Ooty Kodaikanal Coimbatore Backpacking Group Trip (5D/4N)

• Freshen up, pack our bags, check out of the stay very early.
• Have Breakfast at Ooty town.
• Visit Ooty Tea/Chocolate factory, taste different kinds of chai, shop for your favorite Nilgiris Tea.
• Stop by at Pine forest and click some pictures.
• Head to extremely picturesque Pykara Lake, go on boating if interested. Pykara is a fresh water lake with panoramic view of lush green Nilgiris forest.
• Have pit stops at Wenlock Downs 9th Mile Shooting Point – a photographer’s delight, usually covered with mist or clouds.
• Break for a quick Lunch at a local food joint.
• Finish Dinner, take good rest.

• After Breakfast, start journey towards Alleppey which is famous for its network of canals, rivers, and backwaters.
• Check into our Houseboat by noon (Houseboats typically come with a bedroom, dining area, and a deck for viewing the scenic surroundings).
• Go on a relaxing journey in the evening through the picturesque backwaters as your houseboat glides past lush paddy fields, coconut groves, and small village settlements. 
• Enjoy a traditional Kerala Dinner on board with freshly prepared local dishes all prepared by the onboard chef.
• Rest for the night.

• Ealy morning Backwaters ride on our house boat.
• After breakfast, check out of the Aleppey house boat and head to the capital city of Kerala  – Trivandrum (also called Thiruvananthapuram).
• Check into Trivandrum stay.
• After a brief rest, give a visit to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the richest and most revered temples in India. Dress conservatively, as the temple has specific dress code requirements for visitors.
• Head to Kovalam Beach in the evening, one of Kerala’s most popular beaches known for its crescent-shaped shores. Visit Vizinjam Lighthouse for a beautiful sunset.
• Return to the stay, have Dinner and rest.

• Check out after Breakfast.
• Head straight to the fantasic Beach town Varkala, which is about 3 hour drive from Aleppey (100 km approximately).
• Upon arrival at Varkala. check into the guest house, enjoy lunch at one of the cliffside restaurants overlooking Varkala Beach. There are plenty of options for fresh seafood and local Kerala cuisine.
• Stroll along the cliff, enjoy the view of the Arabian Sea, and explore the local shops selling souvenirs and handmade goods.
• Relax on the golden sands, swim, or enjoy the seaside vibe of Varkala Beach. If possible, witness a beautiful sunset.
• Finish Dinner and rest.

• Pack your bags, check out of  Varkala stay after Breakfast.
• Start our journey to Jatayu Earth Center, which takes around 1 hour.
• Take a scenic cable car ride up to the center for panoramic views. Admire the majestic sculpture of Jatayu, a legendary character from the Ramayana, and explore the interactive museum here.
• Head back towards Kochi (journey of approximately 4.5 hours).
• Drop off at Kochin International Airport ✈️ & Ernakulam Railway station 🚆.

• Toiletries, moisturizer, light towel, lip balm, wet wipes, toothbrush, toothpaste etc.
• A lightweight large Backpack for the entire trip (50-60 liters). Strictly no trolleys. Remember this is a Backpacking trip.
• A small backpack for basic items (to carry valuables, water bottle, snacks, etc. for outdoor activities).
• Photo identity proof with address (Aadhar/Passport/Voter ID).
• Thermal inners and warm clothes (cold climate).
• A rainproof jacket with a hood (to protect from cold winds, sudden rain).
• Thick socks, track pants, full sleeve t-shirts (to keep your body warm).
• Cap/Hat/Sunglasses (to protect from harmful sun rays).
• Sunscreen (SPF 50 or more).
• Power bank, charger, camera, binoculars (if you wish to).
• Hand sanitizer and liquid hand wash for outdoors.
• Proper water bottle for your trip. You may fill at our stays.
• Disposable garbage covers (to separate used/unused clothes).
• Water-resistant good grip shoes for travel, extra slippers to use at stays.
• Personal medications that you may feel necessary (remember ghat roads, cold climate), basic first aid kit.
• No need to carry snacks/chocolates. You may buy at local shops.

• Organizers will get in touch with you, or vice versa.
• Once minimum number of people book this trip (at least 4 members), Organizing team will give a green signal to book your flights.
• A Whatsapp group will be created for all the registered folks 5 days before the event.

• The itinerary is fixed. No special requests to change itinerary/schedule shall be entertained. Travellers are not allowed to advice/instruct the Organizers (Driver or Trip Leader or Operations Manager) to change the itinerary.
• Cooperate with the Organizers in following the schedule set for the day (especially getting up and getting ready in the morning). This will ensure travellers won’t miss out on the real fun part that is traveling and visiting all places in itinerary.
• Every traveler is responsible for his/her for your own safety. Do not indulge in any illegal or silly activity that causes harm to self or fellow travelers.
• Do not wander into the forest away from the designated trail for treks. There may be snakes, scorpions, and dangerous animals.
• Unexpected situations: In rare scenarios, we might not be able to cover all the places mentioned in the itinerary because of unpredictable reasons like bad weather, landslides, wild animal presence, abrupt blocking of sites by the police/forest/local authorities, delay in travel because of an issue with our group itself, traffic conditions, etc. In most cases, if the time permits, the Organizers will take travelers to an alternative place. But in some cases, we may have to skip places altogether.
• Note: In case of flight delays, cancellations, or reschedules, Muddie Trails will not be responsible for missed connections to the trip starting point. Travelers are requested to make their own arrangements to reach the destination, as per the itinerary. We recommend booking flights with sufficient buffer time to avoid any last-minute issues.
• No alcohol & smoking during travel, treks, and other outdoor activities. There would be a separate window and space (usually at night) to have these at the stays for interested people.
• This is a budget, backpacking group trip. The facilities are shared between all group members. By default, all the stays and vehicles are Non-AC. No special preference shall be given to anyone.
• Travelers are expected to respect each other and help one another. Avoid discussing sensitive matters like sex, politics, and religion/caste/race.
• Using foul or abusive language, eve-teasing, arguing with fellow travelers/Organizers, and/or involving in the physical assault will not be accepted and will stand a chance of being deserted by the group then and there.
• Every traveler is expected to digitally fill & submit a liability/waiver form given by the Organizers before the trip. This liability form will discharge Muddie Trails of any unexpected incident like injury/death/theft etc.

Cancellation by Traveler

• 80% refund if a cancellation request is sent 30 days before the trip start date.
• 50% refund if a cancellation request is sent between 30 to 15 days before the trip start date.
• An email has to be sent to muddietrails@gmail.com to raise a cancellation request.
• No refund within 15 days of the event start time whatever is the reason (Health, COVID, Accident, Family crisis, Office issue, or anything else).
• No refund during/after the event.
• No refund on the partial payment (advance) done to block your seat for the trip.

Cancellation by Muddie Trails

Muddie Trails may decide to cancel the event if there are less than 3 travelers signed up for the trip/trek.

What if we don’t get the minimum number of people for the trip?
We have 2 options in this case:
Option 1: Complete refund.
Option 2: Switch to any other long trip of the same dates or future dates. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.

Note: We do not recommend to book flight tickets until the trip is confirmed with atleast 3 travelers signed up.

Cancellation due to external factors

Muddie Trails may have to cancel the event in case of external factors that are beyond our control like Natural Disasters, Extreme Weather Conditions, Red Alerts, Political Disturbances, Bandh/Curfews, Local Issues, Road Blocks, Train cancellations, Covid-19 or any other disease outbreaks etc.

In these scenarios:

• No Refund is allowed.
• 100% trip amount can be used for any other new trip of the same weekend or future weekends. The difference amount will be collected from you or paid back according to the new trip cost.
• Once you confirm your participation on the new trip, all the above Cancellation policies will apply for the same.