Rani’s Kerala Food & Heritage Tour 2024

(September)

Kerala is tantalizingly attractive, and so is its cuisine. Each region has its own taste and style of preparation. In this tour we focus on different cuisines - Syrian Christians, Anglo-Indians, Tamilian, Brahmins and coastal Fishermen, offering a mixed platter of Kerala cuisines. Kerala’s food is richly spiced with chili, cardamom, cloves, ginger, black pepper, and cinnamon but also enjoys the liberal use of fresh coconuts and coconut oil. We will be trying food ranging from simple vegetarian to sophisticated seafood.

Accommodation is in delightful and small, sustainable, family-owned charming hotels/resorts. We have also added a sumptuous houseboat journey through the Kerala backwaters, stopping at local villages & markets on the way.

We have brought you a diverse range of flavours and sensual experiences from the best selection of local dishes. On this tour, you will find that some of the best places to eat are not particularly luxurious but serve exceptional, authentic food.

September 26 - Cochin

On arrival we meet you at Cochin Airport and drive to Brunton Boatyard Hotel.Overnight at Brunton Boatyard.

September 27 – Cochin

After breakfast we start our day with Cochin sightseeing coupled with spice hunting. Rani and our specialist guide for this excursion will show the Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, St. Francis Church, and Chinese fishing nets. We will also be visiting the spice market. We have also added the famed Dhobi Khana (traditional laundry) run by the Tamil community and pappads made by the Tulu community or the Udupi Brahmins. We spend the afternoon at Brunton Boatyard’s restaurant where we meet the chef who will prepare his specialty dishes coupled with a cooking demo. In the afternoon you are free to relax, do some shopping at Anokhi or stroll around Fort Cochin.  You can see a Kathakali dance performance in the evening (This can be arranged locally as an option). Evening to relax or take a walk around the old town. Dinner will be at History restaurant. Overnight at Brunton Boatyard.

After breakfast we start our day with Cochin sightseeing coupled with spice hunting. Rani and our specialist guide for this excursion will show the Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, St. Francis Church, and Chinese fishing nets. We will also be visiting the spice market. We have also added the famed Dhobi Khana (traditional laundry) run by the Tamil community and pappads made by the Tulu
community or the Udupi Brahmins. We spend the afternoon at Brunton Boatyard’s restaurant where we meet the chef who will prepare his specialty dishes coupled with a cooking demo. In the afternoon you are free to relax, do some shopping at Anokhi or stroll around Fort Cochin. You can see a Kathakali dance performance in the evening (This can be arranged locally as an option). Evening to relax or take a walk around the old town. Dinner will be at History restaurant.

Overnight at Brunton Boatyard

September 28 – Cochin

Breakfast at hotel. The morning is spent relaxing at the hotel. In the afternoon we visit an Anglo-Indian family - Oscars house, where we relish their specialty Portuguese-influenced food. Dinner will be had at the locally famous vegetarian restaurant and will be trying the world-famous Masala Dosa.

Overnight at Brunton Boatyard

September 29 - Cochin – Alleppey

After breakfast we drive to the boarding point for the ‘kettuvallam’, the houseboats of Kerala. Enjoy a backwater cruise, lazing in this converted houseboat as it
meanders through the tranquil network of water canals, dotted with busy hamlets, lush green paddy fields. Formed by the 40 odd rivers that flow down to the Arabian Sea from the Cardamom Hills, this network of canals, lakes and estuaries
comprises one of India’s most enchanting areas - a rural, revering expanse of verdant coconut groves and rice paddies. The scene is idyllic, the mood romantic and the experience unforgettable. Lunch will be served on board. Later in the afternoon assist the cook for dinner and by evening join the group for supper.
These converted rice barges or "Kettuvallams" sail along shallow, palm-fringed lakes and narrow canals where coconut and cashew is loaded onto dugouts. You pass villages built on narrow spits of land, stopping to visit local markets, or to marvel at craftsmen engaged in the centuries-old boat-making tradition. The boats offer one or two cabins with a small sitting room and a crew of 2 staff and a chef. The food is authentic Kerala cuisine, with ingredients purchased fresh along the way. Dinner will be served onboard.

Overnight on the houseboat.

        

September 30 – Houseboat

Full day cruise and stay overnight on the houseboat. Lunch and dinner will be served onboard.

October 1 – Alleppey – Mararikulam
After breakfast, we disembark from the houseboat and drive a short distance to reach the beach destination of Kerala – Mararikulam. Enjoy your buffet lunch at the main restaurant. Relax for the day or rejuvenate with an Ayurvedic herbal massage. Today’s dinner highlights the specialty seafood of the region which will be served at a private spot.

Overnight at Marari Beach Resort

October 2 – Mararikulam 
Today we have an early start at 8 am. We will be using tuk tuks (Autorickshaw) as the best mode of transport to go through the narrow village. The highlight starts with the live fish auction. You can also take part in the auction and buy fish if you wish to. We will be experiencing village visit/walk and interact with locals and
educating yourself with local information of the region. Lunch will be served with local cuisines at our heritage place. After lunch you will be taken back to the resort. In the evening we will enjoy the dinner curated especially for us at ‘The Farm Kitchen’ at the resort.

Overnight at Marari Beach Resort.

 

October 3 - Marari – Trissur
After a leisurely breakfast, we check out from the resort and drive towards the cultural capital of Kerala, which is Trissur. After checking into the hotel, we have lunch and stop to visit our friend Murali, an artisan specializing in the making of ceremonial fans, circular shields and umbrellas used during temple festivals to keep the elephants cool.
Artisans like Murali are now few and far between, with the items being made seasonally and with great reverence from the best raw materials, such as yak hair from the Himalayas and 24 carat gold for plating the masks. He has given us exclusive access to his home and will explain his work. We then visit the ancient Shiva temple which is built around the cultural city of Trissur. We then take a short walk to the 50-year-old Bharat Hotel which serves local, traditional vegetarian food. They are famous for traditional specialties like dosas, uppuma, vada,
puttu, and puri.

After dinner we return to the Hyatt Regency where we spend the night.

October 4 – Trissur-Calicut

After a leisurely breakfast we drive further north of Kerala to Calicut. Lunch will be served at Calicut’s famous Paragon Hotel, which has been operating for over 80 years. After lunch we check into Kadavu Resort. In the evening we visit the very popular sweet market where many halwa varieties, including the original ghee halwa can be sampled. We also try some of the local dishes from famous, long-standing outlets. We have dinner at the beach side
heritage restaurant.

Overnight at Kadavu Resort.

October 5 – Calicut – Kannur
After a relaxed breakfast, we drive further north, crossing Mahe, which was once a French Colony. Though Mahe falls in Kerala, the municipality administration comes under Pondicherry, a former French colony, now a Union Territory surrounded by Tamil Nadu.

Check in to the luxury Krishna Beach Resort in Kannur, close to
Thalasseri.

October 6 – Kannur – Thalasseri - Kannur
After breakfast we explore the Thalasseri area, which has historically been known for its food and spices. We visit a spice market, well known for having hard to find items, the colonial Thalasseri fort and a beedi making operation where traditional
cigarettes are hand rolled by local ladies. We also visit a handloom operation, where we can see saris and other textiles being hand manufactured. We end the day with a visit to the Theyam, where devotees are blessed and the famous Thalasseri Biryani.

October 7 – Wayanad
After breakfast we continue the drive to the Western Ghats and
check into the forest lodge. On the way we visit a spice plantation
where the local pepper varieties and vegetables can be seen.
Overnight stay at CGH Earth Wayanad Wild, enjoying the peace of
the forest.

October 8 – Wayanad
Full day at Wayanad Wild with activities of the resort. Overnight stay at Wayanad Wild.

October 9 – Wayanad - Cheruthuruthi  
This morning we have a scenic drive to Cheruthuruthi where the world-famous Kerala Kalmandalam is situated. Kerala Kalamandalam is deemed to be a university promoting the Art and Culture of Kerala. Overnight stay at River Retreat resort.ty promoting the Art and Culture of Kerala.

Overnight stay at River Retreat resort.

October 10 – Cheruthuruthi – Cochin Airport
In the morning after breakfast, we experience the program known as “The Day with the Masters.” In the afternoon, we drive to Kalady – the birthplace of Sri Adi Shankaracharya. You will be welcomed to a Brahmin house where the lovely Chitra shows you how to make one of her specialty items, Avial – a mixture of 13 vegetables which is served as one of the Sadya dishes. Sadya is the traditional Kerala feast with 22 items served on banana leaves. After lunch we make a
quick visit to Sri Krishna temple before heading to Cochin Airport.

 

 

Destination	Hotel	Room
Cochin	Brunton Boatyard	Sea Facing Room
Alleppey	Spice Coast Houseboat	Two Cabin Houseboats
Mararikulam	Marari Beach Resort	Garden Villa
Trissur	Hyatt Regency	Guestroom
Calicut	Kadavu Resort	River view Cottage
Wayanad	Wayanad Wild	Superior Room
Cheruthuruthy	River Retreat	Riverview Room

 

ENQUIRE NOW

Price includes:

• Accommodation for 15 nights on twin sharing basis
• Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
• Cooking demos as mentioned in the program
• One time entry to all monuments as mentioned in the itinerary
• Transport in Air Condition Tempo Traveler/Coach
• All activities mentioned in the above program
• Specialised service of professional guides at required places
• Airport assistance on arrival and departure
• 2 bottles of drinking water per day per person

(Any change in tax structure can affect the price accordingly)

General Terms and conditions

Check in times at the hotels are between 1200 hrs and 1400 hrs. If you arrive early at a hotel, we will do our best to request for an early check in, but this is subject to availability.

Twin beds are usually two separate beds. Please review each hotel option carefully taking into consideration each hotels website and other online reviews to ensure that each choice will suit you.

Meals mentioned in the program can change depending on the market availability.

Meals -

Usually at all hotels breakfast is included in the cost. Houseboats are on all meals bases.

Transport Arrangements – 

Air Condition coach

Driver and guide arrangements

You will be met and transferred between each of your destinations by your driver. Wherever possible we shall keep the same driver throughout your program. Each driver has a mobile should you need to contact him.

Price does not include

• International air fares, airport taxes, visa charges or any kind of insurance cover
• Vehicle at disposal on the days of leisure/walking tour/activities not mentioned above
• Any monument/attraction/activity not specified in the request/enumerated in inclusions
• Expenses of a personal nature i.e.: telephone calls, drinks, laundry, tips etc
• Any liability arising owing to last minute changes in the program due to reasons beyond our control for instance; political disturbances, natural phenomenon, change in schedule of flight or train, any VIP movement etc
• Camera/video fees at various monuments
• Cost arising out of any last-minute request by the guest for additional arrangements
• Any other items other than mentioned as ‘included’

 

Points to note

• We will stick to the itinerary and original plan and provide everything as described in the tour plan, but since some of the places we visit are not typically touristic in nature, last moment changes in plan can happen.
• Rates include only those items specified in your itinerary.
• Please note, the names of hotels mentioned above only indicate that our rates have been based on usage of these hotels. It is not to be construed that accommodation is confirmed at these hotels until and unless we convey the confirmations to you on receipt of your acceptance. However, in the event of any of the above-mentioned hotels not becoming available at the time of initiating the reservations.
• We shall book alternate accommodation at a similar or next best available hotel and shall pass on the difference of rates (supplement/reduction whatever applicable) to you.
• In case on any currency fluctuations or amendment in local Government taxes, or any fuel hike, we reserve the right to adjust the tour price accordingly. The due increase or decrease will be communicated accordingly.