Kerala & the South
Backwaters, tea hills and a private houseboat through the still south.
- Nature · Calm
- Ideal length: 8-11 days
- Best time: October through March brings dry, temperate days ideal for the palaces and plains, while the Himalayan foothills reward a spring or autumn visit.
- Private guiding, access and transfers throughout
- From US$9,000 per traveler — a starting point, tailored to you
- Designed one-to-one by a Forest Travel advisor
- Virtuoso privileges at the finest luxury hotels
Backwaters, tea hills and a private houseboat through the still south.
India rewards those who travel slowly, unfolding one private courtyard, cup of chai and quiet dawn at a time.
When to go
October through March brings dry, temperate days ideal for the palaces and plains, while the Himalayan foothills reward a spring or autumn visit. Your advisor times it to the light, the crowds and your own calendar.
The experiences
A sense of what this journey can hold — each one arranged privately and shaped to you:
- A private houseboat drifting through the palm-lined backwaters, with a cook aboard for every meal.
- A dawn walk among the tea gardens of Munnar with a planter who knows every slope.
- A quiet visit to a spice plantation, tasting cardamom and pepper straight from the vine.
- A private performance of Kathakali, explained beforehand by the artist himself.
A sense of the rhythm
The south moves at the pace of still water, unfolding from the coast to the tea hills and back to the backwaters. You glide by private houseboat, wander cool plantation slopes and settle into the finest luxury hotels tucked among the greenery. It is India at its most restorative, green and unhurried.
The backwaters or the tea hills first?
Beginning in the backwaters eases you gently into the region's rhythm, all water and warmth. Starting in the tea hills of Munnar offers cool air and sweeping views before you descend to the coast. We often suggest the hills first, so the journey ends on the water, at its most serene.
How to do it well
The counsel our advisors give travelers planning this journey:
- Choose a private houseboat over a shared vessel; the difference in peace is considerable.
- Spend at least two nights in the tea hills; a single night barely lets the altitude and calm register.
- Time your backwater cruise to overnight on the water for the extraordinary dawn.
- Build in a coastal day at the end for warm sea air before you travel onward.
What only your advisor can open
The difference between a good trip and an unrepeatable one is access — and access is a relationship, not a booking. Every guide, room and moment is chosen and sequenced for you.
Who it's for
Travelers who value privacy, time and doing it once — beautifully — and who would rather have one trusted advisor orchestrate every detail than assemble it themselves.
Estimated investment
From US$9,000 per traveler, based on double occupancy — scaled to your dates, party size and level of privacy. A starting point, not a final quote; confirmed once your advisor tailors the itinerary.
Designed entirely around you
Nothing here is a package. A Forest Travel advisor shapes the whole journey and stays one message away before and throughout your trip.
Your Virtuoso privileges
As a Virtuoso member, Forest Travel includes benefits reserved for Virtuoso guests at the finest luxury hotels, at no added cost: a room upgrade on arrival when available, daily breakfast for two, a property credit toward dining or spa, and early check-in with late check-out when the hotel allows.
Continue exploring India
Part of our India travel guide. Related private journeys:
Begin the conversation
Tell a Forest Travel advisor how you like to travel and they will design Kerala & the South around you — privately, every Virtuoso privilege included. Request your private consultation →
Questions, answered.
India
See the collection →Tell a private advisor how you like to travel — no quotes, no obligation.
Begin Your Private Consultation
