JOURNEYS

9 Days Immersed in Southern India

Go beyond Kerala’s typical sightseeing destinations with characterful stays, private meetings with artisans, and meals in local homes.
Aerial view of a small boat cruising along a narrow canal lined with dense palm trees in Kerala, India.

One of Kerala’s waterways

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

A journey to Kerala, India, invites travelers to slow down—to listen to the hush of dawn over the backwaters, breathe in spice-laced air, and feel time move to the rhythm of oars and temple drums. This 9-day itinerary from Exodus Adventure Travels’ new Signature Collection prioritizes deep cultural connection and immersive experiences. Rather than skimming the surface, Exodus designed its Signature India | Between Spices and Backwaters to uncover Kerala’s living traditions, where nature and culture exist in graceful balance.

Led by a handpicked Signature Guide, the journey moves from royal palaces and temple towns to tea-covered highlands and forested reserves. Signature Experiences offer rare access: tour Mattancherry Palace with a descendant of Kochi’s Maharajas, meet the women reshaping Kathakali dance, learn Ayurveda’s ancient approach to wellness, and dye fabrics with tea alongside artisans in Vagamon’s hills.

Signature Days allow space for personal choice, while accommodations, including the trip’s Signature Stay—the sustainability-minded Spice Village, A CGH Earth Experience—anchor each moment in place. Woven throughout are Signature Legacy encounters, from walking with tribal naturalists in Periyar National Park to sharing home-cooked meals with local families, ensuring every step builds a meaningful, lasting connection to Kerala’s people and landscapes.

Itinerary

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A traditional building along the water in Kerala, India.

Trip Highlight:

A Day of Culture in Kochi

Step inside Mattancherry Palace on a private tour with Balagopal Verma, a descendant of Kochi’s maharajas, uncovering royal stories and heirlooms from Kerala’s past. Then, after a traditional sadhya (vegetarian) feast, meet the Thrippunithura All-Women’s Kathakali troupe for an intimate performance that reimagines this traditionally male artform.
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Trip Designer:

Exodus Adventure Travels

From a lantern-lit walk with monks in Japan’s sacred forests to sharing tea with village elders in Morocco’s Atlas peaks, Exodus Adventure Travels designs every Signature Collection journey to go further. Slower-paced and more immersive, itineraries feature rare access, private encounters, and insider moments that few travelers ever experience.
Kathakali dancers during a performance.

Kathakali dancers

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

Days 1 and 2:Welcome to Kochi

Your journey begins in Kochi, a storied port city that reflects centuries of spice trade and colonial influences. After a complimentary airport transfer, check into Taj Malabar Resort & Spa, Cochin, a peaceful retreat on Willingdon Island with stunning views of the surrounding waterways.

Early arrivals can opt into a hands-on Ayurvedic cooking session for an introduction to Kerala’s ancient wellness traditions and rich, spicy cuisine. As dusk settles over the water, join your Signature Guide and fellow travelers for a welcome reception and dinner at Bubble Café, a local hotspot next to the harbor.

In the morning, explore Kochi’s popular attractions, including Saint Francis Church, one of India’s oldest European churches, and the iconic fishing lift nets introduced by Chinese traders hundreds of years ago. Continue to Mattancherry Palace for your first Signature Experience, a private tour with a descendant of Kochi’s maharajas who will reveal tales from Kerala’s royal past.

After a sadhya vegetarian lunch, enjoy a private performance and discussion with the pioneering Thrippunithura All-Women’s Kathakali troupe, who challenge the norm of this traditionally male-dominated Keralan dance. Close out the day with a grilled seafood dinner at Armoury in Fort Kochi.
View of a misty valley in Kerala.

Kerala’s highlands

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

Day 3:Journey into Kerala’s Highlands

Leaving the coast behind, drive into Kerala’s emerald highlands, where mist curls over cardamom-scented hills and birdsong fills the cool air. En route, pause in Vagamon for the Tea Reverie, a Signature Experience set among rolling tea gardens that weaves together art, aroma, and local craft, followed by lunch at a century-old tea factory where age-old techniques still shape the region’s most cherished brew.

Arrive in Thekkady, gateway to Periyar National Park, by late afternoon and settle into Spice Village, A CGH Earth Experience. Inspired by the forest and the traditions of the Indigenous Mannan people, this eco-conscious Signature Stay starts with a warm thalapoli welcome ceremony, complete with oil lamps and flower garlands. In the evening, dine at 50 Mile Restaurant, where every ingredient is sourced within 50 miles.
A view of jars filled with various indian spices.

Indian spices

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

Day 4: Explore Periyar National Park and Spice Farms

Begin the day in Periyar National Park alongside tribal naturalists who will guide you along forest trails and across lakes on a bamboo raft. As birds awaken in the canopy and cardamom scents the air, learn how the Mannan and Paliyan communities evolved from hunters to dedicated guardians of this biodiverse landscape.

Back at Spice Village, savor a leisurely breakfast and time to wander the resort’s spice gardens before lunch. In the afternoon, drive to Periyar Bouquet, where local farmers share tea, snacks, and stories of how organic practices and community-led conservation are renewing Kerala’s spice trade. The day ends with dinner at Bougainvillea Homestay for an intimate window into life in Thekkady.
Interior of the Spice Route Luxury Houseboat with wicker seating and wide windows, as a woman relaxes on the outdoor deck overlooking Kerala’s waters.

Spice Route Luxury Houseboat

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

Day 5:Glide Through the Backwaters of Alleppey

Travel to Alleppey, where canals, coconut palms, and glassy lagoons form the heart of Kerala’s backwaters. Board Spice Route Luxury Houseboat—a private, beautifully reimagined kettuvallam (a traditional Indian houseboat) crafted from polished wood and coir—and drift at an unhurried pace through palm-lined waterways.

Along the banks, everyday life plays out in quiet vignettes: fishermen casting nets, women washing clothes, and children waving from narrow paths. Meals are freshly prepared on board, showcasing local flavors as emerald rice paddies slip by. After a gentle stroll through a village, anchor for the night.
A woman on a small boat pouring tea into a glass.

Tea served from a boat in Kerala

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

Day 6:Discover Kerala’s Heritage in Kuttanad and Kumarakom

Disembark for a rickshaw ride through the emerald paddy fields and waterways of Kuttanad, where daily life moves in step with the backwaters. Over tea at a village stall, your Signature Guide brings to life the story of Kerala’s below-sea-level farmlands, shaped by generations of ingenuity and water management.

Check into Coconut Lagoon, A CGH Earth Experience, a tranquil lakeside retreat on Vembanad Lake in Kumarakom, before an afternoon boat safari through the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, where you’ll spot herons, darters, and egrets among the mangroves. As evening falls, a Signature Experience with an Ayurvedic expert offers insight into Kerala’s healing traditions, culminating in a personal nadi (pulse) reading and dinner at the resort.
A houseboat on a waterway in Kerala.

Cruising Kerala’s backwaters

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

Day 7:Trace Kerala’s Royal Roots

Join the heritage expert, captain Ramesh Babu, on a private walk through Old Kottayam, once a royal capital along the Meenachil River. Passing centuries-old churches, temples, and mosques, discover the layered history shaped by sailors, scholars, and spice traders, while glimpsing the close-knit community life that endures today.

After lunch at a local restaurant, return to Coconut Lagoon for a leisurely afternoon and a lakeside cocktail at sundown. Cruise across the water to Philipkutty’s Farm, a family-run retreat on a reclaimed island, where a private, home-cooked dinner with your hosts unfolds in the quiet enchantment of the backwaters.
An overhead view of bowls filled with spices on a wicker tray.

Regional spices from Kerala

Courtesy of Exodus Adventure Travels

Days 8 and 9: Cycle Along Rice Paddies, Visit an Ancient Temple, or Stroll Kumarakom’s Islands

Begin the morning with an optional yoga session, then ease into your Signature Day, designed for unhurried discovery in the backwaters. Choose to cycle along lakes and paddy fields for a glimpse of rural village life, visit the ancient Vaikom Mahadeva Temple to observe ancient rituals, explore a century-old rubber plantation and enjoy lunch with the family who tends it, or join a guided walk through the islands of Kumarakom to learn how sustainable tourism supports this delicate region.

Back at Coconut Lagoon, a relaxed farewell dinner of Kerala-inspired dishes unfolds beneath swaying palms. The next morning, enjoy a final breakfast at the resort before taking a complimentary departure transfer to the airport.
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