Craft inspiration around every corner!
Creativity is a passion to create and you won"t stop creating on this craft tour. With a different and unique craft arranged for you throughout your travels, you will learn ancient techniques that has been kept alive through generations by the creativity of others. You can apply any of these crafting skills to your own art and craft projects. It refreshing to try new thongs that you would never think to try. Take a look at only a few of the destinations that await you on a craft tour to Kerala, India. Get creative and have fun!A Trip to the Vellar Craft Village
Vellar is a hamlet nestled into the rocky countryside of Thiruvananthapuram not far from Kovalam. It is one of the region’s newest craft tourism destinations, and boasts traditional handicraft stalls, modern shopping and recreational facilities and eateries of all kinds.
Having recently received an upgrade and remodelling costing more than 700 million Rs, one of its biggest draws is a large covered theatre where there is training in a variety of local handicrafts – including the use of local coconuts and coconut shells. Several governmental and government-related agencies and projects give their support in order to bring these traditional local crafts back into the public eye in the Craft Village.
Palm Leaf Weaving
Southern Kerala is known for its weaving and basket-making using palm leaves. Young, tender palm leaves are harvested and their ribs removed before being dried in the sun. They are used to make all manner of handicrafts, including bowls, shades, folding fans and many other ornamental and practical objects. You can learn the techniques of palm leaf weaving that have been handed down in distinct families for generations.
Mannar & Aranmula Bell metal crafting centres
Kerala has long been associated with traditional metalworking crafts, including iron, silver, gold and bronze, but also ‘bell metal’. Bell metal is akin to bronze, but it has a unique ratio of 78% copper to 22% tin, and is traditionally used in the region for temple bells, lamps and religious statuary.It is heavy yet extremely durable, and is particularly prized for its ability to withstand heat and fire, which is why it is also used for cooking pots and utensils. At the bell metal crafting centres of Mannar and Aranmula, you can learn how these items and more have been crafted for generations.
Kanjirappilly Plantation
The Kanjirappilly region, sometimes spelled Kanjirapally, is known for its gently rolling hills and warm, pleasant weather. Naturally, this is amazing agricultural land, and it has long been the site of many sprawling plantations. Located amidst this pastoral wonder are the Kanjirappilly Plantation Bungalows. These well-appointed homes away from home are just a few hours from Cochin, and also convenient to both Periyar and Kumarakom. While we’re there, you can even tour the plantation!
Ayurveda & Yoga
Ayurveda is the medical tradition of ancient India. It is said that the Hindu god Dhanvantari incarnated himself as the king of historical Varanasi to teach these arts to humans for the first time. However, modern scholars suggest that the core of Ayurvedic medicine and thought goes back much farther, possibly before the rise of the Indus Valley Civilisation which predated India.
Ayurvedic practices form the core of most modern day ‘complimentary’ or ‘alternative’ medical techniques, many of which are practiced in the UK. Here, you’ll get a chance to learn about Ayurveda from traditional practitioners directly.
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Kerala is a beautiful state of India sandwiched between the emerald waters of the 
Kerala is famous for many things, but one of the most interesting is apiculture, or bee keeping. Bees have been semi-domesticated for thousands of years, and Kerala is one of the ancient centres of this art. They even have a unique type of bee, the Trigona tripennis, AKA the Stingless Bee. Thes are not truly without a stinger, but the sting is poorly developed, and they are noticeably less aggressive than other varieties.
Another of Kerala’s traditional basket weaving techniques uses the leaves of the screw pine plant. This is traditionally a women’s craft, and has a history of at least 800 years in the region. The most common item woven from screw pine leaves is an ornate mat, such as might be offered to an honoured guest for sitting, or larger mats for sleeping. Other artisans specialise in making fine wall hangings with the all-natural material.
Coir (also known as ‘cocos’) is a fine, natural golden fibre which is woven into hundreds of textile and handicraft products. However, few who wear these materials outside of the region know that the soft, lustrous material they are wearing is derived from coconut husk. You will get the chance to learn how this lovely and amazingly ecologically friendly fibre is made, and just how many different things can be made from it!