IT’S A WILD WORLD

Old India hands who love Kerala are venturing into the northern part of the tranquil southern state. In December, the eco-hotel group CGH Earth opened a rainforest retreat called Wayanad Wild, near Lakkidi in the Western Ghats. Guest cottages are barely visible in the jungle, and guides arrange treks and rafting trips on the region’s wild rivers. Travellers combine a jungle stay with backwater cruising by rice barge, a high-end camp in Thattekad bird sanctuary, beach time on the remote coastline of Neeleshwar, and swing by the colonialera jewel of Fort Cochin. experiencetravelgroup.com