I recently completed a 6-day 5-night tour in Kerala with Kalypso (started in Kochi and ended in Periyar). While I consider myself a very demanding client – I was extremely satisfied! First of all, Anna was very patient and flexible in setting up my tour with very short notice, coming up with an itinerary that was very responsive to my interests and abilities. Although they had no other clients interested in hiking and biking in the Western Ghats at that time, they agreed to offer the tour to me as a SOLO traveler. This meant Joji (expert driver and very skilled naturalist/birder) and Vineeth (excellent guide for hiking, biking, and everything else including wildlife) were assigned to look after only me for six days! They performed this task with a high level of professionalism and attention to detail at all times, ensuring that this 58 year-old woman was well fed, well accommodated, well watered, well equipped (with good bike and helmet) and otherwise ready to enjoy all activities (and down time) to the maximum.
At times, it was like they were reading my mind, as they seemed to know what I was feeling or wanting even before I said anything! Certainly if I expressed a need or desire at any time, even casually in conversation, they undertook to satisfy that need – whether or not it was related to the tour activities. In addition to planned activities, they added a side trip to Eravikulam National Park near Munnar for birdwatching and other wildlife. As well, they managed to procure a jackfruit for a cooking demonstration at my hotel after I happened to mention that I loved jackfruit. When I mentioned that I was looking for a pharmacy, they immediately were concerned about my health and what medications I might need. Those are just a few examples among many of how Vineeth and Joji went above and beyond the call of duty to provide me with a safe and enjoyable adventure in Kerala.
As a hiking/biking guide, Vineet showed just the right amount of attention to my level of fitness and tiredness. Not overly coddling, but always alert to signs that I might benefit from a rest or a snack break, or perhaps an easier route. As well, Joji was perfect in the support vehicle while we biked, always near at hand in case we needed something, yet not hovering on my back wheel either (I hate that!). As someone who normally organizes my own travel and does not often use the services of guides, I greatly appreciated the balance they struck between steadfast support and excess attentiveness. In addition, I was impressed with how Joji and Vineeth respectfully interacted with those whom we encountered along the way, from waiters to neighbors of Kalypso Camp. They already knew some of these people from past tours (both have worked with Kalypso for years), but especially Vineeth showed an interest in everyone we met and impressive people skills – which were evident even when I could not understand the conversation.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly (especially for a solo traveler) – we just had fun together, whether grinding up a steep hill, racing down the other side, admiring a gorgeous view, snacking on tree tomatoes and passionfruit, watching tea being harvested, eating delicious Kerala specialties, sharing a big bottle of Kingfisher at the end of a grueling day, spotting birds and giant squirrels in the forest, or whatever. I am happy to highly recommend Kalypso and their highly professional and personable team.

We are very satisfied with our 7 days spent with our guide Raja and our driver Das from Kalypso. Thanks to Raja for his patience during our discussions, which wasn't always easy because our level of English is quite low. He was always pleasant, smiling and was keen to help us discover his country. Das is an excellent driver, he drives safely, plus he had kind words for us every day, he was like a dad to us. We were particularly touched when he invited us into his house. We will highly recommend the team who accompanied us from Kalypso. We particularly enjoyed the 4 days of trek which allowed us to walk in the tea and cardamom plantations and to discover the mountains on the border of Kerala and Tamin Nadu. A big thank you to Raja who helped us to attend a party at the Suryanelli temple in the evening which was not planned and to Das for accompanying us there. The picnics were good, varied and always different. We were surprised by the standard of the hotels which exceeded our expectations.... 

I was hesitant to book this trekking tour because I was doing this by myself and I hadn’t been to India before, however, I am so happy that I did because of how welcome Satheesh and the team made me feel. Satheesh was always on time and gave clear briefings and instructions of what was to come in that day or the following day, and always made sure I was hydrated and comfortable with tea, snacks and meals. The WhatsApp communication pre-trek was helpful too! Nothing was lost in translation! I was really happy with how much Satheesh stopped to talk about areas, plants and animals that were in the areas we were trekking. Given that we had some spare time in the afternoons, it was great to be able to do more things like watch the local football in Munnar. I like staying at Kalypso camp more than the hotel, I felt more comfortable with the team staying nearby and felt I got to know the staff a lot better there by having conversations during meal times and around the fire. Although I can see the benefit of staying in two different places so we can do more hikes near Munnar. I think the camp is fantastic and would recommend to others! Thank you for helping fix my shoe during the trek and back at camp when it was falling apart I felt there were no troubles the whole time, only good vibes! 

We had a fantastic time and were very happy with Sudeesh’s guiding and Deepu’s care and careful driving. We were very impressed with the beautiful scenery of southern India, having been to several other parts of India before. Sudeesh‘s knowledge, perseverance and amazing eyesight contributed to the fantastic trip.
We will definitely recommend Kalypso to anyone looking for a reliable travel organisation in Southern India. 

Thank you for an amazing trip. My birding guide Joji worked so hard to find the birds for me and I appreciate it so much. Thanks to him, my trip is one I will remember for the rest of my life. 

We are back from our trip and I wanted to drop you a short note to tell you how much we appreciated the excellent tour you put together. It was just perfect. And Anup and Das were some of the best guides we have ever had. They were so friendly, yet professional and they really were the highlight of our entire India trip. Thanks again and I hope to use Kalypso Adventures again when we get back to India