✨🆕 Garden of Malabar | Cheruthuruthi

An ethnobotanic immersion through Kerala’s living botanical legacy

Step back in time and immerse yourself in a remarkable journey that brings alive one of the world’s oldest and most extraordinary botanical legacies — the Hortus Malabaricus. This monumental 17th-century botanical treatise meticulously documented over 742 species of medicinal and native plants from the Malabar Coast of Kerala, and Karnataka, weaving a vivid tapestry of India’s rich ethnobotanical herbalism in curing ailments. Compiled through a groundbreaking collaboration between Dutch colonial governor Hendrik van Rheede and local healers including the eminent Ezhava physician Itty Achuden, it pioneered the synthesis of traditional knowledge and scientific inquiry, shaping early global understanding of tropical Asian flora.

Today, this legacy flourishes at Cheruthuruthi’s Hortus Malabaricus botanical garden, a serene 30-acre sanctuary dedicated to conserving and interpreting Kerala’s endemic plant species once featured in the treatise. The garden is a vibrant, sensory “living classroom” where visitors explore intertwined narratives of indigenous healing traditions, deeply rooted in Kerala’s culture. This immersive experience, co-curated by The Kochi Heritage Project and SciGenom Research Foundation (SGRF), invites guests on a scenic Vande Bharat train journey through Kerala’s wetlands to engage with this rich biodiversity, partake in traditional Ayurvedic cuisine, and learn hands-on wellness practices inspired by the timeless relationship between plants and people in the region.

More than a botanical tour, this curated day trip is an evocative story of human connection with nature, a celebration of sustainable living, and a window into the past that informs India’s present ecological and cultural identity. Aligned with global sustainability goals, it champions low-carbon travel, regenerative tourism, and knowledge exchange, fostering a deeper appreciation for India’s botanical heritage and its enduring role in health, spirituality, and climate resilience.

Quick facts

📍 Cheruthuruthi
🕰️ ~ Day Experience

🗓️ Experience Times: 8:30 AM-7:30 PM
🧭 Focus: Ecology, Ayurveda, Storytelling, Slow-travel, Conservation, Food, Memory, Learning, Climate-conscious, Regenerative

💸 Price on request

✨ This experience is PRIVATE & EXCLUSIVE – perfect for families, groups, creatives, heritage enthusiasts, and anyone seeking a deeply personalized connection with the land and its stories.

🚆 Note: This experience is subject to the availability of Vande Bharat Express trains for travel to and from the destination. We'll confirm availability at the time of booking.

📩 This experience must be booked in advance. For inquiries, Contact Us via email or reach us on WhatsApp below.

Plan a Private Experience

The Experience

✪ Highlights

Scenic Vande Bharat train journey from Kochi to Shoranur, tracing Kerala’s rivers, paddy fields, and wetlands.
Guided plant walk through curated sectors of the 30-acre Hortus Malabaricus Garden, exploring medicinal, sacred, and food plants linked to the original text and from India's heritage.
Curated sit-down lunch with an expert-led “food as medicine” conversation.
Hands-on workshop suitable for adults and children.
Small-group, low-carbon experience co-hosted by The Kochi Heritage Project and Hortus Malabaricus, designed as a natural extension to Kochi’s heritage walks.

✪ Impacts of this tour

Promotes conservation of Kerala’s medicinal and native plant species as a living bio-bank.
Revives and celebrates indigenous botanical knowledge and traditional Ayurvedic wisdom.
Fosters environmental awareness through immersive engagement with biodiversity and sacred groves.
Supports regenerative tourism by encouraging low-carbon travel and small-group, community-led experiences.
Advances education by linking historical botanical scholarship with hands-on, sensory learning.
Strengthens local livelihoods through collaboration with ethnobotanists, Ayurvedic practitioners, and local guides.
Encourages mindful, sustainable consumption through plant-based meals and herbal workshops.
Contributes to preserving regional ecological balance and endangered plant species of the Western Ghats.
Aligns with multiple UN SDGs, including good health, quality education, climate action, and life on land.
Offers a unique cultural heritage experience that reconnects visitors with India’s living natural history.

✪ What's included

Return AC train travel Kochi–Shoranur (Vande Bharat, Normal or Tatkal as applicable).
Local transfers between Shoranur station and Hortus Malabaricus (rickshaw / car as per group size).
TKHP storyteller plus Hortus naturalist-led guided garden walk through 2–3 thematic sectors.
Welcome drink, curated lunch, and evening tea with snacks at the garden.
Workshop / hands-on session (e.g., herbal oil blending/ plant-printing) with practitioner or ethnobotanist.
Coordination, bookings, and on-ground logistics by TKHP & Hortus Malabaricus.

✪ What's excluded

Hotel pickups and drops.
Sightseeing points that fall outside of the curated route.
We do not provide umbrellas, raincoats, hats/caps or face-masks.
Personal expenses (additional snacks, shopping, souvenirs from the garden or resort shop).
Travel to and from Ernakulam Town station from your home / hotel.
Travel insurance, medical expenses, or emergency costs.
Any add-on activities or overnight cottage stays at Hortus Malabaricus, unless pre-booked as a separate package.

✪ Traveller Tips

Wear light, breathable clothing and comfortable walking shoes suitable for uneven garden paths and warm weather.
Carry a hat, sun protection, insect repellent, and a refillable water bottle; the garden experience is largely outdoors.
Recommended for ages 7+; younger children are welcome but should be supervised during walks and workshops.
This is a slow, immersive day: come prepared to walk gently, listen to stories, and be mostly offline.
Please inform us in advance of dietary restrictions, mobility needs, or health conditions so the team can adapt routes and meals.

✪ Mandates

This is an outdoor garden experience.
Photography is permitted. If you are a researcher, guide, a travel writer, or a blogger, kindly request consent from the Organizer before the tour.
You will be served refreshments / meals (if applicable) in places that follow hygiene and sanitary guidelines approved by The Kochi Heritage Project.
Advance pre-booking required; limited slots per departure to maintain a small-group experience.
Valid government ID required for train travel; guests must arrive at Ernakulam Town station at least 30 minutes before departure.
Children: below 5 years complimentary (no separate seat/meal); 5–12 years charged at 65% of adult rate; 13+ years at full adult fare (as per TKHP child policy).
Experience is subject to final train schedules and garden operational timings; in case of disruptions, equivalent alternatives will be provided where possible.
Please inform us in advance of any allergies, respiratory sensitivities, or skin conditions, especially related to pollen, plants, or herbal products, so we can take necessary precautions and adapt the experience accordingly. Participation involves exposure to medicinal plants, herbs, and outdoor garden environments.

✪ Cancellation & Refund Policy

Cancellation of a tour or experience due to circumstances beyond the control of The Kochi Heritage Project including but not limited to an act of God, riots, war, strikes, civil unrest, terrorism, governmental regulations, floods, earthquakes, fire, extreme weather and other natural disasters, shall be made at The Kochi Heritage Project's sole discretion without notice. Actual costs incurred on special arrangements made for the tour (if any), including cancellation charges on vehicles booked shall be deducted.
Tour can be cancelled up to 7 days before their start for a full refund. Tour cancellation made between 7 to 3 days of the tour incur a 50% cancellation fee and within 3 days of the tour date incur a 100% cancellation fee, though they can be rescheduled for no additional fees.
No refunds will be issued in case an attendee/attendees fail to turn up for the tour.
All of our tours are rain or shine, and will only be cancelled due to extreme weather conditions. If a guest chooses to cancel a tour due to weather, the above policy stands.
Cancellation of a tour or experience due to circumstances beyond the control of The Kochi Heritage Project including but not limited to an act of God, riots, war, strikes, civil unrest, terrorism, governmental regulations, floods, earthquakes, fire, extreme weather and other natural disasters, shall be made at The Kochi Heritage Project's sole discretion without notice. Actual costs incurred on special arrangements made for the tour (if any), including cancellation charges on vehicles booked shall be deducted.
The Kochi Heritage Project shall at its discretion be entitled to cancel any tour on a full refund of the fees to the guest for any reason that the company may deem fit with or without prior notice to the guest.
Payment of refund shall be made within 15 days of walk cancellation. (subject to the above cancellation policy)

✨🆕 Garden of Malabar | Cheruthuruthi

An ethnobotanic immersion through Kerala’s living botanical legacy

Quick facts

The Experience

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