Tamil Nadu & Kerala
Spice, Temples & Backwaters
“Chennai to Kochi, through the temples and the tea”
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 diaspora Tamil and Malayali communities have heard about but never quite reached.
Trip trajectory & transit passages
Chennai
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
Paid in the UK, in pounds
We’re a small UK-based team. When you book, you pay us directly in pounds, so there’s no overseas transfer to arrange and no separate agent to chase.
Change it, right up until you fly
This is a bespoke trip, built around you. Swap a city, shift your dates, change the service tier, for as long as you haven’t boarded your flight to India. Customisation is available throughout, not just at checkout.
A person replies, within one to two days
Every inquiry reaches a member of the team directly, with a reply on dates and pricing within one to two days, by whichever contact method you prefer.
Every inquiry becomes a dossier
We don’t just email back a price. The team turns your inquiry into a personal dossier, with a personal touch: confirmed dates, your chosen module swaps, and the exact land price, sent within one to two days.
Ready to make this yours?
Tell us when, how many of you, and any swaps you have in mind. Someone from the team replies within one to two days, and none of this is locked in early, so keep changing your mind until you fly.
Not sure this is the one?
Five questions, no typing required. We'll match you to one of the eight routes: this one, or another.
Getting there
Join, leave, and everything in between.
Join
Chennai (MAA)
Chennai International Airport
Private transfer from the airport, roughly 30 to 45 minutes into the city.
Leave
Kochi (COK)
Cochin International Airport
Private transfer from the airport, roughly 30 to 45 minutes.
Primary hub: Chennai (MAA)
Fly into Chennai to join the journey, and depart from Kochi at the end: the route moves south down the coast, so entry and exit airports are different by design.
You can arrive early or extend your stay in Kerala afterwards. Rooetd does not require your international flights to match our itinerary exactly.
Heritage connection
The South trip ends in Kerala, which for a lot of diaspora 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 heritagePlan a trip rooted in this heritage →
The South trip will feel different for you than it does for most visitors: in 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 heritagePlan a trip rooted in this heritage →
5 real trips through Spice, Temples & Backwaters, not stock footage
Not staged for us. Real people's real trips, on camera: food, heritage sites, and the everyday texture of the route.
We Went to Kerala Backwaters – and Got Jealous of People Living Here
Nicole and Roberto
Meenakshi Temple of Madurai: Frank & Jen Travel India 25
Fplus J
Traditional Chettinad Food Tour at CGH Earth Visalam Chettinad Mansion, Karaikudi
Tech Travel Eat by Sujith Bhakthan
Walking Tour Of White Town And Promenade Beach Of Pondicherry
Mithi’s Vibes
Kathakali Dance
TravelPals