Our special places
We design holidays tailored to your priorities. Please contact us to discuss any destination.
Keralan Homestays
Fly to Trivandrum, the capital city of Kerala, and stay your first two nights at Varikatt Heritage – the ancestral home of Colonel Roy Kuncheria.
Located in the heart of Trivandrtum, Varikatt Heritage has been in Colonel Roy's family for over 150 years when the original English owners sold it to Roy's ancestor, a prominent Indian lawyer. Colonel Roy has opened his home to guests so that they can get a true taste of life in Trivandrum, with its rich colonial history. As a retired colonel in the Gurkas he has endless fascinating tales of life from all over India and he will take you on a historical walk of old Trivandrum. His gentle spirit and overwhelming kindness makes for an unforgettable introduction to Keralan life.
Head north to the Backwaters for a 3 night stay at Philipkutty’s Farm which is set on a small farm island that was reclaimed from the Backwaters in the early 1950's. The farm, which practices sustainable and organic methods of agriculture, is two metres below the lake level and has coconut, toddy, nutmeg, banana, cocoa and pepper cultivation not forgetting the prawns found in some of the farm canals. Famed for the wonderful hosting of Anu and her family, the food that her mother produces is highly acclaimed. A great place to discover the peaceful way of life on the Backwaters.
Venturing up into the Cinnamon Hills your next stop is Kanjirapally Estate – a working cardamom and coffee plantation located on the boundary of the Periyar National park. Owned and run by Mathew and Gita this has been a favourite property of ours for over 10 years now. Your hosts will offer delicious home cooked food which you all sit down to eat together. It offers a great chance to share stories, offer opinions and set the world to rights.
Whilst here your hosts will take you on a walking tour around the estate and you will also have an opportunity to do a full day jungle trek inside the Periyar National Park. Surrounded by tea and spice plantations, Lake Periyar was created in 1896 by the British who flooded the area to create a dam that would provide water for the whole of Madurai. The semi-submerged trees left behind remain as perches for the many birds who have made Periyar their home. Elephants, wild boar and various kinds of deer are regularly seen, although tiger sightings here are much less frequent. The trek itself takes you deep inside the park so you'll be well away from other tourists.
Travelling back down towards the coast you pass through tea plantations until you arrive at Vanilla County, the ancestral farm of Baby Mathew and his wife Rani, and which is surrounded by the 150 acre rubber and spice plantation. The organically grown vanilla, cardamom, tumeric, ginger, coffee and rubber is the basis for Baby Mathew's guided plantation walk which takes guest through astoundingly beautiful countryside while learning all sorts of fascinating information. Finish the walk with a dip in natural rock pools - a blissfully refreshing experience.
Spend your last 2 nights back on the backwaters at Olavipe hosted by Antony and Rema Tharaka who opened up their home to guests eight years ago. They are incredibly well travelled; Antony worked as Rajiv Ghandi's bodyguard, whilst Rema is a distinguished broadcaster. The chef in the kitchen is Velayudhan who is over 70 years old and is the third generation from his family to work in the kitchen at the house. His assistants are Reejo and Babychen and together they are responsible for the fantastic food. The whole ethos of the place is to make yourself feel completely at home and to get to know the staff as much as your hosts. Guests are welcome to join in in helping around the farm. The area offers scenic village lanes for walks and bike rides, quiet nooks for the avid reader and calm stretches of water to tempt you onto the Backwaters that the farm backs onto. You can watch birds, go fishing or just laze and soak up the peaceful surroundings before returning to the UK from Cochin.
Prices start at £2150 per person including return flights to Cochin, accommodation as above, private transfers and guided sightseeing where applicable. Please call 0207 359 3938 or email Matt and we can put together a tailormade trip of a lifetime
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