Discover a Slower Side of Kerala at Indian Summer House

Canoe across the Muvattupuzha River with your boatman before continuing on foot through Kerala's rural landscape, passing rubber trees and tapioca fields along the way. Your destination is a much-loved local tea house run by Mohanan and his family, where freshly poured tea is served alongside warm pazham pori, tapioca chips and parippu vada.

Sit beneath the ripening banana trees and share the space with local residents and travelling salesmen—a wonderfully ordinary slice of Kerala life. Return by auto-rickshaw through the streets of Muvattupuzha, crossing the historic first concrete bridge in Asia on your way home.

Begin the morning outdoors as the first light reaches across the palms, with a private yoga and meditation session in the open pavilion or on the lawn. The practice is paced entirely around you, combining mindful movement, breath and stillness in the peaceful surroundings of the house.

With birdsong, tropical greenery and the gentle presence of the river providing the backdrop, the experience feels naturally connected to its setting rather than confined to a conventional wellness space. Once you've stretched, breathed and settled into the morning, follow it with an unhurried breakfast at the house.

Step into the kitchen for a hands-on introduction to Kerala's home cooking, learning traditional dishes directly from the house chef. Prepare regional recipes using familiar local ingredients and time-tested techniques, discovering the stories and methods behind the food as you cook.

For a deeper taste of everyday Kerala, begin with a visit to the local market, stopping at an Ayurveda store, traditional coconut press, fruit and vegetable market, utensils shop and Khadi cotton store. Back in the kitchen, put what you've discovered into practice before sitting down to enjoy the meal you've prepared together.

Rise early to meet Renju, a third-generation toddy tapper, and watch him climb high into the coconut palms to collect toddy from pots set among the crowns. Learn how this traditional drink is gathered before tasting it fresh, or experiencing how its character changes as it ferments.

Taking place in the cool morning hours, the experience offers a rare glimpse into a working tradition that remains part of everyday life in Kerala. From the ground, the climb itself is as captivating as the tasting—a remarkable demonstration of skill, balance and generations of inherited knowledge.

Experience Ayurveda in the landscape where this ancient wellness tradition was born. Rather than entering a conventional spa, treatments are brought to the house by experienced practitioners, with the garden pavilion becoming your private setting for warm oils, fresh herbs and restorative rituals.

Choose from traditional Ayurvedic treatments designed around your wellbeing, complemented by more indulgent treatments such as manicures, pedicures and facials with an Ayurvedic influence. Surrounded by tropical gardens and the quiet rhythm of the river, the experience feels deeply connected to Kerala's living wellness traditions rather than simply borrowing their aesthetic.

As the sun begins to set, take an autorickshaw through the local streets before walking along the river to Puzhakkarakkavu Devi Temple, set where three rivers meet. Here, a traditional Pushpanjali is arranged as a blessing for you and your family and a safe onward journey.

The experience offers a glimpse into Kerala's deeply rooted temple traditions without the scale of its more famous pilgrimage sites. For early risers, an alternative morning journey takes you across the river to Sree Rackad Karanattu Kavu, a secluded Devi temple immersed in nature and reached by ferry.