Way back in January 2020 I had a little time on my hands. I had taken the first 3 months of 2020 off work and was due back at the beginning of April. I wanted to end the break with a holiday to remember, one full of activity and adventure.
I had wanted to visit India for many years, but for one reason or another we simply just hadn’t managed to get there. My original ambition was in the north and the Himalaya, but after some research I felt that actually, that wasn’t going to give me the India experience I wanted.
After more research, I came across Responsible Travel. What an amazing site, filled with all sorts of escapes in every country.
They put me in touch with Kalypso Adventures, and it was through them that I created a bespoke itinerary for a 2 week cycle tour of Southern India.
And then, Covid happened! Two days before we were due to fly out, India closed their borders and then shortly after the world went in to lock down.
My long awaited adventure had to go on hold.
But I really can’t praise both Responsible Travel and Kalypso Adventures enough. Everything was paid for, and there was no question of a refund as everything was independent, so we just had to sit it out and wait until it was safe to travel again. Throughout the wait, I was constantly reassured that my holiday was still waiting and that all would be ok.
Once it was clearly safe, Vishal Koshy at Kalypso was a superstar. He picked up the detailed itinerary and put everything back in place, all hotels re-booked for the new dates, and bikes and guides lined up. Everything was good to go and I struggled to contain my excitement feeling for sure that something else would scupper our adventure.
But it didn’t, and oh what a most amazing adventure we had. Through Kalypso Adventures we had the most amazing and wonderful Southern India experience I could ever have hoped for. Every day was a sense sensation, with the sights and sounds and smells and tastes of this most beautiful country.
Roger, our guide, and Das, our driver, were amazing, taking us to the most interesting places, giving us time for activity and time for rest, and continually feeding us. We were able to enjoy the adventure at our own pace (fast), and enjoy the down times as we experienced the beautiful culture. I can’t thank the team enough for sharing their most beautiful country with us. I feel so privileged.