Category: Asia & Pacific

Kerala’s Mystical, Magical Backwaters

Kerala is one of India’s smallest provinces, but it’s big on discovery and magnificent natural wonders. Nestled in the southwestern corner of India, it stretches 370 miles at the Malabar Coast of the Arabian Sea and extends just 7 miles inland at its narrowest point and 75 miles at its widest.

The small city of Alleppey lies in the midst of a vast network of peaceful, isolated backwaters where life goes on much as it has for centuries. Within this magnificent, unspoiled maze of rivers, lakes, canals and lagoons – a circuitous labyrinth of some 600 miles that has earned it the nickname “Venice of the East” – rice paddy fields and dense forests teeming with wildlife blanket the shores; fishermen ply calm waters in traditional longboats or in vallams, a type of canoe; children splash on shallow banks; and kingfishers perch in riverside coconut palm trees waiting for an opportunity to snatch an unsuspecting meal from the waters.

Kerala is home to an astonishing diversity of flora and fauna. About one-quarter of all India’s plant species are here, remarkable for such a small region. Also roaming the forests are 102 species of mammal, including the Indian elephant and Bengal tiger; 476 types of birds such as the great hornbill; and 169 reptiles, including India’s legendary king cobra and mugger crocodile.

But it’s not only the natural beauty and simple living for which this breathtaking region is known. Within these forests, medicinal plants have been harvested over the centuries and given birth to the Ayurveda movement. It’s a long tradition rooted in the herbal oils and exotic spices that first drew Portuguese explorers to these shores. Today, the natural treatments first discovered here and the principles of Buddhism they follow form the basis of alternative health practices and philosophies of well-being all around the world.

In your Discovery Tours small group, you’ll board one of the kettuvallams that cruise among these serene waters. These elegant houseboats were originally used to transport rice, spices and other goods; thatched roofs protected the harvests from the elements. Later, a select few were converted to royal barges, extravagantly outfitted for the pleasure of maharajahs and their families. You will embark and get underway with your crew. As you quietly drift along, you’ll marvel at a way of life that you never dreamed still existed. You might even see some fishermen wading into the waters up to their necks, seeking out fish with their feet.

During your cruise, your expert crew will prepare a lunch of authentic Keralan cuisine, flavored with the spices for which this region has long been celebrated. Perhaps a curry or masala dish will enhance your backwater experience, with ample locally grown rice. You’ve never had a “farm to table” experience quite like this, in a setting so magical. It is an experience unlike any other.

Experience Kerala’s spectacular backwaters up close during our Spiritual Southern India tour!

Mahatma Gandhi was one of India’s most seminal figures. Discovery Tours small groups learn more about him during a visit to the Gandhi Memorial Museum in Madurai, one of five museums throughout the country dedicated to the national hero.

This remarkable museum was born from a remarkable request. Several years after Gandhi’s assassination, a call went out to all the people of India to establish memorial sites to the man who won them their independence from Britain. Rich and poor and other Indians from all walks of life contributed to the cause. The Madurai museum opened in 1959 in the palace of Rani Mangammal, who reigned over this region at the turn of the 18th century and was instrumental in creating its infrastructure – a fitting place to commemorate the man who laid the foundations of India’s independence.

Gandhi famously embraced nonviolent protest in the face of tyranny. This gentle man brought only himself – clad in a pure white dhoti and shawl – to confrontations with officials of the British Raj, who were donned in full uniform and weaponry. But this was no meek and simple man. He was a brilliant arbiter of morality who earned a law degree in London. Before he stood up against oppressors in his own country, he practiced law for the expatriate Indian community in South Africa, who were also being denied their civil rights.

He returned to India to lead peasants and farmers in protests against high taxes and discrimination. His causes expanded to include other social justice issues, such as women’s rights, poverty alleviation and religious harmony. Famously, he led the 1930 “Salt March,” a 24-day walk to the sea to protest the British criminalization of making salt from seawater, which had been a long-held Indian practice long before the British landed on Indian shores. In 1942, Gandhi’s “Quit India” speech implored British withdrawal and led to the imprisonment of many of his followers. Gandhi, too, spent many years in prison for his various protests. Also throughout his life, he went on long fasts to draw attention to the British oppression of Indian people and gain international attention.

In 1947, Gandhi’s efforts proved victorious as Britain granted India independence, creating the nations of Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. Religious violence resulted as many Hindus and Muslims relocated to their respective new countries. In this volatile and ever-changing environment, Gandhi was assassinated, in 1948.

The Gandhi Memorial Museum is a remarkable collection of artifacts from his life, including handwritten correspondence, rare photographs, and other items, even a piece of the blood-stained clothing he was wearing when he was shot. It is a touching tribute to an iconic man, and a celebration of India’s road to freedom.

Visit the Gandhi Memorial Museum during our Spiritual Southern India tour!

Soaring Temples, Colonial-Flavored Cities and Welcoming People

When most travelers think of India, they imagine the Mughal fortresses and sweeping cityscapes of the north: Delhi’s colossal monuments and palaces, Agra’s Taj Mahal, the cultural centers of Jaipur and Jodhpur and the sacred city of Varanasi along “Mother Ganges.” 

But India has another side, of bustling spice and silk markets kissed by breezes from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea … of crescent beaches, remote backwaters and magnificent natural beauty … of colossal Hindu temples and palaces evoking the grand India of old … and of the colonial remnants of Britain, France, Holland, and Portugal. It’s all a stunning backdrop for a rich and intoxicating culture of gracious Hinduism, time-honored crafts, bustling bazaars, and mouth-watering cuisine. And Discovery Tours is delighted to peel back its many layers for you, revealing a magical place deeply rooted in its spirituality.

Welcome to Southern India!

Awash in Temples and the Gracious Spirit of Hinduism

The third largest religion in the world, with more than one billion followers, Hinduism is largely rooted in the concepts of dharma (ethics), moksha (freedom), and karma (kindly actions). About 80% of Indians embrace its teachings in every aspect of their lives, and by some accounts, millions of gods are worshipped by the many schools of Hinduism, so you won’t be surprised to find countless temples.

Many of the temples you’ll see were constructed in the Dravidian style, of pyramid-shaped towers. It’s a style that began in Southern India and spread to other parts of the world, so it’s a privilege to see them here in their place of origin. As you traverse the magnificent landscapes, you will see too many to count, stopping to explore the most spectacular ones almost daily. 

Mahabalipuram enjoys a sweeping setting on the Bay of Bengal. These incredible temples overlook the water from a dramatic rocky outcropping and were once part of a thriving seaport. Admire the intricately carved bas reliefs throughout the site and stop to view the nearly submerged Shore Temple, which has stood in the sea for more than 1,200 years. In Kanchipuram, “City of a Thousand Temples,” explore some of the most divine, from the Ekambareswarar Temple, with its 540 pillars, to the Kailasanathar Temple, adorned with elaborate carvings. In Chidambaram, admire Nataraja, a sprawling temple complex spread over 50 acres. In Srirangam, visit the largest functioning Hindu temple in the world, Ranganathaswamy, spread across an island in the city’s Cauvery River. One of the most visually striking temples, Meenakshi, was nominated to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, and you’ll understand why when you gaze upon it 14 towers, or gopurams. Once the heart of the 2,500-year-old city of Madurai, a trade stop for merchants of ancient Greece and Rome, it boasts about 33,000 sculptures within.

Colonial Accents Hint at a Rich History

The beauty of exploring Southern India is its rich blend of sacred structures and vestiges of its colonial past. You may observe a purity in the region’s many temples, a glimpse of India’s old ways before Europeans arrived. Juxtaposing them with the state buildings and spired churches of Britain, France, Holland and Portugal provides a quick lesson in India’s imperialist past, a history fraught with turbulence but fascinating nonetheless.

St. George Fort in Chennai is a dramatic symbol of Britain’s influence. This was the first English fortress in India, erected in the 1650s. Because these fortifications were built on uninhabited land, only to later be surrounded by the Indian city, some say that Chennai was founded as a British city. An excellent museum within the fort explains. Further down the east coast, the French East India Company established five trading posts from their headquarters in Pondicherry, affectionately called Pondy. Today, this city’s French Quarter is lined with shade trees, cobbled streets, cafes and colonial-era villas draped in bougainvillea, providing a little taste of France in India.

On the west coast, the city of Kochi harbors evidence of both Portuguese and Dutch influence, with a hint of Chinese. This was the first Indian city to be colonized by Europe when the Portuguese explorer Pedro Cabral arrived in 1500. The city fortress was the center of Portugal’s power, but it was overtaken by the Dutch in 1663. As the British East India Company encroached in the early 19^th century, the Dutch ceded the region to George III in 1814. In Kochi, the Mattancherry Palace is a remarkably simple melding of colonialism and traditional Indian design; its European-style exteriors house richly textured murals created in the tradition of Hindu temple art. Two temples – one dedicated to Lord Krishna and the other to Lord Siva – flank the main house. Meanwhile, in Kochi’s harbor, fishermen cast cantilevered nets into the water, a fishing method that dates back to the days of the court of Chinese ruler Kublai Khan. To any visitor, Kochi emerges as a remarkable amalgam of varied cultures.

A Welcoming Embrace

Behind the grandiose temple facades and colonial influence, it’s the open-armed people who are at the heart of authentic India. And you’ll meet them during exclusive visits to their homes and workplaces. Visit a traditional silk-weaving workshop to meet local artists and learn the secret to perfectly draping a sari. Stop by a meditation center and mingle with the spiritually-minded as you take in its serene setting. Watch as pilgrims cleanse themselves in a bathing ghat on the banks of the Kaveri River. Chat with shopkeepers at a Madurai bazaar and learn the many uses of local spices during a plantation tour. Pick up some secrets of Indian cuisine during a cooking lesson. And so much more, thanks to the unprecedented access our small group provides to the small, intimate venues that reveal the true Southern India.

We invite you to join us on this in-depth itinerary to Spiritual Southern India.

The Fertile Nations of Southeast Asia Are Fed by Rivers, Lakes, and Seas

Peering out your plane’s window as you descend to land into any Southeast Asian country, you see it immediately. One simple fact blankets the earth below: These countries – Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam – are a thousand shades of green. It seems the most trivial thing at first, but you soon realize that where there is so much green, there is water to feed it.

Indeed, water is abundant here – in rivers, canals, lakes, and seas. And though you know that water feeds life on the entire planet, this lush corner of the globe seems reliant on it and shaped by it in a way you’ve never imagined. Indeed, what you are noticing is far from trivial. It is central to life throughout Southeast Asia. It is the thread that ties these nations together and allows a rich and fertile culture to thrive.

Cambodia: Natural and Manmade Wonders of Irrigation

In Cambodia, the tides of the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia dramatically affect the lives of locals. Tonle Sap, loosely translated as “Great Lake,” has an unusual geographic feature that affects daily life on its shores. The flow of water feeding and exiting the lake changes direction twice a year. The lake empties into the Tonle Sap River, which later spills into the Mekong River and flows into the Mekong Delta. During most of the year, the lake is fairly small and just three feet deep. But during monsoon season, the delta backs up. The resulting backwash reverses the Mekong’s flow and pushes water up the Tonle Sap River into the lake, enlarging its size six times and increasing its depth to 27 feet.

The phenomenon pushes thousands of fish into the lake from downstream and sets the fish-breeding season in motion. Locals on Tonle Sap shores celebrate the new tide with the Water and Moon Festival, a three-day party of racing ancient canoes carved from the coki tree. Once the waters recede and fish-breeding season ends, fishermen take to the waters. It’s one of the most unique fishing seasons in the world.

The ancient Khmer Empire practiced a similar concept of storing and releasing water, as early as the 13^th century. In Angkor, massive reservoirs were constructed to collect rainwater during the rainy season. As water was needed for crops during dry months, it was diverted to fields through an irrigation system that took advantage of the land’s natural slope. This may seem a simple concept, but it was carried out on a grand scale that fed an ancient city of 390 square miles whose population, by some accounts, was as high as one million people.

Cambodia offers rich examples of how the ebb and flow of water shapes civilizations, even today. And in Thailand, a key waterway held the fate of a king’s capital.

Thailand: A Capital Grows Around a River

After Burmese attacks led to the fall of Ayutthaya, Rama I moved his capital to Thon Buri, on the western bank of the mighty Chao Phraya River. It remained here only 15 years, until the continued threat of the Burmese persuaded Rama I to move his court across the river. The waterway served as a protective wall, and the city of Bang Kok, or “riverside village of the wild olive,” was born.

Today, rice barges drift along Thailand’s mighty Chao Phraya River carrying the nation’s most valuable crop. Locals call this bustling waterway Mae Nam, or Mother of Waters, and it’s not hard to see why. There’s no doubting the river’s maternal-like beauty, but it’s easy to forget that without it – and without the countless canals that branch from it – Thailand’s economy would dry up.

And that would be a shame, because Bangkok’s fascinating canals, or khlongs, are reason enough to visit the Thai capital. Along these manmade waterways, vestiges of floating markets appear at every turn. Long sampan-style boats with fruits and vegetables and all manner of wares drift by and dock at hot selling spots. They offer intriguing insight into the history of transport and trade along Thailand’s waterways.

Just how much does Thailand worship its water? Just ask anyone who has attended the Songkran Festival in April. This raucous water party is not only a way to ring in the Thai New Year; it’s also a good time for a real soaking as residents drench each other in every way possible with hoses and water pistols and buckets.

Laos: Freeways of Water

Laos may be landlocked, but it is by no means dry. And it’s a good thing, because outside of major travel areas, unpaved roadways make it difficult to get around. So many locals rely on the Mekong River and its tributaries for transport. All told, the waterways of Laos comprise more than 2,700 miles of navigable routes through cities, villages, and emerald-green farmlands.

One interesting illustration of the Laotian penchant for river travel is at the Pak Ou Caves north of Luang Prabang. From within the caves, thousands of Buddha figures of all shapes and sizes and colors look out over the Mekong River. Some are seated in meditation; others recline. It is an eerie sight, and you might feel as though you have stumbled upon a king’s lost treasure. On the contrary, over the centuries, kings have willfully commissioned statues to be carved for placement here. Some statues are 300 years old and the unprecedented collection draws Buddhists pilgrims by land. But we think the best way to approach this magnificent sight is by river.

And there’s something else nurtured at many riverside locales and worshipped by Laotians: rice wine. Waterlogged rice paddy fields are everywhere, and not all of the grain ends up on people’s plates. Laotians will happily teach you that rice is sometimes better served in a glass. In fact, there is no better place to sample rice wine than in the region where it was invented.

Vietnam: Legends of the Sea and the Harvest

Vietnam’s coastline is 2,140 miles long, so it’s little wonder that its legends were borne from the sea. In the north, a spectacular natural wonder hugs the shores of the mainland. Within Halong Bay, more than 1,600 islands of towering karst dot the seascape. One Vietnamese fable tells of the dragons that created this breathtaking sight: During the nation’s earliest days, its people were threatened by seafaring invaders. For protection against the attackers, the gods sent dragons to the coast. But instead of fire, the dragons breathed thousands of jewels and jade into the bay, causing the enemy ships to crash and sink.

Other legends are played out on stages across northern Vietnam in the form of water puppetry. This fine Vietnamese art, believed to have been created in the 12^th century in the Red River Delta of the north, began in flooded rice fields. The first puppeteers built a pagoda in waist-deep water and stood inside the structure, unseen by the audience. The performance thus served as a celebration of the rice harvest. Today, the stage is typically created in villages on a local pond, in mobile tanks for traveling shows, or in a 15-foot-square pool of water built into a stage. Puppeteers stand behind a façade at the back of the “stage” and control the puppets with underwater rods.

Southeast Asia is fertile with legends, natural beauty, and rich history and culture – much of it shaped by the waters that course through this magnificent, emerald-green region. With Discovery Tours, you’ll experience it all up close as only a small group can. We hope you’ll join us in this luxuriant and copious land.

To learn more about our Gems of Southeast Asia program, click here!