The placid backwaters of Kerala offer an experience like no other in India, far away from the noise of the highways.

An opportunity to observe life in remote villages only accessible by these waterways; The farmer herding his ducks onto the rice paddies to eat the grain, women singing and laughing while preparing for a wedding, children on their way to school all may be seen from the comfort of your traditional houseboat or “kettuvallam”. The capital of Kerala, Cochin is the oldest European settlement in India, with many influences still evident today, the Jewish synagogue, the Dutch church and the Chinese fishing nets.

The beautiful state of Karnataka is famous for incense sticks, sandalwood, shimmering silk and for Mysore its ancient capital with tree lined boulevards lined with magnificent Palaces and Majestic buildings. Famous also for Nagarhole National Park, a landscape of gentle forested slopes shallow valleys containing an abundance of wildlife .The last stage of this southern India journey leads South and East to Tamil Nadu, through the city of Madurai , an important textile centre and home to Shree Meenakshi, one of the most important temples in India, on to Tanjore and Pondicherry an attractive former French colony with a Mediterranean feel. Here can be found the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, one of the most popular and affluent in India.

The final destination is the peaceful and green metropolis of Chennai, a beautiful city on the shores of the Bay of Bengal. Visit the Fort of St George built by the East India Company in 1653 and the 8^th century Parthasarthy Temple built by the Pallavas and devoted to Lord Krishna. Time now to reflect on the journey, while watching the waters of the sea wash over the golden sands of Marina Beach.