How Experiential Learning Transforms Students In the quiet rhythm of a Kerala village, far from lecture halls and libraries, a different kind of learning unfolds—one rooted in lived experience, human connection, and cultural dialogue. Over the past few years, Ekathra’s Experiential Learning Programme has welcomed undergraduate students from across Europe into rural communities in North […]
Read more
How Experiential Learning Enriches Local Communities In the quiet corners of Kerala’s villages—where the days are shaped by seasons, fields, and shared meals—something quietly powerful is happening. For a few weeks each year, homes here open their doors to undergraduate students from Europe through Ekathra’s Experiential Learning Programme. And while the spotlight often shines on […]
Read more
Community tourism, at its heart, is about people and their stories—real lives lived with purpose, passion, and deep connection to the land. And sometimes, you meet individuals who are not easily defined by a single title. Their lives are layered, rich with meaning, and each encounter with them opens a door to a deeper understanding […]
Read more
Community-based sustainable tourism has taught me one of the most profound lessons of my life: that travel, when rooted in respect and collaboration, has the power to revive not just economies, but entire cultural legacies. Over the years, working closely with communities across Kerala—especially indigenous ones—I’ve had the privilege of witnessing this quiet but powerful […]
Read more
As we row gently through the narrow tidal creeks of Kannur, the landscape slowly opens up—tangled roots cradling the banks, sunlight filtering through dense mangrove canopies, and the distant calls of waterbirds echoing across the calm. To the untrained eye, it may seem like a patch of wild green. But beneath this serenity lies a […]
Read more
The Sacred Forests of North Kerala If you ever wander off the winding village roads of North Kerala—past the swaying coconut palms and laterite walls streaked with moss—you may stumble upon a space that feels like it holds its breath. A patch of dense green, darker than its surroundings. Quiet, yet pulsing with something old […]
Read more
The Intangible Benefits of Community Tourism When we think of tourism, it’s often the tangible that first comes to mind—scenic landscapes, heritage monuments, traditional cuisine, handcrafted souvenirs. But the true essence of community tourism lies in what can’t be touched or neatly packed into a suitcase. It lives in the stories, the relationships, the shared […]
Read more
When Nana Ziesche, a German photographer and seasoned traveller, reached out to us about bringing her Kamerakidz programme to South India for the first time, I sensed immediately that something meaningful was about to unfold. Nana had already spent several years conducting this unique initiative in places as diverse as Zanskar in Ladakh, a village […]
Read more
A Journey Through Kadalundy’s Living Sanctuary It was just past sunrise when our boat gently pushed off from the shore, the stillness of the backwaters broken only by the rhythmic splash of oars and the occasional cry of an egret taking flight. We were at Kadalundy, a magical stretch along Kerala’s coast where the river […]
Read more