Depart London Heathrow this morning, flying Emirates, via Dubai to Cochin.

On arrival this morning transfer to the Brunton Boatyard Hotel. The rest of the day is free - your hotel is ideally situated for exploring the streets of Old Cochin.

Known as the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’, Cochin is a city founded on trade and its streets still harbour a rich mix of cultural influences and styles. A morning sightseeing tour of Cochin today takes in Fort Cochin, the oldest European settlement in India, as well as the Church of St. Francis, where Vasco de Gama was buried for a short while. In the Portuguese built Mattancherry Palace you will find some of the finest murals in India, and returning to the hotel via the cantilevered Chinese Fishing Nets the rest of the afternoon is free to enjoy at your leisure.

Travel by road to Periyar today, where you stay at the Spice Village. This afternoon there will be a boat ride on Lake Periyar to enjoy something of the rich birdlife in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the most picturesque in the entire region and one of the 16 Project Tiger Reserves in the country

A morning visit to a local spice plantation affords the opportunity to discover crops such as cardamon, nutmeg, pepper, coffee and tamarind in their native environment and learn about their varied uses. With a free afternoon we recommend the optional jungle walk. Renowned for its elephant population, Periyar is also home to sambar, langurs some 250 species of birds and, at the last count, around 40 tigers, although the chances of seeing these most elusive of animals is rare

Continuing by road, you head for Kumarakom today, for a stay at the Coconut Lagoon Resort in the beautiful and tranquil Kerala backwaters

A free day to soak up the captivating ambience of this most serene of settings. Occupying the alluvial plains that separate the Western Ghats from the Indian Ocean, the backwaters are made up of a vast expanse of lagoons and canals that crisscross the landscape for nearly 2,000 kilometres

After a leisurely morning you will board your private houseboat for an unforgettable journey through the fascinating palm fringed landscapes of the backwaters, where the locals and the river enjoy an almost symbiotic existence and where life on the water continues as it has for generations. Overnight on the houseboat in comfortable twin cabins with private en suite facilities.

Arrive in Alleppey and transfer to the Marari Beach Resort in Mararikulam.

At leisure on the shores of the Indian Ocean

As above

Transfer to Cochin for the morning Emirates flight to London via Dubai. Arrive London Heathrow later this evening