Day 1 & 2Upon arriving at Cochin International Airport, transfer to Fort Cochin, an important trading port on the ancient Spice route. Stay two nights at the Malabar House, an exquisite boutique hotel housed in an 18C refurbished colonial mansion. Taste sumptuous fusion cuisine at Malabar Junction – the hotel’s renowned alfresco restaurant serving a blend of Mediterranean and traditional Keralan food. The Divine wine lounge and Tapas bar offers a range of fine wines including Indian wines. Experience the fascinating sites and sounds of Fort Cochin. Visit the Mattancherry Palace, once occupied by the local Verma Kings and now a museum that tells of their lifestyle. Verma Kings of Malabar were reputed to be tolerant and lived side by side with those of other faiths including the Jewish and Syrian Christians that arrived on this coast in the 15th century. Explore Jewish Town with its narrow cobbled stone walkways where wayside shops overflow with antiques and silk shawls; the 16C synagogue with intricate chandeliers and porcelain tiled floors; the Santa Cruz Basilica; the Dutch Palace and St Francis Church. Stroll down to the Vasco da Gama square, a narrow promenade that parallels the beach where huge Chinese fishing nets are tended by fisherman. These large ancient contraptions are built out of teak wood and bamboo poles, almost in the shape of a preying-mantis and dates back to the 14C. Traditional Kathakali and Bharathanatyam dance performances are held at the Greenix Village down Kalvathy Road. Go early and catch the intriguing ritual of the Kathakali dancers putting on their make-up before their performance.

Day 3, 4 & 5Today you travel east to the tea-covered hills of Munnar and the lush green forests of the Western Ghats. Check into Windermere Estate ,set amidst a 60-acre cardamom and tea plantation. Relax and unwind at this family run holiday retreat. Dine at the Barn – a wonderful country-style restaurant built with solid timber and serving Keralan cuisine and continental dishes prepared to traditional recipes. The hill station of Munnar is situated 1600m above sea level and was once the summer resort of the British during the colonial period. Sprawling tea plantations, gushing waterfalls and untouched wilderness with exotic flora and fauna, makes this an stimulating holiday destination. Munnar is surrounded by rows of jagged peaks, including the highest peak in South India - Anamudi, which stands at 2695m. With spectacular scenery, reservoirs, and tea covered hills, Munnar is perfect for trekking, mountain climbing, bird watching, boating, trout fishing, and cycling.

Day 6 & 7Leave Munnar and head south to Carmelia Haven, a spice plantation holiday resort situated 4,000 ft above sea level in the village of Vandamedu on the Western Ghats. The lush green countryside of Vandamedu is the world’s largest producer of cardamom. `Carmelia’, which is the botanical name for Cardamom, is as close as you can get to experiencing the aromatic spices of Kerala. Stay two nights here. Wake up to the exotic aroma of cardamom, cloves and nutmeg; enjoy tasty Kerala rice and curries and a cup of cardamom tea; go on a guided plantation tour which includes a visit to the Carmelia Haven tea factory and the cardamom smoke-house. Visit Kailasam, another property belonging to Carmelia, with its tea-laden hills and a serene lake. Bird watching is rewarding here with numerous species flitting about including nesting parrots and grey hornbills.

Day 8, 9 & 10Today you travel west to the backwaters of Kerala. Stay three nights at Philipkutty’s Farm located in Kumarakom, a peaceful island on the picturesque Vembanad Lake. This is a wonderful homestay experience that provides a true essence of Kerala’s backwaters. Prominent members of the local Syrian Christian community who once owned most of the property on this island, the Philipkutty family will welcome you into their beautiful lake side cottages, prepare home cooked meals and share their traditional way of life. Here, home cooked rice and curries according to traditional Syrian Christian recipes have an authentic flavour that is typical to this area of Kerala. Food is prepared with organic vegetables and spices from their estate and fresh seafood brought to the doorstep daily by the village fisherman. The family is every willing to share their traditional recipes with guests. Visit the 50 acre farm which is on reclaimed land from the Vembanad Lake is situated below the level of the lake. This working farm, practices sustainable and organic methods of farming and cultivates coconut, bananas, nutmeg, pepper, cocoa and vanilla. The farm canals are filled with jumbo prawns (scampi) and Peal Spot (Karimeen) fish which is prepared into a famous local dish cooked in a banana leaf. The family boat (a traditional Vallam) is always available to take guests on sunset cruises, boating along the backwaters, fishing, or across to the opposite bank to visit a rural village, local temples and churches. After an adventurous day, sit out on your private verandah and watch as life moves by ever so slowly in these quite backwaters.

Day 11Today you board a Kettuvalam house boat from Kumarakom and journey through Kuttanad country to Kovallam. The Backwaters of Kerala consisting of lagoons, lakes, canals and a network of 41 rivers meet at specific estuaries leading to the Arabian Sea. Over 900 kms of this massive water body can be explored by boat. Travel past lush green paddy fields and coconut groves, tranquil waters momentarily disturbed by cormorants and brahmini kites diving down in search of their catch, fisherman tending to their Chinese nets, and villages passing by in canoes filled with coir and vegetables. Stop enroute and explore rural villages, Hindu kovils and churches. At 6pm the houseboat will moor up and the staff will cook a sumptuous traditional feast. Dine on the helm under a starlit sky with the sound of crickets in the background. Sleep contentedly in your cabin overnight.

Day 12 & 13Head towards the south west coastal town of Kovalam and check into Travancore Heritage, one of Red Dot's favourite beach properties in Kerala offering traditional Kerala cuisine and comfortable accommodation in individual Kerala heritage cottages. The hotel also has an Ayurvedic restaurant that serves nutritious vegetarian meals that that is ideal for physical well being. Rejuvenate with a relaxing Ayurvedic massage at the hotel’s Anandam Ayurveda Centre. Enjoy traditional music and Bharathanatyam and Kathakali dance held regularly by the poolside. Several recreational activities are offered by the beachside especially during the season when the stretch of beach in front of the Beach Grove extends almost 7 kms. Visit the Napier Museum and the Sree Chithra Art Gallery in Trivandrum, Kerala’s capital city situated 15 kms away.