TASTE OF SOUTH INDIA

15 DAYS EXPERIENCE THE FLAVOURS AND EXOTIC SPICES OF SOUTH INDIA.

Start your culinary journey in the bustling city of Hyderabad renown for its heritage sites and mouthwatering biryani. Fly down to the temple town ofMadurai then move on to Chettinad where expert chefs will have you serving up spicy dishes enjoyed in Tamil Nadu. Pluck and brew your own tea inMunnar, visit Thekkady’s spice and pepper plantations, and sample fresh fish on board a rice barge on Kerala’s backwaters. End your trip in the charming colonial town of Cochin, the centre of the spice trade.

TOUR PROGRAM

DAY 1 ARRIVAL HYDERABAD

Arrive into Hyderabad airport. You will be greeted by a Travel The Unknown representative and transferred to your hotel. Freshen up and relax. In the afternoon, enjoy a guided sightseeing tour. Overnight in Hyderabad.

Today, you will go on a tour to discover Biriyani, the ‘Food of the Kings’ and enjoy a traditional meal. You will have the afternoon to spend at your leisure. Overnight in Hyderabad.

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a short flight to Madurai. You will be met on arrival and will go on a tour of the Sri Meenakshi Temple. After lunch, drive to Chettinad and check in to your hotel. Evening free. Overnight in Chettinad. 

After breakfast, set off to explore some of the ancient temples unique to Chettinad. Afterwards, join a local family for a traditional meal. You will get to interact with them and learn about Chettinad/Tamil culture. In the afternoon, attend a cooking demonstration and prepare local delicacies with the chef. Overnight in Chettinad.

Set off early for Palakkad in Kerala. Drive through towns, villages and lush tropical countryside. Stop off en-route for lunch. Arrive mid-afternoon and check in to the Tharavad Heritage Homestay (subject to availability). Rest or wander around the local village and countryside. In the evening, enjoy dinner with your hosts, who will serve up some mouthwatering Keralan dishes on banana leaves. Savour some of the delicious coconut and tamarind chutneys and chat about everything from food to culture! Overnight in Palakkad.

After breakfast, visit the local market to buy vegetables and spices. Go to a home where our hostess, an expert cook, will give a cooking class using the ingredients you’ve just bought. After cooking, you can enjoy the vegetarian sadya lunch served on banana leaves. Later in the day, visit the ancient fort of Hyder Ali and watch people making pottery. Finally, visit Kalpathy, one of the oldest settlements of the Tamil Brahmin people in Kerala. Learn about the history of this settlement and the Vedic traditions still practised there. Return to your hotel. Overnight in Palakkad.

After breakfast, drive to the beautiful Munnar, known for its rolling green hills, and check in to your resort. You will have the afternoon to wander around the nearby tea plantations. Overnight in Munnar

Enjoy a relaxed breakfast before going to the Talayar Tea Factory. Here, you will learn how to pick tea leaves (choose stems with a mother leaf and two leaf buds). While your tea leaves are drying in machines, you will go on a two-hour tour of the factory and have a delicious lunch in the estate bungalow. Return back to the tea factory where the leaves have now dried and mix your own tea! End the experience with a tea tasting. Overnight in Munnar.

After a leisurely breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive to Thekkady, the spice capital of India. Arrive at lunchtime to the beautiful Spice Village (subject to availability). You will be staying in traditionally constructed cottages with perfectly integrated modern comforts. You will have the afternoon free to explore the surroundings, do some bird-watching or take a nap. In the evening, you will watch an outdoor cooking demonstration. Your chef will unveil a few of his South Indian cooking secrets, using the freshest local spices and ingredients. You can choose to eat outside in the long verandah or in the rustic wooden dining hall. Overnight in Thekkady. 

After an early morning breakfast, set off for a boat ride on Lake Periyar. Look out for local wildlife (elephants, deer and sloth bears) that come to the lake for water. Afterwards, go for a two-hour jungle walk. Return to the Spice Village for lunch. In the afternoon, you will visit one of Thekkady’s many spice plantations. Learn all about the spices that are grown here – pepper, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves and more. Return to your cottage and have dinner at the Village. Overnight in Thekkady.

After breakfast, drive to Alleppey. Stop en route at Kanjirapilly for lunch at a traditional Christian homestay. You can join your host in the kitchen as she prepares a mouthwatering South Indian platter of meat and vegetarian dishes. After lunch, take a walking tour of the owner’s spice and rubber plantations. Continue on to Alleppey. Overnight in Alleppey.

Have a leisurely start to the day with a filling breakfast served outdoors by the lake. Later, board the houseboat for a ride through Kerala’s enchanting backwaters. You will see various birdlife, rice barges and Chinese cantilever fishing nets. Stop off for some fishing, and if lucky(!), you will get to taste freshly caught fish for lunch. You can watch the onboard chef prepare a Karimeen (pearlspot) fry. In the early evening, return to your homestay and spend time with the local family, visit the nearby market or simply rest. Overnight in Alleppey.  

After breakfast, check out and drive to Cochin. You will have the afternoon to explore the beautiful surroundings of Cochin, after which you will go on a sunset cruise in Cochin harbour. Overnight in Cochin.  

After breakfast, set off on a two-hour walking tour of Fort Cochin to wander its narrow lanes and discover its many colonial influences. For lunch you will be going somewhere very special. Our friend, Nimmy Paul, who has been featured in many Indian and international food magazines, is renowned for her unique South Indian recipes. She will lead a cooking class, followed by lunch, either in her garden or cosy home. After leaving Nimmy’s, you will go on a food tour of Cochin, which will take you through some of the most popular eating places of the local community, where you will get to see Idli and 36 varieties ofDosa. Overnight in Cochin.

After breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport at an appropriate time for your outbound flight. If you have a flight later in the day, you could spend time exploring more of Cochin or browsing the markets for handicrafts and wares. 

Journey Highlights — South India Cultural & Culinary Trail

  • Hyderabad Royal Flavours – Savor authentic Hyderabadi biryani, the legendary “Food of Kings,” and explore the city at leisure.

  • Sacred Madurai – Visit the magnificent Meenakshi Temple and experience South India’s spiritual grandeur.

  • Chettinad Heritage – Discover ancient temples, dine with a local family, and learn traditional recipes in a hands-on cooking session.

  • Kerala Village Life (Palakkad) – Stay in a heritage homestay, shop local markets, cook with a home chef, enjoy a traditional sadya, and explore historic sites and pottery villages.

  • Munnar Tea Country – Walk through emerald tea plantations, tour a tea factory, blend your own tea, and enjoy tastings in a serene hill-station setting.

  • Thekkady Wilderness & Spices – Cruise Lake Periyar spotting wildlife, trek through jungle trails, and explore aromatic spice plantations.

  • Kanjirapilly Culinary Stop – Share a home-cooked meal with a local host and stroll through spice and rubber estates.

  • Alleppey Backwaters – Cruise Kerala’s iconic waterways on a houseboat, fish for your lunch, and watch a chef prepare fresh Karimeen fry.

  • Cochin Culture & Cuisine – Sunset harbour cruise, colonial walking tour of Fort Cochin, private cooking session with renowned chef Nimmy Paul, and a street-food exploration featuring dozens of dosa varieties.

  • Authentic Local Connections – Throughout the journey, meet families, artisans, cooks, and farmers who bring South India’s traditions to life.
EXPLORE SOUTH INDIA
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