South India: Explore Kerala

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer is included.

Enjoy a walking tour in old Fort Kochi, including the fish market, Chinese fishing nets, Dutch Palace, and Jewish Quarter. Meet a local spice expert, learning the medicinal and culinary uses of spices and their importance in the life of Kerala and all of India. This evening, enjoy a traditional Kathakali dance performance.

Visit Tripunithura Hill Palace then continue to Kumarakom on Vembanad Lake, the largest freshwater lake in the state of Kerala. Enjoy a canoe paddle along the narrow canals and take a walking tour through the paddy fields and Chempu village.

Spend the day cruising the Kerala backwaters on a comfortable houseboat while observing local village life and bird watching. Later, visit a local home in Alleppey and enjoy a cooking demonstration of traditional Kerala cuisine and dine in the family's home.

This morning, meet with a representative of the Vembanad Wetlands Conservation Program to learn about the ongoing work by local communities to conserve the lake and surrounding wetlands. This project was created by the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), an organization that the National Geographic has collaborated with on many conservation projects across India over the past decade. Continue by boat to a fish sanctuary established by traditional fishermen through the program. Meet with some of the fishermen and see firsthand how their traditional ways of collecting and processing clams are models for the management of lake resources. After, continue to the beach to relax in paradise with free time to explore.

Free time on Vypīn Island.

Depart at any time.