Our Journey Through India

Kerala, Karnataka, friendship, family and a wedding we will never forget

Some trips are memorable because of the places you visit. Others are memorable because of the people you
experience them with. Our journey through southern India turned out to be very much both.

We travelled through Kerala and Karnataka with our friend and colleague Sinjal, visited her family, attended
her wedding, experienced extraordinary hotels and landscapes, and spent enough time with our driver, Binoy,
that by the end of the trip he felt like part of the group.

Kochi – Where It All Began

After flying to India with Air India, our journey began in Kochi, where we stayed at the Taj. It was also our first
chance to spend time with Sinjal and her family in India.

One of my favourite early photos is simply the four of us squeezed into a car – Sinjal, her nephew, Dave and
me. It captures something that became a big part of the trip: travelling around together and experiencing India
with people who actually live there.

Kochi – The Taj

Our first hotel in India was the Taj in Kochi, a beautiful waterfront setting and the starting point for our journey through southern India.

Into the Hills of Munnar

From Kochi we headed into the mountains to Munnar, a completely different side of Kerala. The roads climb
into the Western Ghats, where seemingly endless tea plantations cover the hillsides.

We stayed at Blanket Hotel & Spa, an amazing hotel surrounded by the dramatic scenery of Munnar. Waking
up to mist moving through the mountains, steep valleys and intensely green tea fields was unforgettable.

While in Munnar, we also attended a traditional Kerala cultural performance. It was a wonderful contrast to
the scenery and gave us another glimpse into the traditions of the region.

Mountain Shadows

Our next stop was Mountain Shadows in Wayanad. The setting was spectacular: calm water, small islands,
forest and mountains fading into the mist. It was another reminder of just how varied this part of India can be.

Perched above the water and surrounded by forested hills, Mountain Shadows was one of the most dramatic settings of the trip.

Kannur and the Arabian Sea

From there we continued north to Kannur on Kerala’s Arabian Sea coast. By this point we had already
experienced cities, tea-covered mountains, forests and lakes; coastal Kerala added yet another side to the
journey.

The Heart of the Trip – Sinjal’s Wedding

The most personal part of the journey was travelling to Sinjal’s hometown in the Kerala countryside, about an
hour east of Kannur in Payyavoor, for her wedding. Dave and I had the chance not only to attend, but also to spend time with her family and experience a large Indian wedding from the inside.

One of the receptions had around 500 guests. Despite the scale, there were many personal moments, and
being welcomed by Sinjal’s family made this much more than a typical vacation.

I also decided that if I was going to give a speech at a wedding in Kerala, I should make the effort to do part
of it properly. So, somewhat ambitiously, I gave my speech in Malayalam. Whether my pronunciation was
perfect is another question, but it was certainly one of the moments I will remember most.

Travelling With Binoy

There was another person who became an important part of our journey: our driver, Binoy. When you spend
this much time travelling through India by road, your driver becomes much more than the person taking you
from one hotel to another. We travelled together, laughed a lot, ate together and got to know each other. By
the end, Binoy was simply part of our group.

Finishing in Coorg

Toward the end of the journey we reached Coorg Wilderness Resort & Spa in Karnataka. We stayed for
several days, spread between two of the resort buildings, with each of us having our own private room or
suite.

The accommodation was enormous and luxurious, with high wood ceilings, generous sitting areas and
windows and balconies looking into the surrounding greenery. After so much travelling, it was a remarkable
place to slow down and enjoy a few days together.

One Last Stop

Before heading to Bengaluru Airport for the journey home, we made one final stop at a Tibetan Buddhist
monastery. It was a peaceful ending to a trip that had taken us through such an extraordinary range of
landscapes, cultures and experiences.

More Than a Vacation

Looking back, what stands out is not any single hotel, landscape or destination. We saw the tea plantations of
Munnar, the waters and mountains of Wayanad, the Arabian Sea, the forests of Coorg and some
extraordinary resorts.

But what made the trip different was being able to experience India through Sinjal and her family, and celebrate
her wedding with them, and form a friendship with Binoy while travelling together.

India gave us plenty of spectacular places to photograph. The people are what made the trip unforgettable.