Kerala is where India slips into a lower gear, where life slows down and long beaches or shady verandas invite you to while away time with a book and a freshly cracked coconut.

From palm-fringed sands to rolling hills dotted with tea and cardamon plantations, the south's landscape is luminous, abundant and varied. Whether exploring the colonial influences and the spice trade along the Malabar coast, marvelling at Cochin's Chinese fishing nets, or wandering through fragrant tea estates of the Western Ghats, Kerala's landscapes are beautiful, relaxed, welcoming and yet intoxicatingly vibrant.

Tamil Nadu offers lush green landscapes punctuated with towering colourful gopurams and intricately carved ancient temples. Here, dancing gods meet French colonial influences in places like Pondicherry's tranquil promenade and Madurai's energetic Meenakshi Amman Temple, creating a journey through thousands of years of history.

Karnataka delivers equally diverse experiences, from Bangalore's glittering lights to the Western Ghats' green hills. UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Hampi reveal ancient royal complexes, while coffee plantations, Mysore's grand palace, and wildlife-rich Coorg and Nagarhole National Park promise a tantalising taste of the south's rich cultures, exotic wildlife, and diverse landscapes.