south India

Culture, Cuisine and Charisma on a South India Tour

Gliding through Kerala’s lush backwaters on a luxurious houseboat tour, an unhurried pace of life unfolds in these villages of South India. Next on the cards, Ayurvedic massages and treatments along with yoga and meditation, at resorts along the Kerala coast, or at hill stations set among spice and tea plantations. In Kochi historic churches stand beside colonial buildings converted into boutique hotels offering affable hospitality. The very same kind of geniality you’ll get from the Enchanting Travels consultant who helps you devise a bespoke South India itinerary. At night, attend an operatic Kathakali performance, best remembered for the dancers’ elaborate costumes and makeup.

Mounds of marigolds, queues of Hindu devotees, and grand architecture greet visitors in the temple town of Madurai. Rock-cut temples in Hampi, sculpture and art in Belur, and the region’s lesser-known cave temples are all centuries-old masterpieces.

In cities like Hyderabad and Bengaluru and in every corner of southern India, the food will leave you both sated and hungry for more. Hop across to explore Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai, and then drive three hours south, to the ex-French enclave of Pondicherry, where the township of Auroville was set up to promote peace and human unity.