Passage to Southern India

Meet your Ross Tour leader your hotel in Bangalore, India’s Garden City.

Check-in to the Taj West End for two nights; a 5-star luxury heritage retreat that feels like a lush green sanctuary, surrounded by century-old trees and serene gardens despite being in the heart of the city.

For guests travelling on the Qantas group flight, meet your Ross Tour leader at Sydney Airport for your flight to Bangalore.

Join your fellow travellers tonight and celebrate a Welcome Dinner.

Enjoy a guided morning walk through Lalbagh Botanical Gardens which houses India’s largest collection of tropical and sub-tropical plants. This verdant paradise boasts more than 1800 species of rare plants and flowers, some of which are centuries old.

This afternoon, step into Koshy’s Heritage Bungalow Garden, where the owners share memories connected to the plants they have nurtured for generations.

Today travel to Mysore, on the way stop at Channapatna, a town known for its 200-year-old lacquer toy-making craft once patronised by Tipu Sultan. Visit a small family workshop to watch the process up close.

Travel onto Mysore and check-in to your hotel overlooking the Chamundi Hills. Mysore is a fascinating city famous for its plush palaces and fabulous festivals, elegant streets, mild climate, production of sandalwood, silk and incense.

Enjoy dinner this evening at the Elephant Bar and a visit to Brindavan Gardens one of the most beautifully laid out terrace gardens in the world. Located beside the Krishnarajasagara Dam, these terraced gardens feature symmetrical lawns, vibrant flower beds, and lit pathways that come alive at dusk.

An early morning nature walk at Kukkarahalli Lake before visiting the the private gardens of Mysore Palace. Spend time walking through the outdoor spaces that have been maintained by the royal family for generations, learning how the garden layout, plant choices and upkeep reflect the palace’s history.

We’re heading to Srirangapatna, once the capital of the Mysore Wadiyar rajas, to visit the Daria Daulat Bagh, the summer palace of Tipu Sultan, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’. Tipu Sultan used this palace as a retreat from the strenuous life of a king. It is made of teak and built in Indo-Islamic style with richly painted timber frescoes.

This morning is free for you to enjoy at leisure.

Relax as you pass through small towns, fields and forested stretches on our way to the Kabini River. Check-in to Evolve Back Resort, a serene wilderness lodge set along the Kabini River, known for its earthy architecture inspired by the Hadis (tribal villages) and its sweeping panoramic vistas.

Head out on a jeep safari in Nagarhole National Park, an area known for its teak forests, open meadows and wildlife. Watch elephants, deer, colourful birdlife and, with some luck, big cats moving through the forest.

Early-morning boat safari on the Kabini backwaters—one of the finest ways to observe wildlife along the shoreline. Watch elephants wading in the shallows, crocodiles basking on the banks, and a rich variety of birdlife flitting through the trees.

Return to the lodge for some time to relax, before an afternoon jeep safari at Nagarhole National Park.

Travel to the ‘Queen of the Hills’ this morning, climbing high into the Nilgiri Hills to Ooty at 2,240m above sea level. This colourful hill town was once a popular weekend escape (from the coastal heat) for British Colonials.

Check-in to your charming heritage hotel, the Taj Savoy then enjoy a visit to a visit to a working tea estate. Walk through the tea gardens to understand how the plants are grown and harvested and continue with a tea blending session.

Later, visit the historic Ooty Botanical Gardens, laid out in 1847 with its wonderful collection of trees and shrubs.

Explore the heritage walking trail through Ooty’s older neighbourhoods. From St. Stephen’s Church, one of the earliest churches in the Nilgiris, to the Stonehouse, the first bungalow built in Ooty. Hear how the earliest settlements took shape, eventually expanding into the hill station that Ooty became.

Follow Botanical Garden Avenue, a peaceful stretch lined with British-era homes, old trees and gardens that have survived for generations.

Continue to the Karnataka Siri Horticulture Garden at Fernhill that showcases local planting styles, seasonal flowers and the practical ways in which residents have adapted gardening to the region’s cool climate.

This evening, enjoy a relaxing dinner with view of the hills.

Ride the famous UNESCO World Heritage listed Ooty Toy Train to Coonoor. This scenic journey passes through tunnels and over bridges—delivering panoramic views of dense forests, rolling tea plantations, and villages nestled among the Nilgiri Mountains.

Continue onto Coimbatore with a leisurely visit to the Kasthuri Sreenivasan Art Gallery which showcases paintings, sculptures and craftwork from local and regional artists.

Check-in to your hotel for the evening and enjoy dinner this evening which highlights the flavours of Southern India.

Journey through inland plains, past waterways and coconut groves on the way to Kochi, the most cosmopolitan city of Kerala, also known as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. Kochi has one of the finest natural harbours in the world.

On the way visit the Guruvayur Temple and the Muziris Heritage Area and walk the old streets and see former trading homes in one of the oldest trading regions on the Malabar Coast.

Your boutique hotel for the next two nights is a restored heritage mansion. A treat tonight, a spectacular performance of Kerala’s traditional classic Kathakali dance, which involves elaborate costumes and makeup, and intricate movements of hands, body, face and eyes.

Explore Kochi, a city shaped by centuries of trade and cultural exchange. Commencing at the bustling spice markets and old warehouses where the aroma of pepper, ginger, and betel nut fill the air.

Then onto Fort Kochi, where the Portuguese first landed in India and built St. Francis Church, the country’s oldest European church. Along the waterfront, see the iconic Chinese fishing nets, known locally as “cheena vala” their graceful silhouettes forming one of Kerala’s most enchanting images.

Tonight visit a local family for a cooking demonstration and enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal together.

Travel east through small towns, past rubber plantations and stretches of forest before arriving at Munnar where the landscape opens into rolling hills carpeted in emerald-green tea plantations. Munnar is South India’s largest tea-growing region.

Enjoy lunch and masala tea with a local family and explore Munnar’s tea estates before checking into your hillside retreat overlooking tea-covered slopes.

The afternoon is your to enjoy.

A morning visit to Srishti Trust, a community initiative that provides training and employment to local residents. See how the centre supports artisans through skills such as natural dyeing, paper making and textile crafts.

Take part in a Batik block-printing workshop; a craft deeply connected to the region. Artisans will guide you through the wax-resist technique step by step. Choose your blocks, apply the wax pattern and work with natural dyes to create your own hand-printed stole to take home.

Morning drive to Kumarakom, a village on Vembanad Lake in the backwaters of Kerala. Enroute, take a short boat ride to visit Philipkutty’s farm, a working property on a man-made island that practices sustainable/organic methods, producing coconuts, bananas, fruit and vegetables. You will be welcomed by family members who will show you all the farm activities.

Check-in to Kumarakom Lake Resort for the next two nights, this waterfront resort is set along the serene backwaters with peaceful views of Lake Vembanad.

This afternoon hear how the backwaters function as an interconnected system of canals, lagoons and paddy fields and are used by local families for transport, irrigation and daily life.

Enjoy a traditional houseboat cruise on the backwaters, one of the most stunning landscapes of Kerala. Cruise through narrow canals lined with coconut trees, small settlements and stretches of paddy fields that sit below sea level.

Experience the everyday scenes along the water, such as fishing nets being lowered, boats transporting goods and families tending to their homes along the banks. As the boat continues through wider channels, take in the steady pace of life on the water and the changing views of rice fields, birdlife and village activity. A fresh Kerala lunch is prepared on board.

Reflect on our amazing journey through Southern India at our farewell dinner this evening.

Transfer to Kochi Airport for your flight to Bangalore and onward journey.

Arrive home with extraordinary memories of South India.