Kerala has decided to identify and map the popular trekking and hiking routes in 50 select locations. The move is part of bringing adventure travellers close to nature and enabling them to experience the diverse natural wonders of the State.
Despite the State being blessed with backwaters, mountains and other natural wonders, it is one of the least tapped destinations for adventure travellers in the country. The State government has given permission to the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) to map the routes.
The society will upload the online maps of the routes on the website of Kerala Tourism with all relevant details, including the trekking routes where the service of a guide is required and the hiking routes where tourists can climb the peaks or wade through water without the help of trainers.
Further, the details of routes such as short, medium and high based on the distance, average calories that can be burnt, how many steps one needs to tread to reach the destination, nature of the terrain and the flora, fauna and cultural and heritage specialties along the route will be made available to the tourists. They could download a dedicated app from the website of Kerala Tourism for this purpose, said Binu Kuriakose, chief executive officer, KATPS.
In a year
“It will take around a year to complete mapping of the routes. In the second phase, the society will arrange sign boards, refreshments and amenity centers,” said Mr. Kuriakose.
Already, some routes are operational. The new map will provide information on the time and season during which the routes will remain open for tourists. For instance, some routes are incredible during monsoon or winter and will be closed during certain periods of time.
Most of the identified routes are in the Wayanad, Idukki, Kozhikode, Kannur, Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram districts.
