Southern India: Chennai to Cochin

Spend your morning exploring Mahabalipuram’s UNESCO-listed treasures – including the awe-inspiring Shore Temple and the intricately carved Arjuna’s Penance. Alongside these monumental relics, you’ll also encounter small local workshops and ashram-run social enterprises that add a living dimension to the town’s heritage.

From here, continue south to Pondicherry, a former French enclave with a distinctive charm. En route, your driver will guide you past salt pans and quiet coastal villages, offering insight and impromptu stops to stretch, sip chai, or photograph life as it unfolds. Upon arrival, settle into a boutique heritage hotel in the Tamil Quarter, full of local character and warm hospitality.

With its leafy boulevards, mustard-hued villas, and softly spoken blend of cultures, Pondicherry invites a different pace. Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before setting out to explore the contrasting French and Indian quarters of the town – perhaps by bicycle or tuk-tuk.

You’ll visit local weaving and papermaking studios, dine at a popular Tamil restaurant, and uncover Pondicherry’s layered history from the days of French rule to its modern artistic renaissance. It’s an invitation to engage with the city beyond its surface beauty – and to enjoy its warm, welcoming soul.

Your journey continues inland to Tanjore (Thanjavur), once the seat of the Chola empire. Visit the magnificent Brihadeeswarar Temple, a true feat of Dravidian architecture, and stroll through the Old Palace complex with its eclectic museum and frescoed Durbar Hall.

From here, travel on to Chettinad, a lesser-known gem where grand merchant mansions and craft traditions come to life. Along the way, explore the spiritual centre of Trichy, visiting temples that have stood since the 3rd century BC and climbing to panoramic viewpoints that reveal the region’s sacred geography.

Spend a day exploring Chettinad, a region renowned for its breathtaking architecture and  antique markets. Tour the sprawling mansions built by Chettiar traders, visit goldsmiths and weavers, and browse the bazaars of Karaikudi, rich with rare finds and regional treasures.

Later, continue your journey to Madurai, Tamil Nadu’s spiritual capital. In the evening, join the faithful for the putting-to-bed ceremony at Sri Meenakshi Temple, where gods are ritually carried to rest amidst music, incense, and devotion. It’s a profound moment – both intimate and spectacular.

Wake early the next morning to watch the city awaken: women drawing decorative kolam outside homes, chai sellers at busy corners, and flower merchants in bustling markets. It’s India in its most vivid and sensory form.

From Madurai, head into the lush green hills of Thekkady, gateway to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. A 4×4 journey takes you through sleepy villages and spice farms, where cardamom, clove and pepper grow beneath the canopy. Visit a family-run plantation and learn how these aromatic crops are grown and harvested.

Later, descend into Kerala’s backwaters, boarding your private Keralan houseboat – a traditional kettuvallam reimagined for luxurious, slow travel. Drift through tranquil canals lined with coconut palms and rice paddies, enjoying freshly prepared meals on deck and the sound of village life echoing from the banks.

Disembark your houseboat and journey to Cochin (Kochi) – Kerala’s eclectic port city where Portuguese, Dutch and British influence has left a lasting imprint.

Enjoy a private Keralan cooking experience with local hosts, learning age-old recipes in an intimate, relaxed setting. The next day, take a walking tour of Fort Kochi, discovering colonial mansions, Chinese fishing nets, artisan shops and contemporary galleries that show a city as creative as it is historic.

After a slow breakfast on your final day, your driver will take you to Cochin International Airport for your return flight.