In the morning we have another chance to visit the temple before driving approximately 4 hours through lush cardamom jungle from Madurai to Periyar. On arrival we get to look around a local spice plantation, and then savour the delicious flavours of a home-cooked meal prepared by the owner's family.
Day 6: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Rising early the next morning, we venture into the acclaimed Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary for a guided nature walk in the hope of glimpsing animals such as sambars, bison, elephants, spotted deer, tigers and leopards. This park has a large population of wild elephants, and there is a fair chance of seeing these remarkable animals. There is also reputed to be a stable tiger population, but these are obviously much harder to spot.
There should also be the option of taking a game viewing boat across the lake. Even if we don't get close up wildlife shots this is a beautiful park and you will be rewarded with many wonderful photographs.
Day 7: Kumarakom
Today we drive to reach Kumarakom on the lotus-lined banks of Vembanad Lake. Here you can see many species of birdlife from all over the country, including heron, darters, storks and parrots. We visit a tea museum and its attached tea processing unit to learn of the town's interesting past. The afternoon can be spent at your leisure and it's a perfect place to relax and appreciate one of National Geographic's 'Ten Paradises on Earth'.
Day 8: Alleppey
We take a short short boat ride from Kumarakom to Kerala's hidden treasure, the sleepy, palm-shaded backwaters of Alleppey. This pleasant market town perches on the banks of palm-lined canals. Disembarking at our Waterfront Heritage accommodation we stay here for two nights. This afternoon we take a walk around this beautiful village
Day 9: Alleppey
This morning we enjoy a leisurely cruise through the winding waters to a local friends’ house, indulge in a traditional banana leaf lunch and take a walk through the village. The backwaters are very photogenic, and a boat is the perfect way to photograph the verdant shady banks, and also the other traffic on the waterways. Afternoon is free.
Day 10: Varkala
Travelling by boat and then bus (approx. 2.5hrs) we head south towards the temple town of Varkala. We stop off en route to witness age-old Hindu traditions of worship at the Mannarsala Nagaraja (snake) Temple where women go to pray in the hope of being blessed with child. We also break the journey with a visit one of the best preserved palaces in Kerala.
In Varkala we stay in a small hotel at the northern end of the cliff. The hotel has a restaurant and Ayurvedic Centre, and the tour includes a massage!
Day 11: Varkala
Varkala boasts a number of yoga and massage centres, but its dramatic cliffs are its most distinctive feature. After a leisurely morning spent wandering the peaceful gardens of an ashram devoted to Kerala's most eminent spiritual and social reformer, as well as exploring the mystical 2000 year old Janardhana Swamy Temple and then you can head to the beach to cool off or sit back in one of the many cliff top cafes to admire the glistening Arabian Sea while sipping a refreshing coconut drink.
Day 12: Kochi
After a leisurely morning we make the 4 hour journey back to Kochi. The afternoon is free for more sightseeing, shopping. Optionally you can photograph the Chinese nets at sunset, or take in another Kathakali performance.
Day 13: Kochi
Today we head out early to the morning to the Goureeswara Temple Festival at Cherai. This will be a long and somewhat hot and dusty day but incredibly rewarding and visually stunning. We will be hopefully able to photograph the parade of caparisoned elephants, local religious musicians and throngs of pilgrims. In the evening there are often Kathakali dance performances, though be warned: these are the genuine thing which goes on for hours, not the cut-down for tourists version that you can see in Kochi!
Day 14: Kochi
Today the tour ends. You are free to leave at any time. Some people will be flying home - others will stay in Kerala. You might decide to head back to the temple festival, or further south for some more beach time! Please get in touch if you would like some more suggestions.
After the tour finishes, you have the option to upload a series of images to a gallery website for the rest of the group to see, and also for a personal criticism and comment from Steve. This will give you the chance to edit your pictures, and seek help for any problems that you might have, even after the tour has finished. It is also a nice way for members to show each other their pictures once the tour is over.
All members of the group will get a signed copy of Steve's new book Footprint Travel Photography as a course manual.
impressions of kerala
This tour is lead by Steve Davey - a professional photographer, whose work appears in publications all over the world. He is the author of the bestselling Unforgettable Places To See Before You Die (BBC Books). Steve recently published Footprint Travel Photography (Footprint Books), which covers everything that you would ever want to know about travelling with a camera. Click for more.
