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Mrs. Faiza Moosa's gourmet dinners are famous. Every day guests sit down to her sumptuous feasts - stuffed mussels, tamarind prawns,
chili spinach - in the elegance of the 138 year-old colonial
home stay, framed by coconut palms overlooking the Arabian Sea.
From Malabar Muslim to traditional Hindu, Syrian Christian to vegetarian agro-forestry - this tour
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takes you on a journey feasting and preparing the best of South Indian Kerala food. We'll visit the markets and bazaars, sample tropical fruits and vegetables, go fishing and exchange recipes.
There'll be plenty of time to relax too, all in the surroundings of river islands, forest gardens, beaches and the beautiful city of Cochin.
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Itinerary |
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Day 1-2: |
Your arrival in the City of Kochi. Set on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, Kochi is a city of cultural diversity - winding streets, shady trees, Kathakali dance, modern Indian art, 500-year old Portuguese houses, mosques, a tiny Jewish community with ancient roots - and ferry boats scuttling backwards and forwards. Once you are settled into your hotel, we can take you on our backstreet tour of the city by foot and three-wheelers, visiting the spice market, the fishing habour and, in the evening, the city's Kathakali dance show. On our second day, we can join have lunch – real seafood delicacies, at the home of Thomas’ friend, Anu Samuel. Overnight: (2 nights), The Old Courtyard Hotel, Fort Cochin - 200 year old Portuguese building, centered on a cobblestone courtyard, fine food, and live classical Indian music in the evenings. |
Day 3-4: |
Day 3-4: We'll take the car to Kalamandalam, to visit the Indian Performing Arts school. The school was set up n the 1930s and offers training and performances in traditional dance such as Kathakali and Koodiyattam. From Kalamandalam, we’ll take the remaining part of our journey by train to Ayesha Manzil
home stay, arriving by dusk. The journey gives a truly 'insider's' view of the country as we travel past the backyards of homes - a mother feeding her children, clothes hung out on lines, goats grazing, boys playing cricket. Ayesha Manzil
home stay was bought by the Moosas in 1900. The colonial bungalow combines elegance with luxury. The rooms are vast and filled with antique furniture, including large wooden beds, hand carved writing desks and reclining divans. You can take breakfast on the garden terrace overlooking the ocean and there's a cool, emerald-tiled pool for bathing. Faiza Mooza is internationally renowned for her Mopla cuisine -
Kerala Islamic cooking. The food can be very hot and spicy and is completely different to other types of Indian food. You can begin your day here with an early morning trip to the fish market and spice merchant and end it with a wonderful feast. The surrounding area is beautiful with a long, almost deserted beach nearby where you can walk off the meals. In addition to eating and swimming, we can visit the huge cinnamon plantation (Asia's largest) founded nearly 150 years ago by the original owner of the house, Murdoch Brown; hire a bike and cycle along the coast; and watch the evening Theyyam dance rituals at Parasinikkadavu Muthappan Temple. (cooking demonstrations are available for an additional price). Overnight: (2 nights), Ayesha Manzil
home stay. |
Day 5-7: |
We'll make our way by car to the northern tip of Kerala to the town of Kasargod - backwater rivers and islands, fine sand beaches, rainforests, temples, and Theyyam dance forms (the oldest ritualistic temple art form in India.). Here we will stay with Jagannath family in their
home stay - Gitanjali Heritage. In addition to sampling traditional Hindu cuisine, you can spend time relaxing on the unspoilt beaches, go trekking in the rain forests, take boat cruises in the backwaters, take Ayurvedic rejuvenation and relaxation therapies, learn about the ottamooli traditional medicine, learn yoga and reiki - or simply while your time playing chess,
caroms, scrabbles, monopoly. In the evening of day 7, we’ll take the overnight train (A/C sleeper) to Alleppey. (cooking tuition is available for an additional price). Overnight: (2 nights), Gitanjali Heritage
home stay. |
Day 8-10: |
We will be met by the 100 year-old wooden canoe owned by Vinod and taken to his family
home stay on Emerald Isle, an island of 400 homes on the Kerala backwaters. The life of the people who live here is centered on the backwaters - women pound their washing, families brush teeth, men linger at the local 'chai' shop, and canoes and ferry boats scurry by. Vinod's family is Syrian Christian. A quarter of the Christians in India come from Kerala - the majority (5 million) of whom are Syrian Christians. Their conversions took place around AD 46, and their church is Syrian Orthodox, though they have maintained many Hindu customs. Their culture and food is distinct. You can take it easy over the next few days - reading in the hammock, dangling your toes in the water, taking massages, trying out the local tea shop and - of course - eating. Or if you're feeling more active - you can take a motorboat to visit the fruit and vegetable market; go cycling through the necklace of villages of Kuttanad; take evening walks or go bird watching through the paddy fields and homesteads; and help with cooking in the family kitchens. Overnight: (three nights) Emerald Isle
home stay - warm family hospitality, courtyard gardens, hammock and nearby chai shop. The rice, pepper, coconut are all from Vinod's family farm. A quick count on our fingers, and we estimate that a stay at Emerald Isle directly supports the livelihood of over 15 families. |
| Day 11: |
You’ll be picked up and taken for a night on a luxury houseboat on Kerala's backwaters. The houseboat is a converted rice-barge. Reclining on cushions, you'll travel through the rivers and a labyrinth of man-made canals that flow through island paddy fields. Overnight: (1 night) on-board the house boat. Lunch and dinner on board. |
| Day 12-13: |
Day 12-13: We'll take the car to Harita Farm. On our way, we'll stop off at the ancestral home of Thomas (our tour partner). The home is 120 years old and hidden amongst the trees. As guests, we'll share lunch with his brother's family who now live in the house and rest. Harita (meaning 'green') is owned and run by Mrs. Mathew, wife of late Prof.T.C.Mathew and her sons. The 2.5 hectare farm and forest gardens is managed using Indian Permaculture and bio-organic techniques. Plants grown on the farm supply the vegetarian cuisine prepared for the
home stay - coconut, pineapple, bananas, different types of yam, tapioca, spices such as pepper, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, turmeric, vanilla and other tropical fruit trees and medicinal herbs. The farm maintains a small number of cows, which supplies the biogas for the kitchen. And the family preserves traditional recipes of the region and uses them on a daily basis. There is plenty to do here. In addition to preparing and eating wonderful home-grown feasts, we can explore the forest gardens, take picnics to waterfalls, explore neighboring villages, visit the elephant training centre, and go swimming in the river. OR You can stay at Mundakkal Spice Plantation
home stay, on the farm of John Zacharias – Professor of Commerce at the local college. The farm (spices, cocoa beans, coffee and rubber) is located in Kerala’s spice heartland. Here, in this predominantly farming village, we can learn cooking, go birding (there are 80 species of birds around the villa), take walks in the countryside or go cycling, Overnight: (two nights) Harita Farm or Mundakkal Spice Plantation
home stay. |
| Day 14: |
After a farewell meal, we'll take you to the airport for your journey home (a 1-hour trip from Harita Farm). |
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