Active & Authentic Travel Experiences in India

British Adventurer Conrad Birch and his ROARRallies Team partnered with Kalypso to realise their dream of driving vintage cars through the ‘Great Arc’ longitude followed by Sir George Everest in early 1800s to survey the Indian sub-continent. Driving from Kanyakumari at the southern tip to Mussoorie in the foot hills of Himalayas through the logistically difficult interiors of the country required mammoth organisational support all through, and camping at various locations enroute.

“The best mobile camp in the world” said Conrad Birch, speaking of the Cottage tented camps, set up in the middle of nowhere, with flush toilets, hot water, electricity, washer man, barber, and a sit down fine-dining set up, shifted across and set up perfectly at a distance of 600 km in less than 48 hours!  

Norwood, two centuries old British charity with the patronage of Her Majesty the Queen, chose Kalypso Adventures to run a cycling challenge through picturesque Kerala. Two back to back challenges of 90 cyclists each, riding through undulated ghat roads, culturally rich villages and along beaches, rubber plantations and cardamom plantations, totalling a distance of 450 km in 5 days through the most densely populated state of India, was a mega event of a life time.

“This was the best ride we ever had”, mentioned Judith Barnett, Norwood’s representative, while speaking of the faultless administrative and logistics machinery run by the ever smiling and omnipresent Kalypso Team.

100 Students from across the globe participated in a 7 day Multi Activity Challenge with us at the Munnar Hill Station. We organized a Multi Activity Challenge by splitting the groups into 5 teams and positioning them at different destinations. Each participant had to trek from one location to the other, make shelter, camp overnight, make bamboo raft and cross a lake, cycle to the next destination, kayak across the river and reach a summit to complete the challenge. Considering that these were students, we had a risk assessment plan, a CASEVAC team and experience trek leaders leading them through the challenging terrain.  

Or in this case, we are ready to take on many challenges - at the same time. We were able to pull off fully supporting 3 cycling challenges happening simultaneously in Kerala. During a period from 26 Oct 2017 to 5 Nov 2017, we ensured complete and quality logistics support to three challenge teams from UK, who cycled parallelly on three different routes, touching varied destinations in Kerala. It saw us oversee a team of Marshals for directing the teams on road, providing the lead vehicle, ensuring hot lunches enroute, smooth transfer of the teams’ luggage, providing the right sized cycles to list a few aspects we ensured. We partnered with Classic Tours and the ever enthusiastic group of 45, called the Truants, enjoyed their challenge with us in Kerala, as they raised funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust. We brilliantly helped Charity Challenge- UK, conduct their challenge to raise funds for Care for Kids. Their week long challenge through Munnar, Periyar and Alleppey saw 33 challengers push themselves for a worthy cause. And finally 23 cyclists rode for Norwood, UK who made their way through Munnar, Kumarakkom and Kollam.

Suffice to say that Team Kalypso delivered on all counts during the eventful 10 days by ensuring quality logistic support to the 100 odd challengers. Multitasking at its best thanks to a ‘ready – for – any - challenge’ - team Kalypso!
 

A cycling tour that started from Goa and moved south along the western coast of India to the rainforests of Karnataka, crossing the Western Ghats passing through the vast plains of Tamil Nadu, the spice destinations of Kerala and further riding across the southern peninsula eastwards through some cultural hotspots and great temple towns to end at Chennai! If breath-taking and mesmerising were mere words till today, they have now come to life in our minds! What an incredible 45 days!

Beach roads, village roads, forests, waterfalls, hill stations, backwaters; cycling, walking, kayaking; cuisines that run the gamut, cultures whose diversities humble the mind, a populace that never fails to enchant, geographies that uplift the soul…this 45-day cycling tour that Kalypso Adventures offered, had it all and more!