THE rhythmic murmur of the boat’s engine lulled us into a contented silence, as we glided through the serene beauty of Kerala’s backwaters.
Palm trees fringed either side, backed by lush green paddy fields, and cormorants swooped down among the colourful water hycianths floating on the mirror-like surface.
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No wonder Kerala is called God’s Own Country. The southern Indian state is as near to Eden as you can imagine.
My friends Lorna, Adrienne and I were on a fabulous cruise through the canals, lakes and rivers near Allepey on a traditional wooden houseboat.
Sitting under its bamboo thatched roof, watching locals criss-cross the rivers on long wooden canoes, as women washed clothes at the water’s edge and kids dived and swam, was such a contrast to our first introduction of India in din-filled, jam-packed Delhi.
Known as kettuvallamin, the houseboats have traditionally been the main means of transport of men and spices in Kerala’s 900km of backwaters for centuries but are more a tourist attraction nowadays.
Colourful houses, churches and temples slipped by as we enjoyed the cooling breeze and ate the most amazing lunch of fish, chicken, rice and vegetables cooked by the boat’s talented chef. It was divine.
We were on a week-long trip of this mesmerising state, with small-group tour specialists Jules Verne, where we wowed our way through an action packed seven days in the north of the country.
The organised tour, where everything was taken care of and organised by such a fab company, made such an epic trip easy peasy. Jules Verne booked it all – from the hotels and amazing experiences, activities and excursions, to flights, drivers and guides.
There were plenty more wows on our southern Indian odyssey, which kicked off in charming Kochi, before taking us to the misty Munnar hills and its incredible multi-tiered tea plantations, then Thekkady for a stay with a boat safari in Periyar National Park and onto Kumarakom and a little island paradise resort.
As we stepped off the plane from Jaipur at Kochi, the warm, humid air and the scent of the Arabian sea welcomed us. Wowee!
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And after checking into the Fragrant Nature Kochi hotel, our first stop was down to that sea and Fort Kochi, a historic neighbourhood, where we marvelled at the Dutch and Portuguese influences that linger here in the form of churches, forts, and houses.
At the waterfront we stopped to admire the iconic Chinese fishing nets, their massive bamboo structures silhouetted against the sky, before taking a wander along the seafront promenade, filled with stalls selling various varieties of fish, some unrecognisable to me, and the biggest prawns I’ve ever seen,
Here I fell in love with a mama dog and her five pups, all sheltering under a makeshift house which one of the fishermen had kindly fashioned for them.
Our lovely guide Bilbin fetched some dog treats so I could feed the furry family much to the smiling approval of the locals. Now it was woofs not wows.
Kochi is home to Jew Town where we found the Paradesi Synagogue, one of the oldest active synagogues in India. It was tranquil inside, and afterwards we wandered Jew Town’s brightly coloured narrow lanes lined with antique shops and markets.
The air was thick with the smell of incense and we all stocked up on some, along with gorgeous little bottles of perfume oils.
We then headed for a tour of the local cathedral and ventured inside the beautiful St Francis church for some quiet reflection, where I thanked God for allowing us to visit his ‘country’.
That night we brushed up on our cooking skills when we had a lesson and dinner with a lovely local family in their huge house, complete with swish indoor courtyard. I’ve got my Meen Mollee down pat now. Masterchef watch out!
Leaving the coastal beauty of Kochi behind, we headed to Munnar, a hill station around 5,000ft above sea level, famous for its tea plantations and rolling green hills.
The four-hour winding drive up the Western Ghats was an experience, that’s for sure, with breathtaking views at every turn and buses laden with pilgrims heading to a festival nearby.
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Munnar greeted us with its cool(ish), crisp air and lush landscapes. The tea plantations were an incredible sight — endless stretches of emerald green, dotted with workers plucking the tender leaves along its well-tended terraces.
We booked into the utterly gorgeous Fragrant Nature Munnar hotel, perched on a hillside overlooking the green valleys.
Here we indulged in an Indian feast of fabulousness and next day visited the Tata Tea Museum, we learned about the history of tea cultivation and sampled some of the tea pickers hard work.
A scary, fog-filled drive down took us to the bustling town of Thekkady and a stay in individual little thatched-roof bungalows at the eco-friendly and utterly stunning CGH Earth Spice Village resort.
The highlight here was a boat safari in Periyar National Park, a renowned wildlife sanctuary, home to elephants, tigers, deer, birds, monkeys and bison.
Unfortunately those temperamental tigers were again a no-show, as they had been in Sariska Tiger Reserve the week before. But the cruise was fun and a great way to take in the pristine wilderness.
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After our houseboat cruise on the backwaters, we headed to our final stop at Kumarakom, on the shores of Vembanad Lake and boarded a small motorboat which took us to the CGH Earth Coconut Lagoon eco-hotel on its own private island on the edge of the lake.
Arriving just in time for dinner in this little slice of paradise, we stuffed ourselves silly with more tantalising Indian cuisine at the hotel’s huge buffet, which served up the most delicious array of local dishes.
After a blissful night’s sleep in our own private villas complete with outdoor showers, we lounged around the pool, relishing the hot sun and some much needed downtime.
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On our final night we took to the waters one last time to watch the sun set on the lake.
A final wow was a fitting finish to our utterly amazing adventure.
GO: INDIA
GO: INDIA TOUR
GETTING/STAYING THERE: An 18-day Images of India tour is from £4,665pp or a 13-day The Taj Tour is from £4,085pp, including flights, all travel within India, accommodation, some meals, guide, driver, excursions and activities. Jules Verne also offers many of their tours with no single supplement. See vjv.com.
MORE INFO: For more on visiting India see incredibleindia.gov.in/en.
