Peaceful Kerala

For a first look at India, if you’re wary of too strong a culture shock, you can do no better than visit Kerala. It’s gentler, wealthier, and calmer than a lot of India and without a lot of the hassle.  A large area of this long, slim state is beside the sea so it offers the perfect holiday destination. The beaches aren’t quite the pale sandy splendour of its northerly neighbour, Goa, but Kerala offers variety and peacefulness. It also has an abundance of Ayurvedic resorts so forget the idea of a spa (which just means someone on site to provide massage and facials) – this is where to come for serious treatments and to go home completely rejuvenated.

Taking in a few places is easy here. If you begin in the pretty and historically interesting Fort Cochin, it’s only a 90 minute drive along relatively good roads down to Lake Vembanad which is stunning. This is where you can take a day (or two) on one of the famous houseboats along the backwaters. They even call you for at the private jetties of the more elegant lakeside hotels.

Inland there are spice plantations at Munnar and wildlife reserve at Periyar to visit. All these are within drives that are relatively short by Indian standards and of course full of interest.

Many of the sumptuous hotel resorts are in the south at Kovalam but closer to Cochin a place dear to my own heart is the Marari Beach. It’s only a 4* – but if it’s good enough for Paul McCartney it’s good enough for me – and you stay in detached thatched cottages amongst the most beautiful gardens, enjoy Ayurvedic massages and other treatments on site, and have free yoga and Pranayama sessions. Plus the food is truly fabulous.