Indian Food Adventure

Kochi (formally known as Cochin) has been a gathering place of merchants since antiquity. It is a city packed full of bustling markets and great food experiences. The focus for the start of our food tour is the Fort Kochi area, the oldest European settlement in India dating from 1500, with a mixture of English, Dutch and Portuguese influences, much of which survives in the remaining architecture. Built on several islands and criss-crossed with waterways, the city has a very cosmopolitan feel and attracts artists and artisans from around the region as well as offering its own take of distinctive Indian flavours in its street food and local eateries.



For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 5.00 pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Kochi at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you'll need to arrive into Cochin International Airport (COK), which is 40km/1.5 hours from the airport. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information as soon as you catch up.



Our hotel for the next two nights is an art decor style property with a choice of excellent in house restaurants located on Willingdon island, just a short distance from Fort Kochi.

Our destination this morning is the Fort Kochi district. Taking a brief auto rickshaw ride to Embarkation Jetty we take a public ferry to cross the short stretch of water over to Mattancherry Palace. Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the palace has undergone extensive renovations by the Dutch earning it the name the Dutch Palace. It houses some of the most exquisite murals in India, depicting scenes from the Ramayana and other great legends.



From the palace we venture out to further explore bustling Fort Kochi, combining many of the islands best known sites including the Jewish town synagogue where Kochi's surviving Jewish community come to worship and the famous cantilevered Chinese Fishing nets, with an introduction to South Indian cuisine. Venturing into Fort Kochi's numerous alleyways and markets, we will get our first taste of Indian street food including Masala vada, a fritter made from chana dal, fennel seeds and peppers and Bonda, a fried bite size snack made from spicy potato and fried in a flour batter.



Continuing the food theme, lunch is taken at the Tea Bungalow. Todays meal is the perfect introduction to Kerala food and in particular Sadya (literally translated as banquet) which consists of a variety of traditional vegetarian dishes normally served on a banana leaf and served by families at the festival of Onam. After learning about the origins of Kerala's distinctive food from the Tea Bungalows resident chef, we get to sample an assortment of flavoursome dishes freshly prepared.



After lunch we head to Fort Kochi tourist jetty for a cruise around Kochi harbour to take in the sea air and get to see the expansive waterways and islands that have been the beating heart of Kochi's commercial success for hundreds of years.



To round off the day we return to shore for a performance of Kathakali, which is thought by some to be the very essence of the culture of Kerala. Its origins may have come from traditional temple rituals and from an art form known as Koodiyattam. It is the face make up which makes this dancing so unique and the dancers can take up to three hours painting their faces - the features are heavily emphasised as it is the facial expressions and co-ordinated eye movements which are important in the dance. The dances usually portray events from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, great Indian epics.

Making the most of our time in Kochi, we rise early to witness the city waking up and preparing for the busy day ahead. Heading to Ernakulam town by public ferry, we take a walk through the busy vegetable market where our tour leader will point out many of the exotic fruits, vegetables and spices used in Southern Indian cooking. We'll make a stop at the Shiva temple to see the court complex from outside then head to local restaurant for a breakfast dosa making demonstration.



Dosas originate from South India, they are a delicious thin batter-based crepe (or pancake) generally made from a fermented batter consisting of lentils and rice and accompanied with aloo masala, potato with onion, turmeric and black mustard seeds or sambar, a soup like vegetarian dal. Popular as a breakfast dish, dosas can equally be taken as a light mid morning snack and are available throughout India and further afield as their popularity has spread.



Mid morning we bid farewell to Kochi and the Indian Ocean and drive inland to the mountainous region of Munnar, a journey of around five hours. En route we stop at a local eatery to sample a traditional thali lunch. Consisting of rice, a flatbread, lentil, dal, seasonable curried vegetables, a chutney and sometimes a fish dish thali lunches; thali is typically served in small bowls arranged on a large plate. Eaten throughout the region, thali is a great way to try different flavour combinations.



Munnar is known for its verdant spice and tea plantations. Kerala has been renowned for its spices for at least 2000 years, the coast had been known by the Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs and Chinese for its sandalwood and spices. There was also a flourishing trade in 'black gold' - pepper - which, along with the spices, was sent to Europe by the Jewish and Arab traders. In return, copper, brass and gold coins came to Kerala. It was this trading link which brought Christianity and Islam into Kerala - the first place in India to host these two faiths.



Munnar is a pleasant place to spend two nights, with its green tropical forests, fresh mountain air and expansive tea plantations blending seamlessly into the hillsides.

Our day starts with a visit to the tea plantations. It is the women who usually pick the tea because of their nimble fingers, their brightly coloured clothes contrast sharply with the greenery of the plantations. Moving onto the tea museum we get to learn how the tea leaves come into the factory as freshly picked leaves and leave as the product we are used to in brewing our morning cuppa just 24 hours later.



This afternoon is free relax at the hotel, use the spa or take part in a yoga class. It's possible to undertake a circular walk lasting four hours through the grasslands and tea plantations, climbing to an altitude of 2000 meters. Alternatively, the hotels has a limited numbers of bicycles for hire.

Descending from the highlands we drive to the teak forests around Thekkady and Periyar National Park. The theme for today is spices and a tour of a spice garden and farm with a resident expert, learning the importance of spices in Indian cuisine and why so many spices thrive in this part of the world (some of the highest quality cardamom is grown in the Kerala region).



As well as cardamom, pepper, vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cocoa pods and curry plant is also produced. Having toured the spice gardens we will have a cooking demonstration showcasing how spices are carefully blended and used in cooking. Lunch at the spice gardens is included on this day.



Our comfortable hotel tonight is located in Kumily, and offers a mixture of jungle cottages and rooms amongst the forest with a spa offering Ayurvedic therapies and a swimming pool.

Leaving Thekkady we head back towards the coast and our homestay for the night. We stay with local families within a village, and your tour leader will brief you on local customs and traditions.



It is a great opportunity to spend time learning about the real life of Keralans as well as an opportunity to sample some delicious home cooking - perhaps a spicy coconut curry. The rooms are in the same style as a traditional Keralan home with mattresses made locally using coir fibres, a material taken from coconut husks which allows air to flow naturally - ideal in this humid region.



This afternoon there will be a chance to take gentle walks through the surrounding villages where we learn about toddy tapping, a fresh sap collected from palm trees, which undergoes five hours of fermentation to convert it to toddy with 6-7 % alcohol content. This evening join our host family as they prepare a delicious home cooked meal from recopies passed down through the generations.



All rooms are twin share and the majority of them have their own attached bathrooms, although there are some rooms with a private bathroom located in a corridor next to the room. Bathrooms are basic with a toilet and a simple shower, and hot water can be limited at times. All bedding and towels are provided.

This morning we board our houseboats and begin our journey into the network of the Kerala backwaters. The traditional houseboats were formally used to transport goods from isolated interior settlements to the coast. Designed for their stability many have been painstakingly refurbished and now offer well appointed en-suite twin rooms and fine dining experiences.



The pace is relaxed - enabling us to see riverside village life in its entirety. The industrious villagers survive on narrow spits of land, keeping cows, chickens and cultivating vegetable gardens. Even the shells from the fresh water mussels are burnt to make building lime, and the fibre from the coconut palm has many uses. During the day we make a village stop where we see well tendered gardens often with brightly coloured flowers, such as hibiscus, contrasting sharply with the tropical greenery.



On board we will also have a cooking demonstration with the option to cook a fish curry or a vegetarian dish served on a banana leaf.

Wake up to views of rural Kerala as we enjoy a relaxed breakfast on board. Disembarking mid mid morning we return to Kochi, arriving in time for lunch. Kochi is well known for its excellent seafood, our restaurant has a prime position at the northern tip of Fort Kochi, an ideal spot to view the activity in the bay whilst we sample freshly caught fish.



The rest of the day is free; should you wish your tour leader can book a table at the highly acclaimed Chef Pillai at Le Meridien, we strongly recommend a prior reservation which should if possible be made at the start of the tour.

The trip ends after breakfast at our hotel in Kochi.



There are no activities planned today, so you are free to depart from Kochi at any time. If your flight is departing later in the day luggage storage facilities are available at our hotel. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you need to depart from Cochin International Airport (COK), which is 40km/1.5 hours from the hotel.