A shoreline strewn with tranquil beaches, filtered by 44 rivers, lush rain forests, ancient, vibrant and living art forms and traditions, and the first to be pounded the Indian monsoons, Kerala is popularly and fondly known as “Gods own country” by its natives.

The most famous European visitor who landed here was the Portuguese explorer – Vasco da Gama – in 1498 followed by Arab sea merchants, Dutch colonialists and British traders. Coffee, cardamaon, rubber and tea plantations and miles of emerald green inland waterways lined with swaying coconut trees – that would be the beginning of your trip.

The world capital of spices – Kerala also gave to the world the Khaki fabric. Your accommodation ranges from hard wood and cane cottages in the midst of lush green rain forests to heritage homes.

You will cruise the internationally famed Kerala backwaters in a private house boat with your personal cook and navigator, stopping by villages watching life just as it has been unfolding for centuries. Or just watching the sun set over the Arabian Sea from your deck. Kerala’s festivals are a one of a kind – the temple elephant festival in Thrissur – 30 jewel bedecked elephants accompanied by persussion and wind celebrate for 30 hours. Or maybe you would prefer to walk the lanes of Kochi – where Franciscan and Dominican friars and Jesuit missionaries dropped anchor and established the St Francis’ Church – the oldest European church in India in 1500 AD. Or maybe vist the ancient Jewish quarters in Kochi set up in 1800 AD by immigrant Jewish communities from Europe. Kerala welcomes all with open arms

Bordered by China to the North, Burma(Myanmar) to the East, Bhutan to the West and fed by the huge Brahmaputra river – together the seven states of northeast India is one of the most verdant and richest biodiversity regions in India. With 75% of the state under forest cover, outstanding wildlife - these seven north eastern states provide an intricate network of some of the greatest river systems in the world, hundreds of colorful tribal communities living in isolation and still practicing a way of life which has not changed much with the passage of time.

North East India possesses an unmatched combination of travel gems. If you ever wondered about a place on this planet that is yet to explored, this is it - untouched wilderness and umatched demographic diversity. In Assam you will be hosted in a beautiful Assam-style lodge surrounded by lofty trees, creepers, bamboo groves and gardens.

At dawn you will embark on an Elephant Safari for a guaranteed sighting of the one horned Indian rhinocerous - rhinocerous unicornis - in the UNESCO World Heritage Kaziranga National Park. In another another park – the Manas National Park experience a unique banana rafting trip after you’re done eith a savannah grassland trek. Your hosts will be a tribal community – the Bodos - well known for their fabric weaving work.

Further to the east one of your accommodation arrangements is on bamboo huts on stilts nearby in the Namdapha National Park where you cruise on a river boat with riverside camping. Or maybe you would prefer horseback riding through a tea plantation and spending the night in a heritage tea bungalow in Assam

At 28,156 feet, Mt.Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world, is considered as the Guardian Deity of this fascinating Himalayan region. The sacred towering peak dominates the landscape of the whole area including Nepal to the west, Darjeeling Hills, Sikkim to the north and the Kingdom of Bhutan to the east.

Your experience in this premium signature tour includes unique opportunities to visit picturesque and remote Himalayan villages, one of the worlds best organically maintained tea plantations and some outstanding ecological sites.  You will interact closely with the local community who will be your hosts. Enjoy a taste of their lifestyle, experience local crafts, cuisine and even be entertained by their local cultural traditions – something they have proudly retained along with their self-sustaining mountain lifestyle.

Take a trip on the worlds highest steam engine driven train – the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Indulge in leisurely walks through village farmhouses and meet warm and welcoming farm families – who join you for a steaming cup of chai. Or visit the fascinating Center of Tibetan Culture and History in Darjeeling – the imperial British summer retreat where the early Everest expeditions started.

Drive through higher elevations to a quaint Sikkimese family run resort and during your stay there enjoy lovely birding hikes and organic cooking lessons or take a class in a mountain village school for giggling kids. Take the home run of your trip by spending the last days in a spectacular swiss style alpine cottage run by a local community off the Neora Valley National Park – remote and beautiful. This is the habitat of the endangered red panda and exotic birds.