Day-by-day programme of this 10-day itinerary across Kerala and South India.
Day 1 â Arrival in Kochi
Landing in Kochi, in Kerala: a gentle, green India, scented with spices, far from the chaos of the north, where Portuguese, Dutch and Arab influences mingle.
- âïļ Kochi â Aeroporto Internazionale di Cochin (COK)
- ð Fort Kochi â Fort Kochi is a neighbourhood of unique colonial charm: quiet streets with Portuguese churches, Dutch houses, spice warehouses, cafes and art galleries, in the shade of huge trees. A trading crossroads for centuries, here Vasco da Gama and merchants from half the world landed. You stroll at sunset towards the seafront. It is a gentle, relaxing arrival, the opposite of the north. Tomorrow you discover the city's maritime face.
- ðĻ The Bungalow Heritage Homestay â Fort Kochi, Kochi
Day 2 â Kochi, crossroads of cultures
A day among the iconic Chinese fishing nets, the Jewish quarter, the Dutch palace and the Kathakali dance.
- ð Chinese Fishing Nets â The Chinese fishing nets are the symbol of Kochi: huge structures of wood and net, tall as houses, lowered into the water by a counterweight system introduced centuries ago by Chinese merchants. At dawn and dusk the fishermen work them in groups in an ancient ballet, and you can buy the freshly caught fish and have it cooked on the spot at a stall. A scene out of time. From here you head to the spice and Jewish quarter.
- ð Mattancherry - Jew Town â The Mattancherry quarter is a fragrant maze: 'Jew Town' with the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth (Paradesi Synagogue), the spice warehouses where the air smells of pepper, cardamom and ginger, the antique shops and the Dutch Palace, with its extraordinary murals depicting the Hindu epics. A concentrate of the thousand peoples who made Kerala. In the afternoon, the most famous dance-theatre of southern India.
- ðŊ Kerala Kathakali Centre â Kathakali is the traditional dance-theatre of Kerala: actors with elaborate make-up (faces painted green, monumental costumes) interpret mythological stories using only their eyes, facial expressions and hand gestures, to drums and chanting. Before the show you watch the long make-up ritual. It is hypnotic and unique. You dine on Kerala flavours. Tomorrow you climb into the tea mountains of Munnar.
Day 3 â The tea hills of Munnar
Up into the Western Ghats to Munnar, at 1,600 metres: a rolling sea of tea plantations, one of the loveliest views in India.
- ð Munnar â The climb to Munnar is already a spectacle: the road winds up among waterfalls, forests and the first carpets of tea. Munnar, at 1,600 metres in the Western Ghats, is set in an ocean of plantations: whole hills covered in tea bushes pruned into emerald-green waves, dotted with the women picking the leaves. The air is cool and fragrant. You settle in and enjoy the first sunset over the hills. Tomorrow you explore the plantations and viewpoints.
- ðĻ Tea Valley Resort â Tra le piantagioni, Munnar
Day 4 â Among plantations and mountains
A day among the tea plantations of Munnar, the tea museum and the viewpoints over the highest peaks of southern India.
- ðŊ Munnar Tea Museum â At the Munnar Tea Museum you learn the history of tea in Kerala, introduced by the British in the mid-19th century, and see how the leaves are processed, dried and graded, with a tasting at the end. Then you walk into the rows of the plantations, where the pickers work with sweeping gestures and the aromas fill the air. A total immersion in green. In the afternoon you climb to the panoramic viewpoints.
- ð Eravikulam National Park â Eravikulam National Park protects the high-altitude grasslands of the Western Ghats and the rare Nilgiri tahr, a very tame wild mountain goat. From here you overlook Anamudi, the highest peak in southern India (2,695 m), and in certain periods the Neelakurinji bloom, blue flowers that open once every twelve years. Spectacular views and pure air. You return to Munnar for your last evening among the hills; tomorrow you descend towards the spices of Thekkady.
Day 5 â Thekkady and the spices of Periyar
Transfer to Thekkady, among the spice plantations of the Ghats and the Periyar reserve, where the jungle descends to a lake.
- ðŊ Thekkady Spice Plantation â Thekkady is in the heart of the spice land: a guided visit to a plantation reveals how cardamom, black pepper (which here climbs the trees), vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and coffee grow, in a tropical garden that is a feast for the nose. You understand why Europeans and Arabs crossed the oceans for these spices. You can buy them very fresh. The most fragrant Kerala. Tomorrow the Periyar nature reserve.
- ðĻ Livinns Thekkady â Thekkady / Kumily
Day 6 â The Periyar reserve
A morning in the Periyar reserve, where the jungle descends to a lake home to elephants, then the transfer towards the backwaters.
- ðŊ Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary â The Periyar reserve is one of the loveliest protected areas in southern India: a lush forest around an artificial lake, where at dawn you take a boat cruise to spot herds of wild elephants coming down to drink, deer, wild boar, buffalo and a host of birds (and, with great luck, a tiger). Alternatively, a guided trek in the jungle with the rangers. Nature at its purest. Afterwards, you descend to the plain and the famous Kerala backwaters.
- ðĻ Mayflower Heritage Villa â Alappuzha (Alleppey)
Day 7 â The backwaters by houseboat
The signature experience of Kerala: an overnight cruise on a traditional houseboat, among canals, rice paddies and villages on the water.
- ðŊ Alleppey Backwaters â The Kerala backwaters are a labyrinthine network of lagoons, canals and lakes running parallel to the coast, and travelling them on a kettuvallam - the traditional houseboat of wood and palm leaves, once used for rice - is the most beloved experience in the south. You glide slowly among emerald rice paddies, palm groves, villages where people live on the water, churches and temples, while the crew cooks the freshest fish and curries on board. A slow rhythm, total peace. You sleep cradled by the water under a starry sky.
- ðĻ Lake Queen Houseboats â Houseboat, Backwaters del Kerala
Day 8 â To Varkala beach
Disembarking from the houseboat and transfer south to Varkala, where a spectacular red cliff overlooks the Arabian Sea.
- ð Varkala Cliff â Varkala is the most scenic beach in Kerala: a long cliff of red laterite drops sheer to the Arabian Sea, and along the top runs a pedestrian path full of cafes, seafood restaurants, little shops and yoga and ayurveda centres, overlooking the ocean. Below, a golden beach for swimming (with care for the currents) and watching the fishermen. Also considered a sacred place, it has springs and temples. The perfect spot to slow down at the end of the trip.
- ðĻ Clafouti Beach Resort â Varkala Cliff / North Cliff, Varkala
Day 9 â Relax and Ayurveda in Varkala
A day of pure relaxation on the coast: beach, an ayurvedic treatment, yoga and the sunset over the Arabian Sea.
- ðŊ Varkala Ayurveda â Kerala is the cradle of Ayurveda, the ancient Indian medicine: in Varkala there are serious centres where you can treat yourself to a massage with warm herbal oils (abhyanga), a purification treatment or a morning yoga session facing the ocean. It is the perfect way to ease the fatigue of the trip and find your balance. Between treatments, you relax on the beach. A day for body and spirit.
- ð―ïļ Varkala seafood â In the evening, a seafood dinner at one of the restaurants perched on the cliff: the day's catch (prawns, squid, kingfish, lobster) displayed on ice, chosen and grilled to order with Kerala spices, while the sun dips into the Arabian Sea. The coconut-milk fish curries are the speciality of the coast. A relaxed atmosphere, honest prices. Tomorrow the last stop: the capital Trivandrum and the return flight.
Day 10 â Trivandrum and departure
Last day: the capital of Kerala, Trivandrum, with its golden temple, before the return flight.
- ð Padmanabhaswamy Temple â Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), capital of Kerala, holds the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, one of the richest and most venerated in India: dedicated to Vishnu reclining on the cosmic serpent, it has a richly carved gopuram tower and was found to hold fabulous treasures in its vaults. Entry to the inner sanctum is reserved for Hindus and with a strict dress code, but the exterior and the atmosphere are worth the visit. A last plunge into spiritual India before leaving.
- âïļ Trivandrum â Aeroporto Internazionale di Trivandrum (TRV)
