South Indian food tour, Kerala
| country: | India |
| location: | Kerala |
| departures: | This trip can be tailormade at a time to suit you and adapted to suit your budget and requirements. We can mix and match according to the dates, length of stay and places you would like to visit |
| price: | From £2472 per couple (14 days) excluding flights, depending on season. Optional extension to Coorg at extra cost. We can help arrange flights from the UK. There is a small additional charge to Climate Care to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. |
read 1 travellers review
the amazing things you'll be doing
South Indian cooking (Keralan Islamic, Syrian Christian, Hindu and Coorg), feasting, fruit and spice markets.
Forest gardens, train journey, organic farming, temples, homestays, the sea, rice-barge houseboat.
Cycling, ayurvedic massage, river islands; coffee plantation and more…
Forest gardens, train journey, organic farming, temples, homestays, the sea, rice-barge houseboat.
Cycling, ayurvedic massage, river islands; coffee plantation and more…
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1-2: | Kochi. Set on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, Kochi is a city of cultural diversity - winding streets, shady trees, Kathakali dance, modern Indian art, 500-year old Portuguese houses, mosques, a tiny Jewish community with ancient roots - and ferry boats scuttling backwards and forwards. Once you are settled into your hotel, we can take you on our backstreet tour of the city by foot and three-wheelers, visiting the spice market, the fishing habour and, in the evening, the city's Kathakali dance show. On our second day, we can join have lunch – real seafood delicacies, at the home of Thomas’ friends, Sam & Anu Samuel. Overnight (2 nights): The Old Courtyard Hotel, Fort Cochin - 200 year old Portuguese building, centered on a cobblestone courtyard, fine food, and live classical Indian music in the evenings. |
| Day 3-5: | We’ll make our journey by train to Ayesha Manzil homestay, arriving by afternoon. The journey gives a truly 'insider's' view of the country as we travel past the backyards of homes - a mother feeding her children, clothes hung out on lines, goats grazing, boys playing cricket. Ayesha Manzil homestay was bought by the Moosas in 1900. The colonial bungalow combines elegance with luxury. The rooms are vast and filled with antique furniture, including large wooden beds, hand carved writing desks and reclining divans. You can take breakfast on the garden terrace overlooking the ocean and there's a cool, emerald-tiled pool for bathing. Faiza Mooza is internationally renowned for her Mopla cuisine - Keralan Islamic cooking. The food can be very hot and spicy and is completely different to other types of Indian food. You can begin your day here with an early morning trip to the fish market and spice merchant and end it with a wonderful feast. The surrounding area is beautiful with a long, almost deserted beach nearby where you can walk off the meals. In addition to eating and swimming, we can visit the huge cinnamon plantation (Asia's largest) founded nearly 150 years ago by the original owner of the house, Murdoch Brown; hire a bike and cycle along the coast; and watch the evening Theyyam dance rituals at Parasinikkadavu Muthappan Temple. (cooking demonstrations are available for an additional price). Overnight (3 nights): Ayesha Manzil homestay. |
| Day 6-8: | We will be met by the 100 year-old wooden canoe owned by Vinod and taken to his family homestay on Emerald Isle, an island of 400 homes on the Kerala backwaters. The life of the people who live here is centered on the backwaters - women pound their washing, families brush teeth, men linger at the local 'chai' shop, and canoes and ferry boats scurry by. Vinod's family is Syrian Christian. A quarter of the Christians in India come from Kerala - the majority (5 million) of whom are Syrian Christians. Their conversions took place around AD 46, and their church is Syrian Orthodox, though they have maintained many Hindu customs. Their culture and food is distinct. You can take it easy over the next few days - reading in the hammock, dangling your toes in the water, taking massages, trying out the local tea shop and - of course - eating. Or if you're feeling more active - you can take a motorboat to visit the fruit and vegetable market; go cycling through the necklace of villages of Kuttanad; take evening walks or go bird watching through the paddy fields and homesteads; and help with cooking in the family kitchens. Overnight (3 nights): Emerald Isle homestay - warm family hospitality, courtyard gardens, hammock and nearby chai shop. The rice, pepper, coconut are all from Vinod's family farm. A quick count on our fingers, and we estimate that a stay at Emerald Isle directly supports the livelihood of over 15 families. |
| Day 10-12: | We'll make our way to Arakkal homestay - just 300 meters from the sea. This is the home of Abi and Mini. Mini is a beautician and a wonderful cook – you can join her cooking. You can stroll along the beach (it's a public beach used by the local fishermen), go swimming, take an elephant ride (this is usually possible), going cycling, and have your hands and feet henna-ed. If you’d like to have traditional clothes made up for you, Abi can take you to Allepey to buy the materials and then get it measured and sewn up by the local tailor. Overnight (3 nights): Arakkal home stay. |
| Day 13-14: | We’ll make our way to Mundakkal Spice Plantation homestay, hidden amongst the trees on the farm of the Zacharias. The farm and forest gardens are managed using traditional organic farming methods. Plants and spices grown on the farm supply the vegetarian cuisine prepared for the homestay - coconut, pineapple, bananas, different types of yam, tapioca, spices such as pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla and other tropical fruit trees and medicinal herbs. As guests, we'll stay with the family. Here, in this predominantly farming village, you can also wander into the kitchen to learn a few recipes of Syrian Christian cooking. go birding (there are 80 species of birds nearby), take long walks in the countryside or go cycling. We can also take a quick tour of the local rubber processing facility that helps provide a living to small-scale rubber producers in the area. Overnight (2 nights): Mundakkal Spice Plantation homestay. |
| Day 15: | After a farewell meal, we'll take you to the airport for your journey home (a one and half hour trip from the farm). |
| Optional Extension | Coorg extension (taken after visit to Ayesha Manzil). We'll make our way north to Coorg (or Kodagu) - a forested expanse in South West Karnataka. Coorg is often called the Kashmir of Karnataka for its cool weather and natural beauty. This small district is home to 260,000 people and is known for its coffee and tea estates, and the distinct culture of the people - their language, temperament and lifestyles. Kodavas, the natives of Coorg, are of unknown origin, and are ethnically distinct from other Indian communities. Coorg has its own language known as "Kodava Tak" - a combination of Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. Traditional festivals are associated with either the agricultural or the military nature of its people. The Coorg wedding is perhaps the only Hindu wedding ceremony where alcohol, dancing and meat eating, especially pork, are a must. Coffee is found throughout Coorg, literally. Major towns appear as small pockets of life between the mountainous forests and coffee estates, connected by winding roads lined with hedgerows, flowering trees, and spices. The School Estate is the former home of Reverend Rictor, one of the early missionaries to Coorg during the Raj. The estate is now owned by the Aiyapas family, eminent coffee estate owners and golf aficionados. As you enter the premises you will be greeted by manicured hedges, poinsettias, coffee and pepper vines. While at School Estate you can try your hand at golf, go walking through the mountain trails, and learn the intricacies of Coorg cooking from Rani Aiyapa (the most popular Coorg dish is ‘Pandi curry’ made from pork, roasted spices and herb paste. A quick trip to Dubare elephant interaction camp (1 hour drive) is also possible. Overnight (3 nights): The stately mansion School Estate. |
travellers' tales
Overall, we would give the holiday four stars on your five star scale. The fact that we have not given it five is as much due to the fact that we have been lucky enough to have some splendid holidays in the past, as to the few minor problems there were on this one. (more)
how this holiday makes a difference
|
Our aim is to provide tours that give you the opportunity to spend time with local people, absorb yourself in their cultures, and visit their homes. Our tours support specific projects in India - homestays, conservation projects, community managed cooperatives - providing people with respect for their culture, and an income that helps support it.
|
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |
When you take a tour with us, around 60% of your money stays in India – supporting the social/environmental work of our partners and the projects they support. Hotels and homestays are owned by local people.