A journey through Northern Kerala & Karnataka

Mysore was the seat of the Wodeyar rulers who ruled southern Karnataka under the Vijayanagar Kings to the north. They ruled from 1399 until Independence in 1947 except for a bloody 38-year intermission when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan took over until defeat by the British in 1799. Start with the markets, best seen in the morning and some of the most colourful in south India. Continue to explore the Amba Vilas Palace, constructed in 1897 for the Wodeyars and a collection of interesting rooms. The Amber Vilas Hall is stunning, as too the Public Durbar Hall. It’s worth heading up to the Chamundeshvari Temple on the summit of the hill outside of Mysore.

Continue driving to the west, and you come across the pretty region of Wyanad and a stay at Tranquil Plantation. You can opt to stay in one of their two superb treehouses. There are a host of walks through the estate, from easy-going hikes to one aptly named ‘Cliffhanger’. The views from the top are spell-binding.

You’ll then turn north towards Kabini, and opt for the shorter, bumpier road or a flatter longer route. If you really want to get off-the-beaten track and see a part of India that time really hasn’t touched, then we suggest the former. You’ll see farmers still ploughing with bullocks, and villages where the modern world hasn’t reached. Arrive at the Kabini River which is next to the Nagarhole National Park. You can take a boat safari along the river that evening.

You can head into the park early this morning and late in the afternoon, either on jeeps or on boat. There is tiger here, but they are only seen about once a week (and usually quite a quick sighting as the undergrowth is fairly think and the tigers quite shy). Leopard is spotted here, as too a really strong population of wild tiger. There is a host of bird species in the park, and also the rare bonnet macaque.

Coorg (or Kodagu) is in the Western Ghat hill-range and is stunningly beautiful, featuring rolling coffee and orange plantations. A popular walk is to explore Madikeri (there is a fort and the Omkareshvara Temple) before walking up to Abbey Falls through coffee plantations. We can adapt your experience here to what you want to see and do. There is also an interesting Tibetan community who moved here in the 1950s.

You then drive down to the coast and a three-night stay at Neeleshwar or the Vivanta by Taj – Bekal. Spend your days at leisure, or possibly explore the local backwaters, which are far less touristy than those around Cochin and Alleppey. For history lovers, you can see the forts at Bekel and Chandragiri.

Fly to Bangalore and spend your final night (alternatively you can fly straight out of Mangalore or Calicut after your beach stay). Bangalore   is India’s Silicon Valley and is an interesting place to explore on your final afternoon.

Return back to the airport for your flight home, or we could extend your stay in India as Bangalore has superb flight connections.