Honestly, this trip was such a highlight. The guide (Satheesh) and driver (Shyam) treated us with the utmost courtesy on a foundation of sheer professionalism. We host events in our professional lives and they achieved that sought-after balance between maintaining boundaries to ensure health and safety, clarity of message and content engagement, with a warmth and empathy for our needs (when to stop and refresh, introduce options and respond to our ideas). Sateesh gave us timely daily briefings, both at the end of the day in preparation for the following day, repeated at the start, and clarified routes and any locally useful information. He gave us confidence to engage with people locally, ensured that we were content at intervals throughout the day, gave us space to explore as a couple and engaged with us, exchanging cultural experiences so that we could learn more about the people we were meeting. We always felt safe in the landscape, particularly during ascents, and were given guidance on how to wear leech socks, and what to bring to each trek. Shyam, who drove us, managed each journey safely, driving confidently, smoothly and never taking risks. Water was always provided and journeys were broken with interesting pit stops. The itinerary's balance of museums, local performances and nature walks supplementing the treks was perfect. Visiting the Meenakshi Temple at Madurai was as much of a highlight as the treks and worth the detour. Overall, we felt that we had a very special experience, one that perhaps would have been diluted a little had we been with a group as we would then have doubtless 'stuck with our own' and not devoted as much time to getting to know our guide, driver and the specialists and back-up folk they introduced us to on the treks. Thank you Kalypso for the impeccable care and attention to detail. And you have a real gem in Satheesh. 

My sincere thanks to Kalypso and Deepu for my terrific introduction to Kerala.
The pacing and activities were just right, the vehicle was impeccable and the driving and offers to stop and adjust the program as new opportunities arose were particularly great and I know the most valuable of all this was Deepu's deep knowledge of the places and people we visited. His long history of doing this work and people's high regard for him were obvious. I liked the respect and curiosity he showed for the people we met. He's a great asset to Kalypso and your business is clearly a good one. I won't hesitate to recommend Kalypso Adventures to friends. 

Thank you for organising such a marvelous ‘Cultural, Wildlife and Hiking’ adventure. Our driver Deepu was just perfect- courteous, well organised, caring and an excellent driver and good companion. All your guides were passionate about their particular areas. Our walking guide modified walks for us, given my asthma condition, and we were very much able to do the wonderful hikes. The accommodation was better than anticipated. I would certainly recommend Kalpso Adventures to my friends.

 Our guide Satheesh was brilliant. Satheesh was very attentive to our needs and led the trek in a calm but very informed way. Everything was very well organised and Satheesh made sure that we had food and snacks on each day. Satheesh and Reghu’s knowledge along the trek meant that we learnt a lot about the local area, the plants, flowers and wildlife. Both Satheesh and Reghu made each day relaxed and fun. And they were patient with us taking so many photos! Matthew, the driver ensured each transfer was safe and efficient. I would thoroughly recommend them to others.

The most memorable part of our holiday was kayaking in the backwaters. This holiday was tailor make it to fit our needs. Moreover, we felt that the tour benefited local people, many of whom were environmentally responsible. All in all, we felt that the holiday was fantastic and varied and we very well looked after with fab food throughout. Rating this tour 5 stars.
 

"I saw 68 species of bird that I had not seen on my previous trips to India and Sri Lanka, so I was happy." - Gavin on Trip Advisor. Gavin also rated our birding guide Joji, a 100%, especially for sighting owls; his driving & "Getting to areas where you can see birds involves driving on dirt roads"; his timekeeping and general guiding. Gavin also mentioned Joji's attention to detail, he wrote -" I had not packed my walking pole, but Joji had one in the car (he must have come across people like me before). This was a lifesaver.". Thanking Gavin for his detailed and candid review on TripAdvisor