Most Inspirational Moment
The terrain during the trek, with its very steep heavily-wooded green hills with rounded tops, similar in some ways to parts of the English countryside, but on a much much bigger scale. Meeting numerous Bonnet macaques, with their small but almost human faces, both outside and within buildings, and seeing that when they eat a banana they hold it and peel it exactly as I do, and being stared at by them, as I was staring back, and wondering what they make of us humans, a feeling I don`t have when encountering other non-domestic animals, nor indeed when meeting other kinds of monkey. The visit to the Hindu temple at Madurai with its 14 great towers (the tallest 170 feet high), their entire surfaces covered with many thousands of brightly-coloured sculptures of gods, goddesses, demons, etc. I find it hard to imagine how they manage to repaint them all every twelve years.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Santosh Kumar was a superb leader, always, at least outwardly, calm, friendly, alert and on top of every situation. He combined so many roles in an exemplary manner, as master of ceremonies, reporter/commentator, bag carrier, visionary teacher, domestic servant, general manger and producer of surprises, to mention just a few. Praise also for Siva, our main guide on the trek part of the holiday.
Advice for Potential Travellers
If you have room, pack plenty of clothes suitable for the different requirements of the trek and the sightseeing part of the holiday. If this is your first visit to India, remember that it is an enormous, ancient, and incredibly diverse country: try to leave all your preconceptions at home.