South India
Spice, Temples & Backwaters
Chennai to Kochi, through the temples and the tea
Chennai to Pondicherry to Madurai to Munnar to Alleppey to Kochi
Chennai to Kochi via the most extraordinary temples on earth, through the cardamom scented Western Ghats, and onto the still backwaters of Kerala at dawn. The south is the India that most British Tamil and Malayali communities have heard about but never quite reached.
Key experiences
Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai
Fourteen towers covered in thousands of painted deities, one of the most architecturally overwhelming structures on earth. The evening puja, with its deep chanting and oil lamps echoing through granite corridors, deserves a full evening.
Filter coffee in Chennai at 7am
Rich, frothed chicory coffee pulled from brass tumblers at sunrise in Mylapore. It sounds small. It is structural to South Indian morning ritual.
Pondicherry's French Quarter
Genuinely colonial French, not staged for tourists. Pastel boulevards, the best espresso in India, and cafes blending French patisserie with Tamil spice.
Munnar's tea estates at dawn
High altitude tea plantations as the early mist lifts over endless emerald terraces, before the tour groups arrive.
An overnight Kerala houseboat on the Alleppey backwaters
The stillness here is total, the one day on the whole trip with nothing to see on purpose. Meals are prepared aboard as the boat drifts past palm groves and waking river villages.
Fort Kochi
Dutch, Portuguese, British and Indian history in three walkable blocks along the old spice harbour.
Chettinad cuisine in its home region
A seventeen course meal in a 19th century teakwood mansion. One of the most complex and spiced regional cuisines in India, served where it actually comes from.
Route and itinerary
18 to 21 days across 6 stops
- Days 1 to 2
Chennai
✈Arrive at Chennai (MAA)
Arrival and a welcome dinner, then a morning at Kapaleeshwarar Temple and Fort St George, timed around the 7am filter coffee ritual, before an afternoon at Marina Beach.
Insider tip: This is the India most British Tamil families have heard about secondhand. Today it stops being secondhand.
- Days 3 to 4
Pondicherry
🚗Coromandel coastal highway, about 3 hours
A full day in the French Quarter, Rue Romain Rolland, colonial era mansions and excellent espresso, with an evening sunset walk along the promenade sea wall.
Insider tip: The one stretch of the trip that is genuinely French colonial, not British.
- Days 5 to 7
Madurai
🚗Drive to the Tamil heartlands, 5 to 6 hours
A full evening dedicated to the Meenakshi Amman Temple, plus a free day for the local market or an optional visit to Thiruparankundram temple.
Insider tip: For Tamil heritage guests, this is the temple your grandparents would have known. Not a photo of it, the actual stone.
- Days 8 to 10
Munnar
🚗Western Ghats mountain pass, 5 to 6 winding hours
An early start for the tea estates at dawn before the tour groups arrive, a plantation walk and leaf picking museum, then a free day on the estate grounds.
Insider tip: Temperatures drop in the hills. Keep a sweater handy.
- Days 11 to 12
Alleppey
⛵Drive to Alleppey, about 4 hours, then houseboat embarkation
Afternoon embarkation onto the Kerala houseboat, then a full day and night drifting the backwaters with no schedule beyond the water itself.
Insider tip: The stillness here is total, the one day on the whole trip with nothing to see on purpose.
- Days 13 to 18
Kochi
🚗Short drive to Fort Kochi, about 1.5 to 2 hours
Fort Kochi's Dutch, Portuguese, British and Indian history in three walkable blocks, Chettinad cuisine in its adjacent home region, Jew Town and Mattancherry Palace, and the Chinese fishing nets at sunset, before departure via Kochi International (COK).
Insider tip: Fort Kochi's spice shops sell fresh green cardamom straight from the plantations. Pack it in checked luggage.
Gastronomy
- Traditional mud pot filter coffee
- Chettinad banana leaf feast
- Keralan karimeen pollichathu, fish steamed in banana leaf
- Fresh toddy shop coconut curry
Craft and making
- Kanchipuram handloom silk
- Thanjavur bronze sculpture casting
- Swamimalai sacred metalwork
- Coir and bamboo weaving from Alleppey
Seasonal weather and timing
When to go
Best months: October to March, for comfortable temperatures and lush post monsoon greenery
Sunny, dry and breezy. Ideal for Chettinad mansions and Kerala houseboat cruises.
Pongal and the Margazhi music season in Chennai
Warm, sunny days with sea breezes. Dry weather ideal for the temple towns.
Maha Shivaratri
Warm sunshine with quiet backwater channels and evening spice market walks.
Village artisan markets
Warm days. Early morning and twilight temple visits offer a quieter atmosphere.
Chithirai festival in Madurai
Warm coastal weather with pre monsoon breezes, a good time for the Munnar hills.
Thrissur Pooram
The southwest monsoon arrives in Kerala. Lush coconut groves and the prime Ayurvedic season.
Ayurvedic rejuvenation season
Intermittent heavy showers, mist over the tea plantations, dramatic backwater light.
Champakulam boat race
Festive spirit returns as the rains subside. Floral carpets and the grand snake boat races.
Onam and the Nehru Trophy boat race
Returning sunshine, emerald countryside, tranquil water.
Navratri temple dance festivals
Pleasant temperatures, the odd refreshing shower, clear evenings.
Deepavali
Comfortable humidity, cool sea breezes, ideal for the Madurai and Chettinad food trails.
Karthigai Deepam
Cool mornings, dry sunny days, festive year end mood in Fort Kochi.
Cochin Carnival
Pricing and module swaps
Pick a tier, try a swap, see the total.
Budget and Premium follow the same route. The difference is accommodation quality and service level. The temples, backwaters, desert and mountains are the same either way. Land-only, per person, based on a shared double or twin room.
Prices are indicative and land only. Accommodation is confirmed within 48 hours of enquiry.
Heritage connection
The South trip ends in Kerala, which for a lot of British Malayalis is the first time they've seen where their parents or grandparents actually came from, rather than just heard about it. The backwaters in particular are often more emotional than people expect.More on Malayali heritage
The South trip will feel different for you than it does for most visitors. Madurai especially, if your family has any connection to the temple culture of Tamil Nadu, being in the Meenakshi Temple at evening puja is not abstract history. It's the thing your grandparents' lives were organised around.More on Tamil heritage
Good to know
This is the longest of the trips and covers the most ground. Kerala's weather is good October to March. Tamil Nadu can be very hot April to June. The Munnar roads are winding, worth it, but worth knowing. Chettinad and Kerala cuisines are both intensely spiced, worth flagging in advance if spice tolerance is low. Most houseboats have no wifi by design.
- All ground transport between cities
- Accommodation per selected tier
- Daily breakfast
- Guided cultural experiences as listed in the itinerary
- The Alleppey houseboat night, with meals included aboard
- Entry fees for all listed sites
- A dedicated English speaking guide
- International flights
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol
- Personal expenses and tips