CARDAMOM & PEPPER

Your journey begins in Cochin, a unique port city on Kerala’s western coastline overlooking the Arabian Sea. A quick stroll along the waterfront offers immediate evidence of Cochin’s long history as a cultural melting pot, with the huge Chinese fishing nets rising above the water a legacy of visiting merchants from the Orient. Other places worth checking out include the Pardesi Synagogue, which features Belgian chandeliers and was rebuilt by the Dutch settlers in the 1600s, and the Portuguese-built St Francis Church, though to be the oldest European-built church in India. You’ll spend 3 nights at Fragrant Nature, a luxurious hotel acclaimed for the quality of its traditional Indian food; cooking classes are on offer with the hotel’s chef.

The next stop on your culinary journey is Thekkady, which you’ll reach via a 4-hour private transfer. As the jumping off point for the Periyar National Park, a sanctuary for wildlife including Bengal tigers, wild elephants, wild pigs and sloth bears, among many others, this is an area of great natural beauty. Your hotel, Aanavilasam, is not only brilliantly located for exploring Periyar, it’s also great for savouring delicious Keralan cuisine. Sitting on a working spice plantation, good use is made of the pepper and cardamom plants which surround you, and the restaurant has a commitment to the Slow Food ethos, of fresh, local ingredients and time and care taken over their preparation. At cooking classes, the chef will teach you how to rustle up delicious, authentic Keralan cuisine.

After two nights of cooking, eating and wildlife watching in Thekkady, you’ll be taken by private transfer (3.5hrs) to Vembanad Lake, the last stop on your south Indian adventure. One of the largest lakes in India, this serene place is the jumping-off point for exploration of Kerala’s famous backwaters and is located near the characterful canal town of Alleppey. You’ll spend the final three nights of your journey at Philipkutty’s Farm, a luxurious collection of waterfront villas on an island farm producing coconuts and bananas among other fruits and vegetables. Food at the hotel is a sumptuous, authentic affair, cooked by the owner’s mother-in-law. In keeping with Kerala’s history of cultural fusion, the cuisine is largely Syrian Christian, with specialities including karimeen, fish molee, duck roast and curry, and Kerala fish curry. Once again, a range of daily cookery classes are available, so you can take these delicious dishes home with you. After three nights on Vembanad Lake, your culinary adventure is at an end, and you’ll be taken by private transfer to Cochin for your flight home.