The South of India is slower, quieter, very colorful, and more tropical than other regions - and a wonderful place to dip your toes into the experience of India.  Plus the food is excellent!

We start this tour in Mysore where we will spend our days and nights exploring with Samia’s long-time friend and jewelry teacher, Kumar, a generational goldsmith, full of joy and excitement to share his local culture with us all. Kumar will provide insights about goldsmithing from what could be the last generation of authentic and traditional ways of gold jewelry making. We will wander the famed Deva Raj Urs Market, picnic at a Queen's bath; savor marvelous home-cooked meals, tour the Mysore Palace and so more. No trip to this region is complete without a visit to one of the most sacred places in South India, Chamundi Hill - where we participate in a blessing for a safe journey. From the city, we will head to the beautiful hill station of Coorg, sleep at a coffee plantation, and immerse ourselves in nature. Our next stop is The Arabian Sea where you will meet Balan, another of Samia’s jewelry teachers and close friend, where we spend a few days exploring village life, swimming in the sea, and touring a worker-owned handloom factory. We then journey to the old Portuguese Fort of Cochin, a quaint colonial city full of history and shopping! From Cochin we travel to a beautiful island in the backwaters of Kerala, learning about living off the land with opportunities for bird watching and cooking classes. Our last two nights are on the beach in Varkala, allowing time to absorb everything and relax as the sun sets over the Arabian Sea.

 This journey is organized by Samia, who takes care of every detail, allowing you to relax while exploring India on a level most do not get to experience.