Gastronomy-Wellness Trail in Kerala
India 12 Days 11 Nights
EUR1299
Total package price for 1 traveler
Gallery
Overview
Highlights
- An ultimate mindful trail in the lap of nature away from the madding crowd in the tropical paradise of Kerala
- Watching the days slip away between yoga, wonderfully rejuvenating whole body massages and pristine beaches at a secluded boutique resort.
- Unraveling the multilayered history of Fort Kochi, lazing in art-filled cafes and experiencing the art of Kathakali, the state art form known as “Dance of the Gods”
- Cruising along the serene backwater canals in Alleppey, known as the "Venice of the East" in a luxury houseboat, with a curated Kerala Sadya accompanied by a tasting session of Indian specialty wines and liquors in the evening
- Doing soft hiking and an adventurous bamboo canoe ride across the Periyar Tiger Reserve spotting wild elephants, tigers and other exotic wildlife, walking the spice-carpeted hills and relaxing in remote forest resort overlooking cardamom plantation.
- Specially curated sumptuous meals including vegetarian and sea-food options
- Stay in boutique luxury and premium resorts throughout the trip
- Adventurous tuk-tuk ride with an experienced guide in Fort Kochi visiting attractions such as Jewish street, Mattancherry palace, Kerala folklore museum, Kochi biennale art exhibitions etc.
- Experience the warmth and hospitality of Keralites in a colorful cooking session with the locals
- Visit the local fresh fruit-vegetable open market
- Visit local spice plantations with an interactive farm tour with the plantation owner explaining the nuances of tropical spices and the base of "curry"
At a glance
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Price Includes
1 Night in resort close to Cochin airport to get used to the tropical climate
4 Nights in boutique resort close to Marari beach
3 Nights in a secluded forest resort overlooking cardamom plantation
3 Nights in Fort Kochi in a five-star boutique resort
12 breakfasts
1 curated “Kerala sadya” (lunch) onboard the houseboat during the backwater cruise
1 lunch after interactive cooking demonstration at Marari
1 lunch after the spice plantation visit and cooking demonstration
1 barbeque dinner at Thekkady
1 farewell dinner in Kochi themed on sea-food and tropical vegetables
Pulse diagnosis by Ayurvedic physician to determine the body type and prescribe the treatment regime.
Ayurvedic spa session for whole body (3 days)
Morning yoga sessions in the accommodation (outdoor session; 3 sessions)
A tea ceremony in Thekkady
Visit to Abraham’s Spice plantation in Kumily, which was featured in BBC Monty Don’s ‘Around the World in 80 gardens’ and Lonely planet
Cooking with locals, where you will learn to cook delicious tropical dishes
Ticket to see the state art form of “Kathakali” in Fort Kochi
All local transportation arranged via private transportation (air-conditioned luxury tempo traveler or mini-bus)
Experienced travel companion who will guide the group throughout the length of the journey and guide you in local sightseeing in all destinations
Price Excludes
International flight tickets (~ 550 €/pp)
India e-visa costs (25 €)
Travel insurance
Anything not mentioned explicitly in Inclusions
Add-Ons
Visit to Matha Amrithanandamayi, Äidin äiti’s ashram
Full board plan can be availed at an extra cost of 20€/day/adult
Finnish speaking guide @100€/adult
Itinerary
Accomodation:
- Arrival at Kochi international airport (early morning 3:00 am)
- Welcome ceremony & transfer to the resort near the airport to relax and get acclimatized to the tropical climate.
- Kerala breakfast (incl.)
- Relaxing at the property to relieve the jet lag
Accomodation:
- Check-out and transport to Marari beach, a quaint beach near the backwaters, voted as one of the world’s top five hammock beaches in a survey by National Geographic.
- Welcome ceremony & check-in to the boutique resort, less than 1 km from the sandy golden beach
- Leisure by the property and chance to explore the surrounding and relax at the beach
Accomodation:
- Day starts with a morning yoga session outdoors in the morning from trained Yoga teacher. It was recommended by the Doctor to do yoga only once along with the ayurvedic treatment considering the recovery time of treatments.
- Breakfast at the property (incl.)
- Time to either chill at the beach or by the pool
- In the afternoon the Ayurveda session starts with consultation using pulse diagnosis by the in-house ayurvedic physician at the reputed Ayurbhadra Ayurvedic centre to determine the body type. The exact Panchakarma treatment would be finalized only after knowing the vatha-pitha-kapha type of the body. Medicines (all organic) to be taken internally during the treatment period will be prescribed. General plan includes abhyanga, elakizhi, nasya, pizhichil, njavarakizhi, shirodhara, svedana and udvarthanam. The treatment lasts approximately 1.5 hrs per day in the afternoon.
Accomodation:
- Yoga in the morning and beach
- Breakfast
- Interactive cooking demonstration with the in-house local chef
- Visiting local attractions such as Arthunkal St. Andrew's Basilica, the largest shrine of St Sebastian in the world, constructed by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century.
- Ayurveda session
Accomodation:
- Morning yoga session and breakfast
- Travel continues to Alleppey/Alappuzha, popularly known as ‘the Venice of the East’. Aleppey is the hub of Kerala’s backwaters and is home to a huge network of waterways, over a thousand houseboats and an important centre of coir industry. A mesmerizing collage of graceful and greenery-fringed watery world of villages, punted canoes, succulent paddy fields, toddy shops and, of course, curvaceous rice barges. Kerala's main backwaters stretch north, east and south of Alleppey, while Vembanad Lake, Kerala's largest, reaches all the way north to Kochi.
- You will have a wonderful Houseboat cruise, an indulgent experience on the Kerala’s backwaters. The present-day houseboats are in fact a reworked version of the Kettuvallams of olden times, that was used to carry tons of rice and spices. The boat will cruise through Punnamada and Vembanadu lake in Aleppey, with Kerala lunch onboard during which we will come across the riverfront villages and buy fresh catch such as Pearlspot fish and crabs from the local fishermen directly. The dishes would be prepared in an interactive live cooking session in the boat by a trained local cook. You will also taste some Indian speciality wines from Sula/York wineyard, Nashik
- Ayurveda session in the afternoon
Accomodation:
- Breakfast at the property and check-out
- Travel to Kumily and visit ‘Abraham’s spice garden’, which was featured in BBC Monty Don’s ‘Around the World in 80 gardens’ and Lonely planet
- Meet with the farmer and have a guided exploration in the spice garden and plantation
- Guided tour of the spice and herb garden as well their processing
- Cooking demonstration on how to use and combine the spices for different Indian-based cuisine
- Interactive cooking demonstration of vegetarian-based cuisine & lunch at the farm
- Possibility to shop for farm fresh spices
- Check-in to the wilderness resort
- You have the afternoon to relax by the pool
Accomodation:
- Morning breakfast
- You will have a soft hiking through the cardamom plantation
- Tea ceremony in the afternoon at the property
Accomodation:
- Early transfer to Periyar Tiger National Park.
- You will have an adventurous bamboo raft ride in the sprawling Periyar lake, where you might come across herds of bisons, elephants and deers (early morning/evening is the best time for sighting the animals) amidst the jungle.
- Breakfast in the jungle
- Return to the accommodation
- Barbeque dinner in the property
Accomodation:
- Early breakfast at the property and check-out
- Departure to Kochi/Cochin
- Kochi, fondly known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, was an important spice trading centre on the Indian west coast from the 14th century onward and maintained a trade network with Arab merchants from the pre-Islamic era. Occupied by the Portuguese in 1503, Kochi was the first of the European colonies in colonial India. Peppered with Portuguese, Dutch and British influences and honed by the constant tourist influx, Kochi food landscape is quite evolved and one of the best experimental gastronomy scene in India
- Check-in to a 5-star property and relax at the property
Accomodation:
Sumptous breakfast
Guided walk in Fort Kochi, the first European township in India, for a brief glimpse into the collage of Dutch, British and Portuguese architecture, Jewish settlemets, ancient chinese fishing nets
Visit to the art show Kathakali
Accomodation:
- Breakfast
- Shopping possibilities at Jewish (Princess street)
- A sumptuous farewell dinner
Accomodation:
- Breakfast at the property and check-out
- Transfer to Kochi airport for the return flight
Know Before You Book
- This particular package is on a twin-sharing basis.
- We reserve the rights to make alterations to the program and/or to the itinerary.
- Both vegan and vegetarian options are available.
- Special dietary requirements will be considered to the best of our ability.
- This is a leisurely package made specially for 50+ travelers and keeping in mind the European traveler profile.
- The guide speaks fluent English. A Finnish speaking guide can be arranged at an extra cost of 100€/adult.
- Smoking is prohibited in public places in India.
- Itinerary and accommodation options are flexible and can be custom-made based on interests of the travelers.
- This itinerary (currently in premium) runs in Luxury and Elite category as well depending on the accommodation options.
Accomodation & Acivities
- One night in 3-star boutique resort near the Cochin international airport
- Two nights in 4-star hillside plantation resort in Munnar
- Three nights in 3-star boutique seaside and beachfront resort in Marari
- Two nights in 4-star boutique resort in Fort Kochi
**The final options will be confirmed only after confirming the group size and requirements.