Discover Southern India and Kerala

After meeting at London Heathrow, we depart on our overnight flight to Bengaluru, travelling via Dubai.

Arriving in India, we transfer by coach to Mysuru for two nights. On arrival, there's time to settle in and unwind after our journey.

We enjoy a full-day's guided tour, exploring the cultural icons of Mysuru such as St Philomena's Church, a large neo-Gothic cathedral inspired by Cologne Cathedral in Germany, and Mysuru Palace, a beautiful and intricately decorated building that boasts Hindu, Muslim, Gothic and Rajput architectural influences. We continue to Srirangapatna, known for its temples and forts and as the site of a major battle between the British and Tipu Sultan, before pausing for lunch and making our way to the local market of Chamundi Hills. Our last visit is to the unique Bull Temple, which features a gigantic 16-foot granite statue of a bull.

We travel to Ooty by coach, where we stay for two nights. Your afternoon is free to start sightseeing, and the town's scenic setting amid the Blue Mountains, or 'Nilgiris', means you're surrounded by the sight of forested foothills and verdant, tiered tea plantations. Nicknamed the 'Queen of Hill Stations', Ooty is a picturesque paradise for nature lovers so why not make your way to one of the nearby lakes for a relaxing cruise or visit the local honey and bee museum?

Our first excursion of the day is to Ooty's popular botanical gardens, home to vibrant displays of over 650 different types of flora planted in typical English-style terraced beds. Alongside beautiful native flowers, there are a number of water features and sculptures to admire. Continuing to Doddabetta Peak, the highest peak in the Nilgiris, we enjoy panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and reserve forests before stopping for lunch at a local restaurant and making a visit to St Stephen's Church, known for its colourful depiction of 'The Last Supper'.

Taking the local toy train to Conoor, we enjoy a tour of this enchanting town before visiting a local tea factory. Across the Nilgiris, isolated colonial mansions dot hillside tea plantations, a reminder of the region's main industry. This mountainous area has been producing tea for more than 100 years, in particular a variety known for its distinctively dark colour and strong aroma. We sit down to lunch at a local restaurant before boarding the UNESCO-listed Nilgiri Mountain Railway, one of the world's steepest operational rack-and pinion railways. The steam-hauled service takes us through forest-covered hills to Mettupalayam, where we board a coach to Coimbatore for an overnight stay

Following a free morning, we catch the train to the captivating city of Kochi for two nights. 

Sometimes known as the 'Queen of the Arabian Sea', Kochi is a fascinating destination to experience, and our tour today includes the St Francis Church in Fort Kochi. One of the earliest European churches, this is where Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, was originally buried before his body was carried back to Lisbon. We also visit the Dutch Palace - built by the Portuguese in 1555 then renovated and extended by the Dutch in 1663 - and get an insight into the daily life of local people at the Dhobi Khana, a sprawling open-air laundry where hundreds of clothes are washed every day and hung out to dry. In the evening, we're treated to a Kathakali dance performance. Kathakali is the traditional dance-drama of Kerala and combines bright colourful costumes and ornate headdresses with ritualistic dance movement, all set to a soundtrack of traditional music played by local musicians.

We enjoy a guided tour of the Jewish Synagogue this morning, home to an array of treasures including The Great Scrolls of the Old Testament, before transferring to Alleppey. Here, we board a houseboat, or kettuvallam, for a scenic cruise through Kerala's naturally idyllic backwaters. Constructed using traditional materials, these incredible boats were once used to shuttle goods, including exotic spices and rice, between Cochin and Kuttanad, and could carry up to 30 tonnes of cargo. We begin at Vembanad Lake, the longest lake in India, gliding serenely through a bewildering maze of canals and channels. We disembark at Kumarakom for an overnight stay.

We transfer to Thekkady for two nights, enjoying a relaxed afternoon to settle in on arrival.

Today's excursion takes us to an aromatic spice plantation, where we enjoy a guided walking tour that helps us uncover the secrets of Southern India's flavoursome spices. A destination that's grown and exported some of the world's most popular and fragrant spices, such as ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon and clove, we learn about how each one is cultivated and cared for, enjoying the opportunity to stock up on some authentic seasonings for our spice cupboards back home. In the afternoon, we head to Lake Periyar, a stunning body of water set in a large wildlife sanctuary, for a cruise across its peaceful waters.

Travelling to Madurai for two nights, we visit a nearby village inhabited by artisans who specialise in sculpting aesthetic idols and puppets out of clay. During our time here, we get to see age-old crafting methods in action and enjoy the chance to purchase some treasured mementos.

We take a guided tour of Madurai that includes the impressive 17th-century Thirumalai Nayak Palace and the Gandhi Memorial Museum. A frenetic yet ancient city located on the Vaigai River within the state of Tamil Nadu, Madurai's skyline is dominated by 14 colourful gopurams, or gateway towers, of the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Covered in bright carvings of Hindu gods, this Dravidian-style temple has been a major pilgrimage site for centuries. Afterwards, we make our way to the Meenakshi Temple to watch the 'puja', a traditional Hindu ritual of offering prayers. Each day the priests symbolically bathe, dress and feed an idol of God Shiva, and we get to see the final puja of the day as Shiva is put to bed alongside his wife, Goddess Meenakshi, to whom the temple is dedicated.

We take an internal flight to Chennai for the night, a city once known as Madras and a metropolis within the Bay of Bengal. An important port during the colonial era, Chennai's architecture and culture bear pronounced Portuguese, Dutch, French and British influences, while also being rooted in more local aesthetics. We explore the San Thome Cathedral Basilica, built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple, and the Madras War Cemetery on Marina Beach. We also pay a visit to the city's flower market in George Town, soaking up a myriad of colours and fragrances.

There's an optional excursion this morning to Mamallapuram, known for its UNESCO-listed temples and monuments built by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. The seafront Shore Temple consists of three ornate granite shrines, while Krishna's Butter Ball is a massive boulder balanced on a small hill near the Ganesha Ratha stone temple. Otherwise, enjoy a free day before we transfer to the airport for our flight, via Dubai, to London Heathrow.

We land in the UK this morning and our adventures in Southern India come to an end.