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Help Mountain Kingdoms help Kerala
We were very saddened to see the devastating effects of the severe flooding in Kerala in Southern India last month. It is a destination which is very popular with Mountain Kingdoms’ clients and although none of our tours are affected, there are areas which have been truly devastated by the catastrophic flooding.
Mountain Kingdoms takes its responsible tourism remit very seriously and newly-appointed Responsible Tourism Officer, Julia Sharpe, has been in contact with a small UK-based grassroots charity, Kerala Partnership, which has been working in Kerala for over 20 years. Currently, the majority of their funds are allocated to schemes supporting the elderly living below the poverty line, who have no ability to work to sustain themselves. However, since the floods, Kerala Partnership will also focus on helping as many people as possible whose homes and livelihoods have suffered as a result of this disaster.
They are in constant contact with their volunteer partners in the area and after consultation with them, Kerala Partnership has identified some key areas including the repair of houses before the second monsoon season, and providing grants for small agricultural projects to be re-started to enable families to get back on their feet and help themselves.
Mountain Kingdoms has already made a sizeable donation to Kerala Partnership which will enable one family’s home to be fully repaired. If you are interested in helping in a similar way, rest assured your donation, no matter how large or small, will go to directly helping those in need at this time. Donations can be made direct to the charity by visiting:
https://mydonate.bt.com/donation/v4/chooseAmount.html?charity=66927&sourcePage=charitySearchPage
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Take a look at the full trip details here or speak to Harry in the Mountain Kingdoms office who completed the Naar Phu Circuit Trek earlier this year and rates it as the best he's ever done.
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If you love a festival, but hate muddy fields, tent villages and rubbish food then it may be time to look beyond Glastonbury and Reading. In our latest enews we reveal alternative festivals in the Himalaya and Mongolia that offer amazing music, unusual sports and unique cultural experiences.
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