Sports and leisure activities South India

Aurélien, a compatriot living in Kerala, is a qualified paragliding instructor. He proposes original activities to discover the region. Sailing on the backwaters by stand-up paddle or kayak: departure in the morning at 6am and in the afternoon at 3pm, 3 hours of navigation and visit through the canals. Aurélien will guide you and take care of all the logistics (transportation, equipment). Tandem paragliding flights are offered when the weather permits. The departure is from thehelipad for a 20 minutes flight in front of the cliffs of Varkala. Unique !

If you want to cook dhal, chapathis or vegetarian curries, this is the place to go. Sreelakshmi has quickly become an expert in the field, has received praise from the national press and has also participated in an edition of Masterchef India, ranking among the best candidates. His specialty is vegetarian cuisine, you will learn how to combine flavors, spices and influences. Classes are held in her home. Highly recommended!

The style dates from the Art Deco period. Two seawater pools surrounded by greenery, one very large outdoor pool with a children's pool, and another half covered. The atmosphere is family oriented, one comes to swim but also to picnic, play a game of volleyball or simply to lounge on a deckchair or in the sauna. Unfortunately, the beautiful view of the sea has disappeared in favor of the view of the constructions of the new coastal road...

The National Adventure Foundation organizes paragliding, trekking, climbing or cycling in the vicinity of Munnar. Canoeing can also be done on the city's lakes.

From Poovar, you can take a tour by boat or motorboat on the canals in the shade of palm trees. Several tours are available depending on the type of boat and the duration of the cruise, which will take you through the mangrove swamps and bring you to the estuary, the superb meeting point between the backwaters and the sea. Possibility to have a lunch or a snack in one of the many luxury establishments, or on the floating restaurant of Estuary Island Resort. The beach, deserted and immaculate, is also worth a stop.

CVN Kalari Sangham is the largest kalarippayatt centre in Trivandrum. This Kerala martial art is practiced with bamboos, sticks or swords and has a religious and medical dimension (an Ayurvedic centre is located above the training room). Possibility to attend the athletes' training and preparation, in the morning between 6:30 am and 8:30 am (closed on Sundays, no photos allowed). The training is a kind of dance that requires a lot of flexibility and involves very impressive jumps of amplitude.

This private company based in Delhi offers cruises in Nileshwar: the prices are a bit high but the houseboats they offer are well maintained and pleasant. One of the attractions of these cruises on the backwaters of Valiyaparamba, located 30 km from Kasaragod and close to Kannur, is the possibility of sailing along the canals on a kettuvallam (traditional boat), formerly used for the transport of rice or other goods, and built from anjali (wood of a local tree), bamboo and ropes of coconut fiber.

Less known and less frequented than their southern counterparts, the backwaters of northern Kerala are an interesting alternative. Several possibilities: departure from Chandragiri, 4 km from Kasaragod, near the 17th century fort, or a cruise around the island of Valiyaparamba, around which are a multitude of small islands, most of them uninhabited. This government-approved agency has 15 houseboats. It is located at the foot of the longest pedestrian bridge in Kerala. Several cruise packages are available.

Kalarippayattu, the ancient martial art of Kerala, is taught in this renowned center. It was established 60 years ago by the late Sri K. Narayanan Gurrukal ( Gurrukal is the master of the teaching). Its members regularly participate in stage demonstrations and film shoots, as the center's guestbook attests. Kalari massages and Ayurvedic treatments are also practiced here. Please call or visit the website to find out when and where full demonstrations of this unique art are held.

26 km south of Ooty is the Avalanche Lake, named after a titanic avalanche in 1823. The lake is lined with various flowers: orchids, magnolias, rhododendrons... It is one of the best places for trout fishing; you can rent rods. It is also a popular place for locals to picnic and enjoy the surrounding nature. Further away is Mukerti Peak, at an altitude of 2,400 m, which is also part of the Nilgiri Tahr Reserve, created in the most remote part of the mountains.

The concept is to combine the practice of yoga with surfing! Several combos are proposed: accommodation in immaculate rooms (only on reservation on the website) including breakfast, wifi, fruits, board loan, free transportation in the morning to the best spots, or simply equipment rental, surfing lessons... The proposed accommodation is of high quality and the atmosphere is friendly and warm. An original initiative that has met with great success! By the way, there is also a Soul And Surf in the south of Sri Lanka, in Ahangama.