Upon arrival In the morning, you are transferred to the airport for the short flight to Hubli, from where you are transferred by car (2-3 hours) to the spice-growing village of Hulgol, near the market town of Sirsi. Surrounding the village is a landscape of grassland and lush plantations, lakes and waterfalls, that is home to an array of birds such as hornbills, parakeets, peacocks, bee-eaters, and jungle babblers and mynahs. All manner of spices are cultivated on these hills: vanilla pods, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom, to name but a few. You have three nights at the aptly named Spice House.

Your guide will be happy to show you around the local area, where there is much to see and do: pay a visit to farmers amid their hillside plantations to learn about spice cultivation; watch a demonstration of spice cookery by village women (one of whom has more than a hundred recipes for curry alone!); and witness the colourful and aromatic market in Sirsi – it’s great fun to see how the spice auction is carried out. Meander on guided walks along shady paths through the exotic-feeling forest, admiring betel nut production methods. On day 3 of the program visit the ornate Banvasi Temple and Yana Caves, or take a trip east to Hampi where you can wander amid the ruined palaces, statues and elephant stables of the ancient city of Vijayanagara.

You are transferred by car (3 hours) to the quiet fishing village of Pavinakurva on a secluded stretch of coast lined with palm trees. You arrrive at the Coast House your base for a night, in time for lunch, and can spend the rest of day relaxing or exploring. The village is home to a friendly community of farmers and fishermen, dependent on land and sea for their livelihood. The main crops are cashew nuts and rice, which feature strongly in the cooking, along with the fresh fish that is landed early each morning for the market. Pavinakurva is accessible by a wonderful wooden footbridge where you will be sure to meet fishermen, children on their way to school and women carrying baskets of cashews. It’s a perfect place to relax as you slowly melt into the rhythms of village life – take time out to sit on the beach and watch the waves rolling in from a deep blue sea; wander round the remarkable Parameshwari Temple; or bask in the sunshine as you watch a local game of cricket. Discover, too, the Tarabligi Estuary where the river meets the sea, and visit the nearby fishing village of Honavar where you can see boats being made using traditional crafts.

After lunch, you are transferred to Talguppa (1 hour) in time to catch the afternoon train to Mysore. Arriving here at night, you are met by a driver and a car who will take you to your hotel, where you stay for two nights.

Enjoy exploring this flamboyant city and its fascinating regal heritage, ably guided by your friendly and knowledgeable driver. You will no doubt wish to take in the staggeringly opulent Mysore Palace – lit by 100,000 light bulbs on certain nights – though you are just as likely to find yourself captivated by the bustling markets selling sandalwood and silk. You may also wish to venture out of the city to the nearby Chamundi Hills to admire the beautiful hill-top Sri Chamundeswari Temple.

Leaving Mysore after breakfast, you are taken by car to the village of Mothakkara in the hills of Wayanad (4 hours). The village consists of pretty houses scattered amid dense forest and spice and coffee plantations. You have three nights at Wayanad.

Accompanied by your guide, you explore the local area, perhaps paying a visit to farmers amid their hillside plantations to discover the secrets of banana and pepper growing; enjoying spectacular walks towards Banasura Mountain; or taking a day trip to the nearby village of Thrikkaipetta to visit the cooperative of wonderfully skilled ladies who make bamboo handicrafts.

After a three-hour transfer to Kozhikode, you take the day train to Ernakulam (4 hours). You are met here for the hour-long drive to Vayalar, amid the enchanting backwaters of Kerala. Intricate networks of rivers, canals and lagoons nourish countless rice paddies and coconut groves, among which entire communities live out their lives. In Vayalar, you board a Kettuvallam, which – through its unique construction – allows you to visit areas that remain ‘off-limits to the larger tourist vessels. (You can also use its canoe to travel even deeper into this magical land.) This boat is your home for the next two nights as you embark on a slow-paced, leisurely and laid-back cruise that you will never forget.

You see quiet, rarely visited backwaters, mooring each evening at a different village where you are welcomed enthusiastically before enjoying Keralan specialities for dinner. The three villages are all strikingly beautiful, but each has a very individual character and focus, whether it be coir-rope making, in the case of Vayalar, or the fish and seafood farming of Kodamanthurthu. Morning and evening you are free to explore with your guide, perhaps witnessing farmers herding their ducks down the backwaters or learning how prawns are cultivated. The cruise itself takes place during the heat of the afternoon, a chance for you to sit back and watch the world go by as you drift languidly beneath a shady canopy to your next port of call.

You bid goodbye to the Kettuvallam after breakfast and are taken by car to Kochi (1 hour), where you spend your final two nights in the centre at a Hotel Resplendent and serene on the Malabar Coast, Kochi was once the centre of India’s lucrative spice trade where Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama set up the first European trading post.

Spend your final day taking in more of the historic splendour of Kochi. Where else could you find enormous, cantilevered fishing nets from China; a 400-year-old synagogue; ancient mosques and Portuguese houses –Combined with some of the most tastebud-tingling cuisines in the whole of India, this makes for a suitably grand finale to your memorable southern Indian adventure.You are transferred from your hotel to Kochi airport for your flight back home.