The Slow South
Tea hills, a houseboat night, and a cooking lesson our host refuses to remove from the itinerary.
1 / 5
Placeholder artwork — real trip photography drops in here.
About this trip
A women-only week in Kerala for people who want to come back rested rather than impressed. Two nights in the tea country above Munnar where the mornings are cold enough for a blanket, a night on a houseboat in the Alleppey backwaters with a cook who will not let you leave hungry, and two nights in Fort Kochi walking streets that have been Dutch, Portuguese and British and are now entirely themselves. There is a Kathakali performance, a spice plantation, and an afternoon learning to make three things properly in a home kitchen.
- Two nights in the tea estates above Munnar
- A full houseboat night on the Alleppey backwaters, one boat for the group
- A home cooking lesson in Fort Kochi with Meera
- Kathakali, with the two hours of make-up beforehand explained
- Sunrise at Top Station, above the cloud line
Day by day
6 days, written by the host who runs it.
Day 1Kochi to Munnar
Pick-up at Kochi airport, then the climb to Munnar through rubber and spice country. Evening walk in the tea gardens behind the stay.
Day 2Munnar
Top Station at sunrise, above the clouds. Then the tea museum, a spice plantation, and a genuinely lazy afternoon. Nobody has ever complained about this day.
Day 3Munnar to Alleppey
Down to the backwaters by lunchtime, and onto the houseboat. The afternoon is spent moving slowly through the canals. Fish curry on the deck, and a very quiet night.
Day 4Alleppey to Fort Kochi
Off the boat after breakfast, then across to Fort Kochi. Afternoon walking Jew Town, the Chinese fishing nets and the Dutch cemetery. Kathakali in the evening.
Day 5Fort Kochi
The cooking lesson in the morning — three dishes, properly, and you will be able to make them again. Free afternoon for the cafés and the bookshops. Last dinner together.
Day 6Out
Breakfast, then airport drop for afternoon flights.
What the price covers
Included
- 5 nights — 2 in a Munnar estate stay, 1 on a private houseboat, 2 in a Fort Kochi heritage hotel
- All breakfasts, all dinners, and all meals on the houseboat
- The cooking lesson, the Kathakali tickets and all entry fees
- All transport including Kochi airport transfers
- A woman host with you throughout
Not included
- Flights
- Lunches on days 1, 4 and 5
- Ayurvedic treatments, if you want one
- Travel insurance
- Anything personal
Where you sleep, how you move
Stay
A tea-estate stay above Munnar with valley-facing rooms, a private houseboat for the group with attached bathrooms and air conditioning at night, and a heritage hotel in Fort Kochi within walking distance of everything. Women-only twin sharing. Private rooms ₹8,000 for the trip.
Transport
Private tempo traveller with a local driver throughout, including both airport transfers.
What to carry
- Light cottons and something with sleeves for temples and villages
- Comfortable walking sandals plus one pair of closed shoes
- Swimwear, and a quick-dry towel
- SPF 50, a hat, insect repellent
- A reusable water bottle
- Personal medication
Cancellation & refunds
Specific to this trip, because a permit-bound Himalayan departure cannot carry the same terms as a weekend by a river.
- More than 30 days before departure — full refund, less a ₹1,500 processing fee.
- 15 to 30 days before departure — 70% refund.
- 7 to 14 days before departure — 40% refund.
- Under 7 days before departure — no refund, but your seat is transferable to a friend at no cost.
- If we cancel a departure for any reason, you receive a full refund or a free transfer to another date, your choice.
Full terms are in our refund & cancellation policy.
Meet your host
Meera Nair
Based in Fort Kochi, Kerala · 2 trips led
Cook, ex-restaurant manager, and the only host who has ever added a cooking lesson to an itinerary and then refused to remove it. Leads Kerala and our South India women-only trips.
“You can see a place, or you can eat it. I would rather my groups did the second one.”
Not quite the one?
There are other departures, and we would rather put you on the right trip than the nearest one.
Or reach us on WhatsApp at +91 96063 37793