You're met at Kochi (COK) and transferred to Fort Kochi, the spice-trade port layered with Portuguese, Dutch and British history. An afternoon walk takes in the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, the Mattancherry (Dutch) Palace and the antique lanes of Jew Town around the Paradesi Synagogue.

It's a gentle, atmospheric opening, sea breeze, colonial facades and cafes, with the evening free for a Kathakali performance if you wish.

You climb from the coast into the Western Ghats to Munnar at around 1,600 m, the drive passing waterfalls and the first sweep of emerald tea slopes.

The afternoon is spent among the estates, with time to walk a plantation trail and take in the cool, misted air. Check in to your premium hill resort for two restful nights.

The morning visits Eravikulam National Park, home to the endangered Nilgiri tahr, which graze remarkably close on the high grasslands (park access is by shuttle and can close seasonally for calving).

You continue to the Mattupetty Dam and lake, and the Tata Tea Museum, which traces the history and craft of the region's tea. A relaxed day at altitude before you descend toward the backwaters.

A scenic drive through cardamom and spice hills brings you to Thekkady, gateway to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. A boat cruise on Periyar Lake is the classic way to spot elephants, gaur and abundant birdlife along the shore.

You can add a guided spice-plantation walk in the afternoon, cardamom, pepper, vanilla and clove, before an overnight in Thekkady.

You descend to the backwaters and Kumarakom, where the wellness core of the trip begins at a centre we've vetted for qualified physicians and genuine practice.

Day one is a consultation with the resident Ayurvedic doctor, who assesses your constitution and sets a personalised programme of massage, diet and rest. This is authentic recuperative Ayurveda, traditional therapy for relaxation and rejuvenation, not a cure for medical conditions, and the doctor's guidance shapes everything that follows.

Your programme deepens with Abhyanga, the warm herbal-oil full-body massage, and Shirodhara, the steady stream of medicated oil across the forehead traditionally used to calm the mind.

Meals follow the doctor's dietary plan, and the backwater setting encourages the rest that makes the treatment meaningful. Days here are calm by design, with time to read, walk or simply be still.

The therapies continue under supervision, adjusted by the physician to how your body is responding, the point of a multi-day programme is cumulative rest rather than a one-off spa treatment.

Between sessions the backwaters are yours: birdsong, coconut palms and the slow rhythm of village life along the canals.

Another day of guided treatment and diet. By now the pace has fully slowed, which is exactly the intention.

In the evening you can take an optional private cruise into the Vembanad backwaters, a sunset among the canals and lily-covered lagoons, a gentle counterpart to the day's rest.

A short transfer brings you to Mararikulam (Marari), one of Kerala's most tranquil beaches, for your final day of the programme at the resort's Ayurveda wing.

The combination of concluding treatment and open coast is a deliberate wind-down, sea air, unhurried meals and time to let the week settle before you travel home.

After a final beach morning, your chauffeur drives you back up the coast to Kochi airport for your onward flight.

Your Ayurvedic doctor typically provides simple take-home diet and lifestyle notes to extend the programme's benefit, a thoughtful, honest close rather than a hard sell.