On this 10-night trip of Kerala you'll visit Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom and Alleppey.

A visit to Kochi would be incomplete without witnessing the mesmerising art form of the region – the Kathakali dance. Kathakali is a classical dance form which traces its origin to Kerala and is deeply absorbed into the culture of Kerala. This classical Indian dance performance tells stories of Hindu mythology, especially the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata through footwork and hand gestures.

Kochi is one of the best places to witness this heritage dance form. Kathakali artists wear elaborate, billowing costumes with intricately painted faces, flowing scarves, detailed decorations and magnificent crowns. This tour will give you the chance to see the artists applying their makeup before witnessing a performance of this traditional dance.

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To see the action of a Keralan fishing village involves an early start, but it’s well worth it. Leaving Kochi at around 6.00am you will be taken to the beach where you’ll see the fishing boats returning with their catch before witnessing the lively auctions. Afterwards, you’ll walk, cycle or take a tuk-tuk around the neighbourhood for a further insight into the local economy.

Starting at the beach, you’ll see as many as 300 people on the banks and around 50 boats going in and out to sea. The first catch comes in about 7am and if it’s a good day, the fishermen go back again and again until about three in the afternoon bringing with them several baskets at a time of sardines, mackerel and anchovies. You’ll also have a glimpse of the lively auctions.

After you’ll walk, cycle or take a tuk-tuk around the neighbourhood for a further insight into the local economy. You’ll see houses selling breakfast and ladies selling crushed ice for preserving the fish. You are then taken for lunch at a traditional family house near the backwaters. You’ll learn all about Indian weddings over banana curry using a family recipe which you won’t find anywhere else in Kerala. Next, visit the open-air village market also used as an important meeting place. In the early morning, after their tea, the men frequent the reading rooms where they read all the different newspapers and start debates about the world around them. There is also a homeopathic clinic and western medicine hospital which offer a huge range of medicine from modern to Ayurveda. To get back to the ferry it’s a beautiful ride through the paddy fields.

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Learn the secrets of Anglo-Indian cooking with a lesson from your host, Jeanette who loves to meet guests as she puts her heart and soul into her cooking. As a Portuguese descendant, the dishes served have a Portuguese touch fused with Keralan style. It’s a totally different way of cooking. Even the flavoured rice tastes different. The Portuguese make great use of pepper, cinnamon, cloves and spices, ingredients which are always incorporated into the dishes as it’s also very good for your health.

On a visit to the market, you will be introduced to the vendors and browse the fish, meat and all the spices (which they sell wholesale in bulk) before taking the ingredients home to cook. During the cooking demonstration, guests can get involved in cleaning the fish, always a popular ingredient on the menu, or grating the coconut. Sometimes it may be a coconut rice ball curry, which is an Anglo-Indian way of cooking. Even the desserts are Portuguese style, like caramel custard and payasam (sweetly spiced rice pudding). You may even get to try some homemade grape wine, ginger wine and sometimes homemade sweets.

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Rather than exploring Munnar in an air-conditioned vehicle, a unique way to get a real understanding of the region’s famous tea plantations is by tuk-tuk. Also known as an auto rickshaw, these tuk-tuks are a way of life in India.

There’s no need for air-conditioning, it’s just the sun on your face and the wind in your hair as you ride (and bump!) along the dazzling green tea bushes.

Travelling like a local, it’s a totally different experience for guests. Not only are tuk-tuks a fun mode of transport but they’re specifically used by the tea estates to traverse the narrow roads generally inaccessible to most other vehicles. You will start in Munnar town and head to one of the oldest and most beautiful tea estates. Your guide will show you how the workers harvest tea and introduce you to the local village.

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Visitors to Munnar are often unaware of its unique beauty. On this guided trek you will be shown the incredible scenery of the region. The Letchmi Hills trek is the closest trek to Munnar town and not only is it beautiful, but the route is flexible. You could add a visit to the tea museum or a trip to a tea plantation should you wish.

If you’re arriving after the 4-hour drive from Cochin, it’s the perfect way to get outdoors and stretch your legs while soaking up some wonderful views.

You will start in the tea gardens before moving into grassland and onto a ridge with rocky mountains on one side and tea plantations on the other with patches of tropical montaine forests scattered in between. Starting at 1,350 metres you’ll ascend to a high point of 1,950 metres. From the top you have 360-degree views of some of the highest peaks in the south of India, the undulating valleys and the spice gardens. On a clear day you could see up to thirty mountain ranges including Anaimudi, the highest peak in South India and the waters of Idukki Dam, India’s third highest. During your trek, you may encounter elephants, mongoose and the colourful bird life in this beautiful part of India. The trekking guides are all young and energetic and know the best spots for photographs.

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Thekkady is a special place and famous for its spices. You will start at a viewpoint for a lovely view of Thekkady’s town below. Those who can handle the rolling terrain can also do this by bicycle. Here, your guide will explain about the importance of the land.

You’re in the Western Ghats, one of the biodiversity hot spots of the world, packed with a huge number of different species, plants and birds. The government now employs natural fertilisers and traditional methods to cultivate the land rather than products such as pesticides. Descending into the village you will meet a couple who grow spices in the surrounds of their family home. The farmer will take you around the plantation to show you all the different plants and spices they grow such as coffee, jackfruit and black tamarind. You will be welcomed as a friend and may offer you some tapioca or home-made chocolate from their cocoa plantation.

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When people think of Alleppey, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the backwaters. This excursion however shows you that there’s so much more to this town than cruising in a rice barge. Alleppey, built originally as a planned port town, was once a busy trade hub. Now it’s in retirement mode with long roads, canals and a mix of Hindus, Christians and Muslims living harmoniously together. You will explore all of this on a two-hour walk with a guide who is part of the Preserve Alleppey Society, dedicated to protecting the culture and old buildings of the town.

You will walk through the faded architecture of the Gujarati quarter reminiscent of the spice trade, whose communities arrived from the north of the country. You’ll also get to visit a coir factory where you’ll see first-hand how the locals use their hands and legs to weave the important fibre that’s turned into floor mats that are sold internationally. This tour will give you an insight as to how Alleppey is changing and how important it is for the local community to try and preserve as many of the original buildings.

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