Visiting Kerala: backwaters, tea hills and beaches

• Kochi: Chinese fishing nets, colonial Fort Kochi, spice warehouses and evening Kathakali dance.
• Munnar: Rolling tea estates in cool hills, about four hours from Kochi. Munnar guide
• Periyar (Thekkady): Spice gardens and a wildlife reserve with elephants and boat safaris.
• Alleppey and Kumarakom: Board a converted rice barge for a night on the backwaters.
• Varkala and Kovalam: Beaches, with Varkala's red cliffs a favourite with independent travellers.

• Overnight cruises usually board around noon and finish after breakfast the next morning, with all meals cooked on board.
• Choose a licensed operator, and ask whether the boat has air conditioning at night; many only run it after dark.
• Boats moor for the night by law, usually from early evening, so most of the cruising happens in the afternoon.
• Kumarakom is quieter and more upmarket; Alleppey has more boats and more traffic on the water.
• A private boat is the norm, so a houseboat is ideal for couples and families.

• Ayurveda: Kerala is the home of India's traditional system of medicine. Choose a qualified centre for anything beyond a simple massage; serious treatments last at least a week or two.
• Food: Coconut, curry leaf and seafood dominate. Try appam with stew, a banana leaf sadya meal, and fish curry cooked in a clay pot.
• Culture: Watch Kathakali dance drama in Kochi, and the martial art of kalaripayattu in Thekkady.

September to March is dry and pleasant, with December and January the busiest months. The south west monsoon arrives in early June and brings heavy rain until August, though this is traditionally the best time for Ayurvedic treatments. The harvest festival of Onam falls in August or September.

Tip: Fly between the north and Kerala rather than taking the train. Delhi to Kochi is about three hours by air and more than two days by rail.

The classic two week India trip pairs the Golden Triangle with Kerala: a week of forts, the Taj Mahal and city energy, then a week to slow down. Fly Delhi or Jaipur to Kochi, and fly home from Kochi or Thiruvananthapuram. See how many days you need in India.