How we did India
For us, any exploration of India has always landed on the back-burner in favour of ‘easier’ destinations – until a casual conversation with Pippa de Bruyn, who spent a decade researching India for the Frommer’s guide and now curates outbound trips through her company, Best Kept. Aside from crafting itineraries matched to interests and budget, Pippa also works with local experts who arrange transfers, guides, drivers and assistance in the case of illness or lost luggage. Another contact, Nic Dawes, who lived in Delhi for three years, emailed on the subject of Indian cuisine: ‘If I had to pick an absolute favourite, it would probably be Kerala food.’ Pippa concurred. So the state of Kerala it was, and she focused on a central thread of heritage homestays, where all meals are catered. We enjoyed Nelpura and Vanilla County best for the quality of food, and our rooms were in a separate annex which allowed for increased privacy. Having a driver and knowing we’d be met by a Best Kept representative at key points to ensure smooth transfers felt like true luxury. It meant we could maximise our time away rather than managing logistics in a place for which we had no reference point. We were also issued a local phone loaded with all the relevant numbers on arrival, and our hosts and guides all spoke English. • Every itinerary is bespoke, but as an example: an eightnight Kerala trip for a family of four (with driver, guide, most meals and accommodation at four homestays) costs from R12 725 pp. bestkeptshhh.co.za