Munnar Tea Estate 4 Days | Starts/Ends: Kochi

TRIP NOTES

Munnar Tea Estate 4 days | Starts/Ends: Kochi

PRIVATE TOUR: Munnar in South • Flights and visa Day 3 : Eravikulam National India offers breathtaking views of • Tipping - An entirely personal gesture Park the surrounding hills carpeted with verdant tea plantations. Exuding DETAILED ITINERARY old world charm, the combination of Day 1 : Kochi – Munnar lofty peaks, manicured tea estates Kochi – Munnar. Today we drive from Kochi and the cool mountain air makes to Munnar, a hill station at a height of 1525 Munnar an ideal retreat. metres. Munnar offers a breathtaking view of the hills swathed in an impossibly green HIGHLIGHTS AND INCLUSIONS carpet of tea bushes. Munnar - the right royal resort, lazily nestled in the verdant Trip Highlights slopes of tea country is a quaint little town Enjoy a visit to the Eravikulam National Park. that exudes a rare old world charm and Eravikulam National Park is a part of the • Munnar - Tea plantations strangely reminds one of the days of the Raj, Idukki district and is situated in the south • Eravikulam National Park in its elegant splendour. Beyond the rolling Indian state of Kerala in the higher altitudes of the Western Ghats. Eravikulam is very What's Included hills we'll discover the rich tropical forests abounding in exotic flora and fauna. It is near to the scenic hill station of Munnar. The • Breakfast daily and 3 dinners here that you will fnd the Anamudi Peak, the Eravikulam National Park was established to • 3 nights STANDARD hotels. highest peak in the Western Ghats, in South protect the Nilgiri Tahr, endangered species Accommodation rating – See Trip Notes India. Overnight - Munnar (D) of wild goat and the only one to be found for details south of the Himalayas. The park lies along • Guided visit to tea plantation, factory and Day 2 : Tea Plantation the high ranges of the western coast in the Eravikulam National Park Full day visit to a tea plantation and factory. Munnar Forest Division of Idukki district in • Return transfer from Kochi to Munnar See how Assam tea is grown, hand-picked Kerala. Overnight - Munnar (B, D) • Services of English-speaking Indian and processed and then taste some of the specialist guides for all included sight- best Assam tea there is. Today offers many Day 4 : Kochi seeing scenic photo opportunities as well, be sure to Munnar - Kochi. Drive back to Kochi and • All relevant transfer and transportation bring your camera along. Overnight - Munnar transfer to your Kochi hotel or the airport to in private modern Chauffeur driven air- (B, D) meet your onward flight ((please let us know conditioned vehicles your flight/hotel details prior to the start of your holiday). What's Not Included (B)

Munnar Tea Estate - 4 days updated on 26-09-2021 01:20:48 www.onthegotours.com This information has been compiled with care and good faith. They give an accurate illustration of the proposed arrangements for this holiday. Circumstances beyond our control such as changes in local conditions, inclement weather or other reasons could force us to make changes to UK 020 7371 1113 [email protected] this itinerary. Any costs shown are subject to change, though are an accurate reflection of costs at time of writing. Please also note that visa AUS 1300 855 684 [email protected] requirements are subject to change and are the responsibility of the traveller and not that of On The Go Tours. NZ 0800 44 77 69 CAN 1 866 890 7038 - 1 - USA 1 866 606 2960 SA 0800 990 311 TRIP NOTES

Munnar Tea Estate

Tipping Welcome to India - Arrival traveller and not On The Go Tours. Please also Tipping is an essential part of the culture. For a transfer ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months from your planned date of departure job well done, we would suggest for your tour If your holiday includes a complimentary from India. guide: USD$4-7 per traveller, for each day of airport arrival transfer (as indicated in the sightseeing. 'Inclusions' section of these Trip Notes After booking your holiday, please provide us on page 1) from Delhi's Indira Gandhi For your driver and On The Go Representative with your passport details as soon as possible International Airport, our arrival procedure is we'd recommend USD$2-3 per traveller for so that we can proceed to book all services. as follows: each day of service. Tipping is an entirely Please be advised visa requirements are subject to change, therefore it is essential that personal gesture and ultimately the amount is Arrive to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International you check current visa requirements with the up to you. Airport, where after you have attended to embassy before travel. For information about customs and immigration formalities, please visas, head to www.onthegotours.com/India/ Accommodation ratings proceed to the arrival hall. Please have your Visas On our Private trips, you can often choose tour voucher handy and make it available to your style of accommodation. The price our representative who will be waiting for you Health requirements quoted on our website is reflective of the in the arrivals hall, holding a prominent On The You should seek medical advice for included accommodation, please see the Go Tours logo signboard, ready to escort you vaccinations and about medications before “included” section on the first page of this to our awaiting transportation and onward to travelling. document for details. Should you opt for your start hotel. an alternative hotel category, this will be Water confirmed in writing with the respective price If, for any reason you have trouble locating As tap water is not safe to drink in India, only on your invoice. our representative (after waiting 20 minutes drink bottled mineral water which is readily in the arrival hall) or your flight is delayed, available in hotels, shops and restaurants. For further details about the indicative hotels, please call or send a text message (standard You should also avoid salads which may be please see the “hotels” tab on our website. text message, not Messenger or WhatsApp) to washed in unhygienic water. Here we rank hotel’s in their respective the emergency contact number as stated on country (REGIONAL CATEGORY) - but we also your Tour Voucher. Please do not leave the Essential packing tell you how it ranks by Western standards airport or go to the hotel on your own. Call Please check local temperatures so (OUR CATEGORY). our emergency contact number and follow the you can pack accordingly. Visit advice given by our local team. STANDARD - Equates to a Western 3-star www.worldclimate.com standard, always featuring en-suite rooms and If travelling on our other India holidays that • A small daypack for your day-to-day needs usually a restaurant. don't arrive into Delhi Airport (with arrival • Tour Voucher and a copy of your travel SUPERIOR - Equates to a Western 4- via Kochi, Cochin, Goa, Mumbai, Chennai, insurance policy, spare passport photos and a star standard, featuring en-suite rooms and Trivandrum, Kolkata and Dimapur Airport), the photocopy of your passport usually a restaurant and often a swimming procedure for meeting you at the airport is the • Universal travel adaptor pool and/or a fitness centre. same as those detailed above. DELUXE - Equates to a Western 5-star • Insect repellent to guard against mosquitos standard, usually featuring spacious, en-suite Pre and post tour accommodation can be • Spare camera batteries and memory cards rooms, a restaurant, swimming pool and arranged upon request, please contact us for • Consider packing some pencils, pens or fitness centre and an array of amenities, rates. If you are arriving early and book pre modest educational supplies that can be excellent service and customer care. tour accommodation with us then you will still given to village schools or street children LUXURY - Equates to a Western 5-star plus qualify for our complimentary airport arrival • Buy some Indian Rupees at the airport on standard - the creme de la creme. Featuring transfer. arrival and keep a supply of small notes for spacious, en-suite rooms, a restaurant, local transactions If arriving prior to 9am on day 1 (essentially swimming pool and fitness centre and an on a flight that arrives very, very early in the array of amenities, this accommodation is a Domestic flights - Baggage morning) consider purchasing a night of pre- cut above the rest. Sheer opulence! allowance tour accommodation to save you waiting until If your holiday includes a domestic flight or hotel check in time, which is generally 2pm. KNOW BEFORE YOU GO you have independently booked domestic flights separate to that of your international Visas & passports India Country Guide flights, please be mindful that that free Visa requirements are subject to change and baggage allowance for Economy class travel visa procurement is the responsibility of the on flights within India is near always 15kg,

Munnar Tea Estate with 5-7kg allowance for hand luggage. All cabins are mixed sex. Your cabin is not the 2nd AC coach there is also another set Additional weight is charged per kilo and is self-contained as such. ‘Cabins’ are separated of bunk beds on the opposite side - running payable by you directly to the airline at check- from the carriage corridor by curtains, serving parallel with the length of the train. Like 2nd in. If travelling with more than 15kg on a flight as an artificial barrier that can be drawn AC, there’s no door just curtains and again you included within your holiday, please contact at night. Luggage, including hand luggage sit up on your bunk bed during the day and lie us so we can confirm the exact luggage should be locked (as you would do when down to sleep. allowance for your flight and give you the travelling on any overnight train anywhere in current per kilo cost for additional weight. the world) and can be stored underneath the Travel Operators for Tigers lower bunks or on the floor. The carriage is Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT), is a What to expect manned by an attendant who will distribute UK based campaign, set up to encourage Please visit www.onthegotours.com/India/ linen, free of charge. Dependent upon the sustainable wildlife tourism in tiger reserves Travel-tips-and-useful-info for local customs, service, a variety of snacks and drinks or full and national parks. Funds generated through currency, WiFi and other helpful information to dinner service can be ordered at an additional TOFT will be used to fund tiger conservation prepare you for an enjoyable holiday. cost (except for the Shatabdi Express and initiatives and local community development, Rajdhani Express where meals are included through their two partner conservation Train travel in India within your fare). Food aboard the Shatabdi organisations - Global Tiger Patrol and the Travelling by train in India is an unforgettable Express train is most often exceptionally Environmental Investigation Agency. On The local experience where you will get to meet good, though on many other train services Go Tours are members of TOFT and we Indian people and experience daily life as they it is probably best to buy snacks, fresh fruit happily pledge a USD$20 contribution to do. The Indian Railway system is the world’s that can be peeled or meals prior to the start TOFT for each of our clients that choose to second largest, with over 108,706 km of track, of your journey. In addition, there are WC travel on a wildlife tour to India with us. connecting more than 7000 stations. Every facilities (European and ‘squat-style’) at each day, more than 7000 trains run, carrying some end of the carriage. Cleanliness varies, so Not like home... & begging 14 million passengers, including us. Several be prepared and take your own anti-bacterial Travelling to far–flung corners of the earth our holidays include train journeys, some by hand wipes and toilet paper. often involves encountering lifestyles and day and others overnight. If your holiday does conditions that are very different from include train travel, we have noted within the 1st AC COACH/ SLEEPER what you are used to back home. As itinerary the coach/class of travel that will be All Indian trains offer 2nd and 3rd AC coaches, such it is important to come prepared for booked. Below is some further information but only a handful of trains offer 1st AC unusual situations, local inadequacies and that may assist you in planning for your coaches, which can accommodate a tiny total unpredictable events as and when they occur. journey. of 18 people. 1st AC coach/ sleepers only have Foreign travel is definitely not suitable for berths on one side of the train hence making people who expect or demand everything to AC CHAIR CAR the cabin more spacious. The cabin may have go exactly as planned, as things can and do If travelling on a daytime journey, you will 2 berths or 4 which seat/sleep 2 or 4 persons. change in foreign countries. travel in an air-conditioned seated carriage You can sit up a on bench seat during the (called AC chair car), similar to that of a day, which is folded into bunk beds at night. The people, customs, creed, food and standard city trains in most western countries. The 1st AC coach also has a door making it languages of India are different from one When travelling to loftier destinations where fully closed and lockable for 2 or 4 persons. region to the next. It is as vast as it is the weather is cooler, air-conditioning may not Beds are a tad wider and mattresses more crowded, and as opulent as it is squalid. be provided. cushioned. Each cabin has a 'bell' switch, India is exciting, intense and diverse - an which when pressed summons the attendant all-embracing experience, a veritable assault 2nd AC COACH/SLEEPER of the coach. on the senses. Sometimes the poverty will If travelling overnight, we accommodate get you down, Indian bureaucracy can test passengers in the 2nd class sleeper 3rd AC COACH/ SLEEPER your patience and facing another traffic jam air-conditioned category (unless otherwise We do not include 3rd AC coach travel will seem almost too much to bear. Yet, it’s indicated at a higher level). 2nd class sleeper within any of our tours, though if you were all worthwhile! While India is far from the air-conditioned cabins consist of 2 upper and considering it for personal arrangements a easiest country in the world to travel around, 2 lower bunks, plus a double-decker set of description can be given as follows. 3rd AC On The Go will try their upmost to make bunk beds on the opposite side of the cabin coach is very similar to 2nd AC coach with the your holiday as seamless as possible. Our shared by you and other Indian travellers. You only difference being that there is a middle holidays combine comfortable transportation, can sit up on your bench seat during the day berth ie not just a 2 bunk bed but a triple bunk comprehensive sightseeing and good hotels, and simply lie down once you are ready to go bed, hence making it possible for 6 people allowing you to concentrate on getting the to sleep. to be accommodated within the space. Like most out of your stay.

Munnar Tea Estate

are under no obligation to partake in a India is a country of unparalleled contrasts, listed shopping experience and you are a destination where you’ll be afforded plenty most welcome to wait inside or outside the of unique encounters, and if you can travel premises. with an open mind you will have a wonderful time here. In return, please remember to Although we only visit reputable retailers, demonstrate sensitivity and respect for local please note that we cannot explicitly customs. guarantee the quality of their products. All purchases made whilst on holiday with us are Begging at your own discretion. Please make sure that With more than 350 million people in India you are completely happy with your purchase. living on less than USD$2 per day, inevitably On The Go cannot be held responsible for you will come across many people begging any items that you buy if they fail to meet for money. Begging has a legitimate place expectation, or any shipping arrangements. in Indian society. Even poor people give to Proceed with caution. beggars or charities to earn religious merit. The Indian government, however, would like to regulate begging more stringently. Though begging is common, you are not under obligation to give money. If you choose to give money to beggars, we advise you to do this from the vehicle and not on the street. Alternatively, consider donating pencils, pens or modest educational supplies to village schools.

Shopping India is a virtual Aladdin’s Cave. At the many bazaars known as ‘chowks’, the cardinal rule is to bargain hard. State run craft emporiums that stock the best of what a state has to offer can give you a reasonable idea of what is acceptable in terms of price and quality. You'll find carpets of quality equal to those of Persian origin, Rajasthani pottery and metalwork, embellished slippers known as jootis, jewellery in breathtaking designs. Likewise, leatherwork, silks and saris in spectacularly colourful designs, paintings and clothing make excellent souvenirs.

In the tourism industry it’s common practice for commission to be offered in exchange for recommending particular shops or suppliers. This can become an issue when clients feel obliged to purchase goods. We do our best to avoid this by monitoring all shopping experiences offered.

All shopping experiences on your tour have been noted in the itinerary and they been carefully selected based upon positive feedback from On The Go travellers. You