Kerala

Kerala’s reputation rests on the houseboats, which is a shame, because the best water in the state is the narrow stuff — the canals around Kuttanad, taken in a small punted vallam at six in the morning with a flask of tea, while paddy workers walk the bunds. Inland, the tea at Munnar sits between 1,400 and 1,800 metres and the nights need a jumper. North of Kozhikode, from December to April, Theyyam performances run through the night in village shrines; the dancer is not acting. We build around the food as much as the map: karimeen grilled in banana leaf, a Syrian Christian duck mappas, sadya eaten with the right hand.