Day 1 & 2Arrive at Trivandrum International Airport where you will be met by a Red Dot representative and transferred to Poovar Island Resort, 32kms south of Trivandrum Airport. Surrounded by an estuary where the Poovar River meets the Arabian Sea, this resort is set on a quiet 25-acre coconut grove and is accessed via a 15-minute speedboat ride along the backwaters. Relax and unwind here for two nights after your long flight. Explore the resort’s gardens scattered with lush tropical vegetation which attracts numerous species of birds. Plenty of water birds can be spotted on the estuary.

Day 3Today you get on board a traditional Kettuvallum houseboat (reconverted rice barge) for an adventurous journey through Kuttanad country - a land of shimmering waterways, dense tropical greenery and age-old village livelihoods so vividly described in Arundhati Roy’s remarkable novel `The God of Small Things.’ The Backwaters of Kerala consist of lagoons, lakes, canals and a network of 41 rivers leading to the Arabian Sea. Over 900 kms of this massive water body can be explored by boat. Views change constantly: 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 6.00 pm 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 at night.

Day 4 & 5Travel onto Kumarakom - an island with mangrove forests, paddy fields and coconut groves surrounded by the scenic backwaters. Check into Waterscapes, a Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) eco-resort situated on the banks of the beautiful Vembanad Lake and adjoining the Kumarakom bird sanctuary. This bird sanctuary covers 14 acres and is home to numerous species of migratory and endemic bird species. Some of the migratory birds that can be spotted during the season from October to January include Caspian terns, cormorants and collared bush chats. From February to August local migratory birds start flying in including snake birds, Indian shags, and black ibis to name a few. Spend two nights here.

Day 6 & 7Leave the backwaters and head east to the spice-growing foothills of the Western Ghats, an area dubbed as Cardamom Hills after its most important crop – aromatic spices. Your destination is the picturesque Periyar National Park, the leading wildlife park in South India. Check into Lake Palace, a former Maharaja's holiday home situated on the peninsular of Periyar Lake edged by the jungles of Periyar National Park. The hotel is another Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) property and is reached by a 20-minute boat ride starting from the gates of Periyar. Elephants, bison, sambar, and deer are often seen from your window drinking water or bathing at the edge of the lake. Explore the Periyar National Park, one of the most popular in India and situated around a British-engineered reservoir designed to supply water to Kerela's dry neighbour, Tamil Nadu. The park was first declared a forest reserve by the Maharaja of Travencore over a century ago. Tigers are rarely seen here, but they can occasionally be heard hunting at night. Elephants are seen wading in the cool waters. Other animals include bison, sambar, barking deer, Malabar giant squirrel, gaur, wild boar as well as more than 300 species of birds and 100 species of butterfly. As an eco-tourism initiative, the Forest Department recruits villagers from the Mannan tribe to conduct nature walks for guests within the fringes of the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Guests can accompany a Mannan warden at night on his `Jungle Patrol’ or join him by day on a full-day `Border Hiking’ tour which takes you into the thick jungle on foot. The `Periyar Tiger Trail’ is a two-day adventurous trek for serious trekkers where armed guards take you into the thick of the jungle in search of the elusive Tiger. The best time to visit the sanctuary is from September to May when the dry season draws the park's animals out of the forest to the lake. There are several tribal villages within the Periyar Reserve that can be visited on your trek. These indigenous people, constantly challenged by the fast developing world, still carry on with their age old rituals, and livelihood of herding and bee-keeping. If time permits, visit a spice plantation in Thekkady where cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and vanilla is grown in abundance.

Day 8, 9 & 10Journey two hours north to the tea-covered hills of Munnar and the lush green forests of the Western Ghats. Check into Tall Trees, an eco-friendly holiday resort situated 1500m above sea-level a short drive from Munnar. Stay two nights here. Explore the 66 acre estate of Tall Trees home to numerous species of birds including thrushes, warblers, bulbuls, shrikes, woodpeckers, mynas, flycatchers; colourful butterflies and moths, as well as small mammals such as the Malabar giant squirrel, barking deer, sambar deer, and wild rabbits. Exotic flora ranging from wild flowers and orchids to spices is found in plenty within the estate. Explore the hill station of Munnar, once the summer resort of the British during the colonial period. Sprawling tea plantations, gushing waterfalls, untouched wilderness with exotic flora and fauna, make this an adventurous 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, birdwatching, boating, trout fishing, and cycling. Rich in bio-diversity, the surrounding forests are home to more than 300 species of birds, wild elephants and Sambar. Eravikulam National Park which is home to the famous Nilgiri Tahr - a rare species of mountain goat -- is worth a visit.

Day 11, 12 & 13From Munnar, travel west towards Cochin. At Thattekad, check in to Birds Lagoon, a peaceful eco-retreat perched at the edge of the Periyar River overlooking the Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary. Spread over six acres of lush green vegetation that attracts numerous species of exotic birds, Birds Lagoon is an ideal retreat for nature lovers. Visit the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary, on the northern bank of the Periyar River near Kothamanagalam in Ernakulam district. Thattekad is rich in birdlife and has over 270 species including the rare spot-bellied eagle owl, grey-headed bulbul, rusty-tailed flycatcher and mottled wood owl.