Kerala South India Tour

You’ll arrive in Cochin (Kochi) and be met at the airport, where you’ll be transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day can be enjoyed at your own pace. Relax in your deluxe suite at the Crown Plaza Hotel or venture out into Cochin to explore the city. You may like to begin your adventure in Indian style, sampling some of the region’s classic - and delightful - Keralan fish curry.

Your Kerala tour begins with a discovery of Cochin’s most fascinating and iconic landmarks, providing insights into the city’s rich and varied history. The buildings found in Cochin have impressions of Portuguese, British and Dutch architectural styles - the result of its commercial importance and experiences of colonialism.

You’ll visit the white-washed walls of the crumbling Dutch Palace, Mattancherry; the gilded-interiors of the Jewish Synagogue; the impressive Santa Cruz Basilica-Cathedral; and the St. Francis Church - one of India’s oldest European churches. Perched along the coastline, contemplate Cochin’s iconic Chinese Fishing Nets, introduced by Chinese traders in the 14th century and still in use today. The tour ends in Fort Kochi, home to a spread of Dutch and Portuguese buildings, some over 500 years old. Spend the evening enjoying traditional Keralan entertainment, watching a spectacular Kathalaki Dance - with elaborate costumes, local folk tales and energetic drummers, dancers and musicians.

After breakfast, the tour leaves Cochin, driving to the rolling hills and stretching spice gardens of Munnar. Your resort in Munnar will be the luxury Fragrant Nature Hotel. Savour views of mist-cloaked mountains, breathe in the fresh mountain air and indulge in an Ayurvedic massage at the elegant spa. You may even spend the evening in your suite in front of a blazing fire.

Munnar is Kerala’s verdant hill station, a landscape of rippling tea plantations and purple mountain ridges - green and glorious. This region is South India’s largest tea-growing area, and here you’ll learn all about how these tea plantations have flourished over the years and the different uses of the tea plants. Tea-lovers will be delighted by a trip to the Tea Museum, which models a working tea factory and has a collection of fascinating relics from the British era - including old photographs and machinery.

South India is known for its abundance of wildlife sanctuaries and exotic creatures - particularly up in the reaches of the Western Ghats - and Periyar is where you’ll experience this first-hand. The Kerala tour departs Munnar after breakfast and the drive - where breathtaking scenery unfolds in every direction - transports you to Periyar, in the hills near Thekkady. This lush region is home to a wide array of protected wildlife, unique flora and fauna and endless chains of spice-scented plantations. Spend the rest of the day at leisure in the gorgeous settings of the boutique Spice Village Hotel, a sanctuary in the midst of tropical forest.

Today brings jungle adventures and the chance to spot some of nature’s most mesmerising creatures. Wandering a spice plantation, you’ll learn about the myriad varieties of spices growing in this region - including cardamom, clove, ginger, vanilla and coffee - and the various uses of the healing plants. 95% of the pepper in India is grown in Periyar.

The afternoon takes you deep into Periyar’s wildlife sanctuary on a jungle hike. One of India’s most well-known sanctuaries, follow the trails through dense jungle, discovering the colourful flora and fauna and appreciating the rich biodiversity of the region. Luck providing, you’ll spot herds of wild elephants and lumbering bisons bathing in Periyar Lake, circled overhead by flocks of exotic birds. Periyar was declared India’s first tiger reserve in 1934 and majestic tigers, wild boars and langur monkeys all call this area home.

The next adventure on your incredible Kerala itinerary is in Alleppey - a night aboard a traditional Keralan houseboat. Following the drive from Periyar, you’ll embark, settle in and spend the rest of the day soaking in the wonderful scenes of Kerala’s famous backwaters. The houseboat will cruise the intricate network of canals and streams, tropical wonder and palm-fringed beauty greeting you at every turn. Lounge on the deck, enjoy hot chai and snacks and bask in an unparalleled sunset. Your houseboat provides every comfort of the modern world, with air-conditioned rooms, comfortable beds and delicious on-board meals.

Bidding farewell to the houseboat, your morning will be spent moored up in Kumarakom, nestled on the banks of Vembanad Lake. This is a bird-lovers utopia, with countless local and migratory birds dancing among the forest canopy. Vembanad Lake is a twisting web of channels, streams and distributaries, fringed by stretching palms and coconut groves. In Kumarakom, you’ll be staying at the Coconut Lagoon, situated on the backwater canals and reached by a traditional wooden canoe. Greeted by incredibly picturesque settings, relax in a beautiful, wooden bungalow and dine amongst glittering paddy fields.

This day of your Kerala and South India tour can be spent however you like. Wander the tropical grounds of Coconut Lagoon and join bird-watching activities to learn about the local biodiversity. Sit by the lake with a book or take to the spa to indulge in an Ayurvedic massage or other herbal treatment. At dusk, you can join a lakeside yoga session, followed by a gourmet dinner at one of the restaurants. The perfect time to reflect on all of the incredible experiences of your Kerala tour, before you begin your journey home.

Your spectacular South India tour comes to an end! A transfer will take you to Cochin airport, where you’ll board your onward or return flight from Kerala. Alternatively, the journey can continue with an extended beach stay in the golden stretches of Kovalam or Mararikulam.