CAPTIVATING KERALA

After being collected from Kochi airport and transferred to your hotel, you’ll have some time to freshen up and, if you fancy, have a nose around the neighbourhood of Fort Kochi. The colonial heart of the city, this is where the British, the Portuguese and the Dutch first put down roots in India – leaving behind churches, plazas and palaces to explore. Come evening, you’ll meet up with the rest of the group for a sunset cruise in Kochi’s fishing harbour – an evocative ice-breaker.

Today is all about getting a taste of Fort Kochi – both figuratively and literally. You’ll start by meeting up with our Local Insider, who’ll lead you on a history-filled tour of this colonial district, stopping in at sites such as St Francis Church and the Portuguese-built Mattancherry Palace. You’ll have some free time to yourself this afternoon to work up an appetite for the culinary evening ahead – a Keralan cooking class, followed by a dinner of local dishes.

Sit back, relax, and take in the scenery, as you’re driven from Kochi up into the Cardamom-growing highlands that surround the hill station of Munnar – your base for the next three nights. The rest of the day is yours to spend however you like – take a dip in the hotel’s infinity pool, book a yoga session with the onsite practitioner, or chill at the resort’s artisan coffee shop.

Lace up your walking boots: today you’re hitting one of Munnar’s most beautiful hiking routes, the Top Valley trek. But first, you’ll need to get there – via a scenic drive that offers a good chance of spotting wild elephants along the way. The trek itself passes through stretches of aromatic shola forest, a sprawling tea plantation and the picturesque Yellapetty village, where cows roam the streets. You’ll finish with an ascent to Top Station, which rewards with panoramic views of the cloud-blanketed Western Ghats.

Fuel up at breakfast this morning, as you’re back on the mountain trails today – walking the Lakshmi Hills trek. This walk starts at 1,450m (4,757ft) above sea level and then continues to ascend, until you’re walking along a mountain ridge overlooking the crumpled green quilt of fields and forest spread out below you. On a clear day you can see the highest peak in southern India, Anamudi. You’ll pause for a picnic lunch before pushing to the finish through wooded coffee and cardamom plantations.

Today you’ll leave the Cardamom Hills behind for the calm tropical backwaters of Kumarakom. If your legs are a little weary from the last couple of days of walking, you’ll be pleased to know you’ll be spending the next three nights at a hotel that specialises in Ayurvedic spa treatments. Days one and two are set aside for you to rest, recharge and pamper yourself, while on day three you’ll be taken to visit Kumarakom’s Responsible Tourism initiative. Here you’ll have the chance to learn about, get hands-on with, traditional crafts and customs – such as net fishing, coir weaving and coconut palm climbing.

Today’s your last in Kerala, as later this afternoon you’ll be picked up and whisked to the airport. But first, there’s one last treat in store: a morning cruise on Kumarakom’s calm backwaters, where you’ll drift past rural villages and fishermen casting their nets while tucking into a traditional Keralan lunch. We think you’ll agree that it’s a serenely fitting end to this whirlwind adventure.