Self-Launched Kerala & the Tropical South

Fly or train into Kochi, the historic spice port on the Malabar Coast. Check into a budget guesthouse in Fort Kochi. This afternoon wander the colonial lanes past the iconic Chinese fishing nets at the harbour entrance, and if you arrive early enough catch the sunset cruise through the harbour. In the evening find a local seafood restaurant for a welcome dinner of Kerala's famous fish curry.

🚌Pre-booked arrival (airport taxi or train from Kottayam/Ernakulam, ~£5)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Fort Kochi (~£15)

• →Wander Fort Kochi's colonial streets
• →Watch the Chinese fishing nets at sunset
• →Optional harbour sunset cruise (~£8)

Spend the day exploring Kochi's twin historic neighbourhoods on foot and by auto-rickshaw. In Fort Kochi visit St Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was buried in 1524, and the Santa Cruz Basilica. Cross into Mattancherry to see the Mattancherry Palace (Dutch Palace) and Jew Town with its antique shops and warehouses. In the late afternoon, catch a Kathakali dance performance — an unmissable classical Keralan art form.

🚌Walking, plus short auto-rickshaw hops (~£3)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Fort Kochi (~£15)

• →Visit St Francis Church and Santa Cruz Basilica (~£1)
• →Tour Mattancherry Palace / Dutch Palace (~£1)
• →Browse Jew Town's antique shops
• →Evening Kathakali dance performance (~£7)

Take the scenic journey up into the Western Ghats to the hill station of Munnar (roughly 160km, 5-6 hours by the winding mountain roads). Grab a window seat on the Kerala State Transport bus or share a taxi for comfort. Settle into a budget hotel in the hills this afternoon. In the late afternoon, visit the Srishti charitable trust (open subject to hours), which trains people with disabilities from local tea-planter families in baking, cloth dyeing and paper making.

🚌KSRTC bus or shared taxi from Kochi to Munnar (~£6)

🛏Budget hotel in Munnar (~£18)

• →Scenic mountain bus ride to Munnar
• →Visit the Srishti social organisation (donation welcome)

Start early and set off on a self-guided or locally-guided trek from the village of Nagarmudi, winding through endless tea plantations and climbing into the Seven Malai Hills for panoramic views over Chittrapuram Dam, Changulam Lake and Munnar itself (about 6km with a few steep sections — take it slow with plenty of rest stops). Afternoon is optional and free: visit the Tea Museum for the history of Munnar's estates and enjoy a tea-tasting, or simply relax with views over Anamudi, southern India's highest peak.

🚌Short auto-rickshaw/taxi to Nagarmudi trailhead (~£4)

🛏Budget hotel in Munnar (~£18)

• →Guided or self-guided tea plantation trek (6km)
• →Optional Munnar Tea Museum & tasting (~£2)

Leave Kerala and drive across the Western Ghats into Tamil Nadu to the colourful temple town of Madurai (about 165km, 6-7 hours). Take an overnight or day bus for the mountain crossing. Once arrived, check into a budget hotel in the centre. After an early dinner, join the crowds for the nightly closing ceremony at the magnificent Sri Meenakshi Temple — arrive via tuk-tuk and potentially wait for the spectacular procession (roughly 9.30pm onwards).

🚌Bus from Munnar to Madurai (~£5 + tuk-tuk £2)

🛏Budget hotel in central Madurai (~£15)

• →Bus over the Western Ghats to Madurai
• →Evening closing ceremony at Sri Meenakshi Temple (free/donation)

Rise early to experience Madurai waking up — many consider this the highlight of the whole trip. Walk the city as the sun rises, watching locals milk cows, create intricate kolam floor art and fire up roadside breakfast stalls; sip local filter coffee or juice along the way. End at the Sri Meenakshi Temple, a pinnacle of Vijayanagar architecture (16th-18th century), a swirling hive of devotional activity. This afternoon visit the Indo-Mughal Thirumalai Nayaka Palace and the Gandhi Memorial Museum, then finish at the lively flower market. As dusk falls, pull up a rooftop restaurant for the best views over the temple towers.

🚌Walking and auto-rickshaw (~£3)

🛏Budget hotel in central Madurai (~£15)

• →Self-guided dawn city walk
• →Explore Sri Meenakshi Temple (~£1)
• →Tour Thirumalai Nayaka Palace (~£1)
• →Visit the Gandhi Memorial Museum
• →Wander the flower market

Travel from Madurai through the spectacular Western Ghats scenery into the spice-growing village of Thekkady (roughly 4-5 hours by bus). In the afternoon, explore the bazaar where cardamom, vanilla, peppercorns and turmeric are piled high, and take a gentle evening walk around a spice garden seeing the plants growing. Wind the day down with a genuine home-cooked Keralan dinner and cooking demonstration with a welcoming local family.

🚌Bus from Madurai to Thekkady (~£4)

🛏Budget homestay in Thekkady (~£15)

• →Bus to Thekkady
• →Browse the spice bazaar
• →Walk a spice garden (~£3)
• →Home cooking demonstration & Keralan dinner (~£10)

Join a local naturalist for an early-morning nature walk through Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, one of India's largest protected areas, keeping eyes peeled for wild elephants, otters and abundant birdlife including kingfishers and hornbills. This afternoon, join the popular boat cruise on the lake (book tickets online in advance to avoid the queues) where elephants and wild pigs often come down to the water. Optional extras around town include an Ayurvedic massage or a local martial-arts (Kalaripayattu) performance.

🚌Auto-rickshaw to sanctuary gate (~£3)

🛏Budget homestay in Thekkady (~£15)

• →Guided nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary (~£6)
• →Optional lake boat cruise (~£11)
• →Optional Ayurvedic massage / Kalaripayattu show

Travel from Thekkady to Kumarakom, a serene cluster of islands on the vast Vembanad Lake (roughly 4 hours by bus via Kottayam). Break the journey at the Kanjirapally plantation area, where you can walk beneath the dripping-latex rubber trees and watch a rubber-tapping demonstration. Continue to Kumarakom and enjoy a traditional Keralan meal with a local family — banana leaf, rice and all the accompaniments.

🚌Bus from Thekkady via Kottayam to Kumarakom (~£5)

🛏Budget homestay near Vembanad Lake (~£16)

• →Rubber plantation walk & tapping demo
• →Traditional Keralan lunch with a local family (~£5)

Set off before breakfast (about 6am) on a shikhara boat to explore a backwater village in the cool morning air. Meet the community and learn local skills — coconut-tree climbing, coconut-leaf weaving and net fishing — and sample a freshly cut coconut and fresh Kerala toddy (palm wine) along the way. Return for breakfast, then board your traditional converted rice barge (kettuvallam) for an unforgettable overnight backwater cruise. Drift past palm-lined canals and paddy fields as the crew prepare your on-board Keralan meals.

🚌Shikhara boat and houseboat cruise

🛏Traditional houseboat (kettuvallam), meals included (~£45)

• →Morning shikhara boat village exploration (~£12)
• →Overnight traditional houseboat backwater cruise (~£45 inc meals)

Disembark your houseboat and travel south along the Malabar Coast to the famous beach town of Kovalam (several hours by bus via Kollam, ~£5). Break the journey to visit the atmospheric Mannarasala temple, Kerala's celebrated serpent shrine set among groves of trees with hundreds of cobra sculptures. Arrive in Kovalam late afternoon and settle into a beachside guesthouse. Note: some travellers prefer to stop at Trivandrum first and come on to the beach the next day — the route is flexible.

🚌Bus from Alleppey/Kumarakom to Kovalam (~£5)

🛏Beachside guesthouse in Kovalam (~£15)

• →Visit the Mannarasala snake temple
• →Arrive & settle into Kovalam beach

A free day to do as you please in this laid-back stretch of sand on the old hippie trail. Swim, sunbathe and eat fresh seafood at one of the clifftop restaurants, or take an optional full-day trip down to Kanyakumari — India's southern tip where the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean meet, famed for its multicoloured sand and extraordinary sunrises/sunsets over Vivekananda Rock.

🚌Walking; optional bus to Kanyakumari (~£6)

🛏Beachside guesthouse in Kovalam (~£15)

• →Relax on Kovalam beach
• →Optional Kanyakumari day trip (sunset point & Vivekananda Rock, ~£20)

Take a lazy morning at the beach before heading north to Kerala's capital, Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), just a short bus hop away. Spend the afternoon touring the city's highlights: the magnificent Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the Napier Museum with its eclectic collections, and the colonial-era buildings around the Secretariat. Alternatively, stay in Kovalam and simply soak up one more day of sun.

🚌Local bus between Kovalam and Trivandrum (~£1)

🛏Budget hotel in Thiruvananthapuram or Kovalam (~£15)

• →Tour the Padmanabhaswamy Temple
• →Visit Napier Museum (~£1)
• →Wander Thiruvananthapuram's historical core

Your self-launched southern India adventure comes to an end in the beach town of Kovalam. Depending on your onward plans, hop the short local bus to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport for a domestic flight or connect to the railway network at Trivandrum Central to continue your travels across India. Shop for final spices and souvenirs before you leave.

🚌Bus/taxi to Trivandrum airport or station (~£5)

🛏—

• →Departure from Kovalam
• →Connect to Trivandrum airport/station for onward travel