there is a version of india that doesn't announce itself.

it lives in the quiet hour before a temple opens. in the way a fisherman reads the water at dawn. in a meal prepared by hands that have made the same dish for forty years. in the particular stillness that settles over the backwaters at dusk when the birds go quiet.

this is the india we are going to find together.

the india you find when you slow down enough to notice what’s happening around you. when there’s time to sit with people, share food, ask questions, wander a little longer + understand something of the traditions, rituals + everyday life that have shaped a place for generations.

it’s sleeping on the backwaters of kerala, sharing a meal in a family home, meeting artisans keeping centuries-old traditions alive, stepping onto a live bollywood set in mumbai + watching varanasi wake from the ganges at sunrise.

• where we go

  fifteen days. five very different parts of india.

  we begin in fort kochi, where fishing nets rise from the water, spices spill from shopfronts + centuries of kerala’s history sit amongst everyday life. then we slow right down in kumarakom, sleeping aboard a traditional houseboat as we drift through the backwaters, past villages, coconut palms + life unfolding along the water’s edge.

  in thekkady, we head into the spice-growing country kerala is famous for. cardamom, pepper, cloves, cinnamon. then into a local family’s home, where we’ll cook together, share dinner + spend an evening around the table.

  madurai is something else entirely. one of the world’s oldest living cities, where temple bells, flower sellers, incense, food stalls + thousands of people moving through their daily rituals all seem to exist at once. we’ll meet artisans still working with traditions passed through generations + experience a city where devotion isn’t something saved for special occasions. it’s part of everyday life.

  then mumbai. early morning fish markets alive with voices, movement + the day’s catch. dabbawalas moving thousands of lunches across the city with extraordinary precision. the energy of the streets, the people + the contrast of so many different lives being lived side by side. and somewhere amongst it all, we’ll step onto a live bollywood set.

  and then varanasi.

  before the city is fully awake, we’ll take to the ganges at sunrise. boats moving across the water, bells beginning to ring, morning prayers along the ghats + fires that have burned for generations. later, we’ll walk the ancient lanes + spend time understanding a place where life, death, ritual + belief aren’t hidden away from one another. they’re part of the same everyday rhythm.

  and just outside varanasi, sarnath brings another kind of stillness, with sacred spaces + a history stretching back more than 2,000 years.

  kerala · madurai · mumbai · varanasi · sarnath

  fifteen days, with enough time to slow down, look around + actually be where we are.

• who is with you

  i’m jodi

  i’ve been travelling since before i really knew what travel was. my dad was a jockey, so growing up meant plenty of road trips to race meetings in different towns. by seventeen, i was boarding a plane with a backpack headed for timor + discovering just how big, interesting + completely different the world could be.

  india, though, is personal.

  my dad was born in agra, where my grandparents ran a restaurant + rickshaw business not far from the taj mahal. i grew up knowing india was part of my story long before i ever set foot there.

  and when i finally did, it felt like a homecoming.

  i’ve always been ridiculously curious about the places i travel. i want to know where that laneway goes, who lives there, what they’re cooking, why they do things that way + what else we might find if we look a little further. i’m the one disappearing down 3am research rabbit holes because i’ve found something interesting + need to know whether we can somehow make it part of the journey.

  so you don’t have to.

  and then there’s reddy.

  indian born + with more than 20 years travelling the length + breadth of india with guests from around the world, reddy knows this country in a way that only comes from years on the ground.

  he knows the places, the people, the roads + all those little things that make travelling through india work. he’s calm, kind, quietly funny + completely unflappable. when you’re travelling through a country like india, having someone like reddy beside you is pretty special.

  india uncovered is something we’ve built together.

  reddy + i spend many, many hours researching, discussing, planning + designing every element of the journey. we travel, meet people, walk the routes, talk with local guides, ask questions + keep looking until what we’ve created feels right.

  and before we travel with you, reddy is back on the ground again, going over the journey + the details that matter.

  between reddy’s 20+ years on the ground + my inability to leave an interesting rabbit hole alone, we make a pretty great team.

  we’ll do the researching, the planning, the checking, the rechecking + all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into a journey like this.

  you just need to bring your curiosity. we’ve got everything else organised.

  india will take care of the rest.

JOURNEY INCLUSIONS

• ritual, belief + the sacred

  ancient temples where daily devotion is still part of everyday life. the ganga aarti as fire, bells + chanting fill the riverfront after dark. meditation at sarnath, where buddha first shared his teachings more than 2,500 years ago.

  and varanasi at dawn. stepping onto the ganges before the city fully wakes, watching morning rituals unfold along the ghats + seeing a place where life, death, faith + tradition exist openly alongside one another.

  you don’t need to follow any particular belief to be curious about what you’ll experience here. some things simply need to be witnessed for yourself.

• people, stories + everyday india

  this is where we get closer.

  in thekkady, we’re welcomed into a family home, sleeves up + straight into the kitchen. we’ll learn how to make the dishes, cook alongside our hosts, probably laugh a lot, then sit down together to eat everything we’ve created. you’ll even leave with the recipes so you can have a crack at recreating them when you get home. we absolutely loved this experience + can’t wait to share it with you.

  outside madurai, we’ll spend time with potters whose hands still shape clay using traditions passed through generations.

  then mumbai takes us somewhere completely different. thousands of dabbawalas moving home-cooked lunches across one of the world’s busiest cities with a system that has worked for generations.

  and then there’s dharavi. almost a city within a city, with homes, workshops, small industries, businesses + communities all woven together within its lanes. we’ll experience it alongside someone who lives here, hearing the stories, meeting people + beginning to understand how this extraordinary ecosystem actually works from the inside.

  these are the moments i love most. getting curious, meeting people + experiencing a little of everyday india alongside the people who actually live it.

• tradition, creativity + a little bollywood

  india knows how to put on a show.

  in kerala, we’ll watch kalaripayattu, an ancient martial art where bodies seem to fly, weapons move at incredible speed + you’ll probably find yourself wondering how on earth they do it.

  then there’s mohiniyattam. traditional kerala dance where the costumes, music, movement + storytelling come together in a completely different kind of performance.

  and then we jump a few centuries.

  welcome to bollywood.

  we’re stepping behind the scenes of a working film studio in mumbai, onto sets where productions are actually being made + into the colour, costumes, lights + theatrics of one of the biggest film industries in the world.

  yes, we actually get to go in there.

  and who knows... maybe this is finally your big bollywood break.

  then we’re back out into mumbai, where the theatrics don't exactly stop. spice markets with cardamom, turmeric + chilli in the air. chor bazaar with its maze of antiques, old movie posters, curiosities + things you didn't know you needed until you saw them.

  this is india in all its contrast.

  ancient traditions + modern pop culture. martial arts + dance. spice markets + film sets. centuries-old art forms sitting alongside an industry watched by millions around the world.

  and somewhere in the middle of it all is you, thinking...

  “how is this my day?”

  we know. and we can’t wait.

• waterways, villages + a slower rhythm

  this is where india slows right down.

  we’ll step aboard our traditional houseboat + spend the night drifting through kerala’s backwaters, moving from wide open waterways into smaller canals where villages, coconut palms + everyday life sit right along the water’s edge.

  fishermen casting their nets. families going about their day. little boats moving between villages. kitchens, homes + glimpses of life unfolding as we slowly pass by.

  there’s time here. time to sit on deck, watch the banks drift past, share beautiful food + simply take in a part of kerala where the water has shaped the rhythm of life for generations.

  we’ll have a local guide with us to bring another layer to what we’re seeing, sharing the stories of these waterways, the communities along them + the way life here has been shaped by the water.

  then night falls on the backwaters.

  we’ll sleep aboard, surrounded by water + wake the next morning as life along the canals begins all over again.

  for one beautiful night, this little piece of kerala becomes home.

• come hungry

  we’re going to eat very, very well.

  every meal is included, and food is a huge part of how we’ll experience india. keralan feasts, tamil flavours, family recipes, street food in mumbai + dishes you probably won’t know the name of until they land in front of you. and even then, you might not be able to pronounce them.

  in thekkady, we’re not just turning up for dinner. we’re getting into the kitchen with a local family, learning how the dishes are made, cooking alongside them + taking the recipes home with us.

  and then there’s mumbai. sizzling pans, spices in the air, tiny hole-in-the-wall places you might never notice, food stalls surrounded by locals + restaurants absolutely buzzing.

  we’ll follow the smells, the sizzling pans + the glorious chaos as we taste our way through the city. something hot straight off the grill. something you’ve never heard of. something so good you immediately want another one. this is mumbai with an appetite.

  and whenever there’s a menu involved, you can absolutely make your own choices. or you can do what we love doing and hand it to reddy. let him order for the table + see what turns up.

  because some of the best food experiences in india begin with, “i have absolutely no idea what this is...”

  come hungry. come curious. and maybe pack something with an elastic waist.

• we’ve got you

  india can be big, busy, unfamiliar + wonderfully unpredictable. you get to experience all of that knowing reddy + i are right there with you.

  we’re travelling with you throughout the journey. we know where we’re going, who’s meeting us, how we’re getting there + what happens next. you’re never going to be left standing somewhere wondering what you’re meant to do or where you’re meant to be.

  and it’s not just the big stuff.

  need an atm or somewhere to exchange money? a chemist? help finding something you’ve forgotten? not sure about something + want to ask before you do it? just ask us.

  you don’t need to work out which train to catch, negotiate with drivers, navigate your way through an unfamiliar city or spend your evening figuring out tomorrow.

  you get to look out the window. ask questions. wander. eat. laugh. take a thousand photos + actually enjoy being in india.

  we’ve got the rest.

• on the ground? we’ve got it sorted.

  before we go, you’ll book your international flights + travel insurance, with all the information, recommendations + support you need from me along the way. for your visa, you can take care of the application yourself or choose the visa assistance option when you book. you provide me with the information i need + i’ll handle the application process for you.

  and then you land in india.

  your private driver is waiting for you. your room is ready. the transport, trains, domestic flights, guides + experiences we’ve spent months putting together are already organised.

  from here, you can settle in + get excited about what’s ahead.

  here’s what’s already taken care of on the ground:

  → private airport transfers
  → all transport throughout the journey
  → hand-picked accommodation + your own private room
  → breakfast, lunch + dinner every day
  → all included experiences + activities
  → entrance fees
  → domestic flights within india
  → trains + local transport
  → trusted local guides + storytellers
  → tips + community contributions
  → reddy + i travelling with you throughout

  you’ll always know what’s happening. we’ll keep you updated as we travel, let you know what the next day looks like + make sure you have everything you need along the way.

  the difference is, you don’t have to book the driver, work out how to get from one city to the next, secure the train tickets, organise the guide or piece any of it together yourself.

  we’ve already done that.

  because when you’re standing beside the ganges at sunrise, drifting through kerala’s backwaters, sharing food around someone’s table or right in the middle of the beautiful chaos of mumbai, we want you to have the time + freedom to take it all in.

  to be curious. ask questions. notice the little things. stay a little longer in the conversation. taste something you’ve never tried before + experience india as it unfolds around you.

  that’s why we take care of the details.

want to see how the 15 days unfold?

$9,575 AUD pp · private room | $8,997 AUD pp · two guests travelling together + sharing a room

travelling solo? perfect. coming with your partner or a friend? absolutely. this is a genuinely small group, open to women + men.

private rooms are included as standard, with no additional single supplement. so while you’re sharing the journey, the meals, the conversations + all those incredible experiences with a small group, you still have your own space at the end of the day.

close the door, put your feet up, call home, read, sleep, scroll through the hundreds of photos you’ve probably taken or just enjoy a little time to yourself.

then we do it all again tomorrow.

• from the moment you say yes

  you’re supported from the moment you say yes, right through until we’re rather sadly waving you goodbye at the airport at the end of the journey.

  because travelling with us isn’t simply booking your place + hearing from us again when it’s time to fly.

  you’ll have access to your own private travel hub, where all the important bits live in one place. your booking, payments, documents, things you need to upload + your digital india handbook with everything you need to know as we get closer.

  anything that needs doing before india, we’ll let you know well ahead of time + remind you along the way. visas, travel insurance, documents, payments, getting ready. you don’t need to keep track of it all yourself.

  and questions are always welcome. flights, packing, money, what to wear, something you’ve read in the handbook or simply something you’re curious about. message me, email me, call me or whatsapp me. it’s all part of the support that comes with travelling with us.

  then, as india gets closer, we’ll open our private whatsapp group. names start becoming faces, conversations begin + the excitement starts building between the people you’re about to share fifteen pretty incredible days with.

  and once we’re in india, reddy + i are right there with you. guiding, supporting, answering questions, sharing what we know + making sure you can settle into the journey and experience everything we’ve spent so long putting together for you.

  most of our guests arrive knowing absolutely no one.

  by the time we’re standing at the airport saying goodbye, we’ve shared meals, stories, ridiculous moments, early mornings, big days, plenty of laughs + fifteen days of india together.

  it’s less “goodbye, stranger.”

  more “see you, friend.”

  and saying goodbye? well, that’s usually the bit none of us is quite ready for.