Discover the plantations tucked into the Western Ghats on foot
Traverse the rolling, lush hills undulating through the Western Ghats in Kerala, India, on the rewarding Spices and Tea Trails Trekking Tour. But this journey isn’t like any other! Aside from the charming, tropical, mountainous views, your guide will also take you through dreamy villages to an array of spice, tea, and coffee plantations. The Spices and Tea Trails Trek seamlessly fuses storytelling—detailing the plantations—with outdoor adventure.
End each day of your trek by letting your body relax while the campfire connects you with your fellow hikers and the crew journeying alongside you. Book the Spices and Tea Trails Trekking Tour today!
Highlights of the Spices and Tea Trails Trek
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Spices and Tea Trails Trek Itinerary
Day 1 Travel from Kambam mettu to Pushpakandam
After breakfast you will drive about 01.00 to 01.30 hours from Thekkady to Kambam mettu where you will begin the trek. You will start your trek from Kumbummedu and will follow the jeep trail to Ramakelmedu, where you'll have spectacular views of the vast plains of neighbouring Tamilnadu. Massive statues of Kuruvan & Kurathy – two legendary tribal figures - make up the backdrop to the magnificent views below. The route is interspersed with tiny spice growing hamlets where the majority of spices of Kerala are grown. You will continue our walk through these small villages and farmlands until you reach our camp.
Overnight Location: Camping at Purshpakandam
Distance: 5-7 hours, 11 km
Meals: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2 Pushpakandam to Chaturangapara
After breakfast you start our trek through cardamom and pepper plantations. This would make an excellent opportunity as you can see firsthand to learn about how these spices are grown from the local trackers who will be accompanying you.
Overnight Location: Camping at Chaturangpara
Distance: 4-5 hours, 17 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 Chaturangapara to Shantanpara and Drive to Suryanelly
You will start today’s challenging trek through sholas and cardamom forests that abound here. This is the capital of the world’s spice trade, known for centuries as the Cardamom Hills. You will walk from Chaturangapara through thick cardamom forests and isolated spice growing villages. En route you will also be walking though great swathes of grasslands, through the spine of the mountains with spectacular views of the plains of Tamilnadu thousands of feet below.
Overnight Location: Camp in Suryanelly
Distance: 3-4 hours, 11 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 Suryanelly to Kolukkumalai
From Suryanelly you have to walk through the road for few kilometers to get the route to Kolukkumalai (you suggest you to take a small jeep ride for about 20/30 minutes to the point where you begin our trek which will be fun and you can avoid the walk on the road as well, this day our trek will be through green carpeted tea plantations which offers wonderful view around it will be a gradual uphill to reach the highest tea estate in the World “ Kolukkumalai” reach the estate visit factory and overnight at Kolukkumalai.
Overnight Location: Camping at Top Station
Distance: 5-7 hours, 12 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 Kolukkumalai to Base Camp
Kolukkumalai the highest organic tea estate in the World situates in the south east slope of Western Ghats so its offers a fantastic sunrise view so you will have an early up fo sunrise and will have free time till breakfast and after the breakfast you will hike down through the tea plantations for about 02 hours and will have a Jeep transfer to Silent Valley tea estate, it will be a 02 hour jeep ride and from Silent Valley tea estate you will have a short trek to Base camp of Meesapulimalai, rest of the afternoon at leisure walk around the camp, enjoying the camp etc. overnight in a tent.
Enroute you will also visit a one of the Tea Factory in this day.
Overnight Location: Camping at Base Camp
Distance: 4-6 hours, 8 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6 Base camp to Rhodo-Valley covering Meesapulimalai Peak
Our camp is at the eastern slope of the western Ghats so it is one of best camps for the sunrise so will have an early wake up call for the sunrise and free time up to breakfast, after the breakfast you will start our trek from Kolukkumalai it will be a short walk through the tea fields will take you to the foot hill of Meesapulimalai “the second highest peak in South India, before reaching the rolling grass land you need to cross through the shola forest on the ridge offers spectacular view of both the low land of Tamil Nadu and the peaks as well, will have one stretch moderate climb for 1-1.30 hours to summit the peak (2637 meters)
After a short refreshment break the trek will continue through a valley where the rhododendrons and pine forests grows wild and of course a unique eco system of grass land and streams through them, to the campsite. Our trek will end at Rhodo-valley, Overnight camp in cottages (Rhodo-mansion) by the side of gurgling mountain streams at Rhodo-valley with the beautiful natural brooks and the meadows of Western Ghats.
Overnight Location: Camping at Rodho Valley Camp
Distance: 5-7 hours, 12-14km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7 Rhodo-Valley to Camp
Today you will start our trek from Rhodo-valley camp, This day will be passing through the pine forests rolling grasslands and the scenic beauty of the mountain ranges and through the dense shoals of camp Malai, will take some zigzag walk through the rolling grass land with the shola forest, couple of lakes and mountain ranges views on the other side, to reach the tea estate you have take bit “steep downhill for a short distance easy challenge but fun” reach Yellapatty Estate. To the camp you will walk through the tea estates and with the short climb through the dense forest will reach the mountain cliff for overnight camp, finish our trek at Camp Footprint. The camp site which is surrounded by forests and the panoramic mountains with wonderful views where the clouds are floats under your feet at camp Footprint.
Overnight Location: Camping at Footprint
Distance: 7-9 hours, 16-18 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 8 Footprint – Top Station
The Camp footprint is also situating in the eastern slope of the Western Ghats so this morning we will get an early wake up call for the sunrise.
After breakfast will start our trek from Camp Footprint, you trek on the mountain ridges of the eastern slopes offers fantastic view of tea plantations, second highest peak, the highest tea estate and the low land of Tamil Nadu, the vegetation you are passing which are good habitat for some endemic birds and wildlife in Western Ghats so will be spotting some of them during our trek (matter of chance) this day trek offers verity of nature like shola forest, ever green, mountain forest, grass lands, tea plantations, villages etc…, you finish our trek at Top Station, overnight at Top Station.
Overnight Location: Camping at Top Station
Distance: 4-5 hours, 8-10 km
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 9 Hike to Vattavad village
The trek lasts for 2 hours and is completely through the Shola forest, which are unique in the world and hosts a diversity of fauna and flora specific to the Sholas. You could spot most of the endemic birds of this region like Nilgiri Flycatcher, Kerala Laughing thrush, Black and rufous flycatcher, Nilgiri wood pigeon and a lot more. Also, this national park is also known for Indian Gaur, Sambar deer, Nilgiri langur, Nilgiri Marten, Malabar giant squirrel and possibly, elephants, etc…,
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The term Vattavada means ‘enclosed by mountains’, and this is quaint little settlement, aptly named is one of its kind in Kerala. Vattavada’s speciality is terraced cultivation and its wide variety of crops not seen in other parts of Kerala, which includes varieties of apple, orange, strawberry, blackberry, plums, gooseberry, egg fruits, peach and passion fruits, etc. This village is rightfully called the ‘Fruit and vegetable basket of Munnar’.
Overnight Location: None
Distance: 2-3 hours
Meals: Breakfast
Spices and Tea Trails Trek Price and Dates
This guided walking tour to Kerala is always run as a private tour for your group only and the price depends on the size of your group. Please note that the prices might increase during public holidays.
Prices below are per person:
- Guided Groups of 2: from $1,495 USD per person
- Guided Groups of 3+: on request
Accommodation on Spices and Tea Trails Trek
This tour will have you staying in a combination of hotels and alpine tents at overnight campsites. When you’re not camping, expect to stay in 2-4-star hotels. The hotels provided come with modern amenities that elevate your comfort. Do note that rooms are double occupancy, but you can always upgrade to single occupancy for an additional fee. Single travellers are also required to pay a supplement.
In some cases, the accommodation listed below may be swapped for other similar accommodations.
Single Rooms and Solo Travelers
You can pay a supplement to have a private room in a hotel. It’s also possible to match single travellers up.
Accommodation on Standard Tour
Camping and hotels in Kerala
Enjoy sleeping under the stars! You’ll camp in beautiful locations along the trail, where all necessary equipment will be provided. Enjoy one night in a hotel to refresh.
What’s included in the Spices and Tea Trails Trek?
Meals
8 breakfasts, 8 lunches, and 8 dinners are included on this tour.
Accommodations
Accommodations for 8 nights is included.
Transportation during the Tour
Transportation is included for transfers to the different locations, pick-up, and drop-off spots throughout the tour.
Also Included
- Guide
- Trekking arrangements: tents, cook, ponies, helpers, one-inch mattresses
- Toilet tent
- Camping fees
Not included
- Flights to and from Cochin International Airport
- Any additional nights before or after the tour
- Tour guide gratuity
- Personal necessities such as drinks during mealtimes and laundry
- Sleeping bag
- Entrance fee to Korangani - $60 USD per person
Optional Extras
- Extra night in Cochin
- Sleeping bag rental – around $13 USD per daily
Frequently Asked Questions about Spices and Tea Trails Trek
Trans India Holidays was founded nearly 30 years ago in New Dehli, India. They grew their team from four dedicated travellers to 100 energetic guides and trip planners.
Trans India strives to provide the best possible value for client’s money, continually searching for ways they can upgrade their service and experiences.
Offering a range of tour styles, Trans India operates cultural, religious, adventure, wildlife, culinary, family-friendly, and sporting tours.
Looking after each little detail from the perfect hotel room to booking your tee time for you, Trans India knows how to make a holiday in India as unforgettable as possible.
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Local Guide
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Rajiv has been working as a guide since 1996, and fell in love with sharing the ancient cultural and social roots of India with travellers. Rajiv believes that the diversity of India’s different regions in terms of food, language, and culture makes travelling the country an experience like no other. Rajiv runs all kinds of tours, but especially enjoys trekking tours. He’s climbed mountains up to 8,000 feet in -10 degrees with groups and considers those to be his greatest achievements as a guide.
- Q: What is your favourite trip to lead?
- A: I enjoy giving people walking tours of the city, because that’s the best way to give a vivid introduction to the country and also because there is an element of surprise on the streets. It cannot be controlled or planned, and I immensely enjoy presenting that world to them.
- Q: What is one experience anybody visiting your country should have?
- A: Learning to cook traditional Indian food.
- Q: What is one local dish or drink that visitors absolutely have to try?
- A: Masala Dosa, it’s very tasty.
- Q: What is the best part about guiding?
- A: Providing them with more than they expected and noticing and taking care of any discomforts the guests might experience. Sometimes the guests don’t say it, so as a guide you have to be very attentive to that.