Explore South India

Our journey begins in Mumbai, the largest and most vibrant city in India, buzzing with an exciting mix of local culture, history and Western lifestyle — the perfect place to start (and do a little shopping!) A highlight here will surely be the Elephanta Caves, dedicated to Lord Shiva and believed to date back to the year 550 AD! 

A short flight takes us to Chennai, formerly known as Madras. The city is known for its unique cuisine, and if you’re a coffee drinker, you’ll be happy here! It’s also famous for its classical Carnatic music and dance, British-era Architecture, and the must-see Arulmigu Kapaleeswarar Temple.  

Fortunately for us, we’ll be in Mahabalipuram for the celebration of the Festival of  Lights, Diwali! Situated between the Great Salt Lake and the Bay of Bengal, every exotic place in Mahabalipuram tells a tale that is thousands of years old. It’s home to the Shore Temple, the Five Rathas (significant to the era of the great Indian epic Mahabharata), and Arjuna’s Penance, considered one of the largest open rock-cut reliefs in the world. This remarkable site depicts how Arjuna performed various rituals to gain superpowers from Lord Shiva. Don’t miss Krishna’s Butterball, a rock formation that defies gravity — the massive rock stands on a steep slope and could roll down at any moment, but hasn’t!  

A beachfront resort will be our home for the three nights we are in Mahabalipuram, so you’ll  have time to stroll the beach while still exploring all the incredible sites here! 

If you scooped up an 18th-century French town and placed it in the middle of coastal Tamil Nadu, India, you would have Pondicherry. This breezy city, under French Colonial rule until 1954, is our next stop. It’s home to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, a centuries-old temple dedicated to Ganesh.  

Next is Thanjavur, home to the 11th-century Brihadeeswarar Temple, and Madurai, known for the Meenakshi Amman Temple and its famous jasmine!  

Then, we’ll visit Thekkady (Tanjore), famous for the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, where we will get the chance to see elephants, tigers, and more! It’s also known for its spice plantations and Ayurvedic treatments — perhaps a massage?  

Our next stop is Munnar, a serene hill station in Kerala renowned for its misty valleys, sprawling tea plantations, and vibrant biodiversity. Munnar is magically ethereal, with its hills cloaked in emerald greenery and cascading waterfalls — the perfect place to relax over a fresh pot of tea for a spell! 

Our final destination is Alleppey (Alappuzha), a charming coastal town known for its intricate network of canals, waterways, lagoons, and beaches. It’s been dubbed the “Venice of the East.” We’ll enjoy a delicious meal of traditional Kerala cuisine while on a houseboat cruise through the sparkling backwaters, interacting with villagers, witnessing traditional fishing methods, and enjoying local music and dance — the perfect way to conclude our journey!  

On our final day, we will have some time in Cochin for some last-minute exploring (or shopping!) before hopping on a flight home. Our wish is that you’ll return home with an open heart, a happy soul, and a sense of gratitude for the vast culture, deep spirituality, and rich history of South India — but especially for the warmth and kindness of its welcoming people! 

Keli Lalita Reddy, ERYT-500, Certified CE Provider and Columnist for Mantra Magazine and Thrive, Owner of Mantralogy Records.

Keli was first introduced to yoga at age seven by her mother who studied with the disciples of Sri Rama Krishna at the Vivikananda Vedanta Vihar, an ashram in the foothills of the Catskill mountains. She has been teaching yoga asana for a 14 years, though, her dedicated study of Bhakti Yoga began when she was still a teenager. Keli is a student of Ayurvedic Body Work at Kripalu and works with Edwin Bryant, PhD, translator of Yoga Sutras, and Professor of Hinduism at Rutgers University. She has lead and assisted retreats here in the US, in Costa Rica, and in India, including a retreat with Robert Thurman and Krishna das.

Keli’s students describe her as, “filled with knowledge, love, compassion and joy.” Her teaching specialty is yoga philosophy, though she is well loved as a teacher of Yin Yoga and Vinyasa flow as well. 

“I recently spent two weeks in India on a Grace in Nature retreat and I'm still just blown away by the whole experience! Karen's thoughtfulness, expertise and attention to detail really made for one of the greatest adventures of my life! This is something I could have never planned on my own. Literally every detail was taken care of! Missing our group something fierce as I continue to process the wonders of Rajasthan that I have so fallen in love with. I for certain will attend another retreat with Grace in Nature in the future. Highly recommend if you're looking for more than just your run-of-the-mill ‘tour’. Many thanks to Karen and her team!”

— Amanda Cordero

“Having recently travelled with Grace in Nature to India, I can highly recommend the experience from beginning to end. Information was readily available to help me ‘top' and 'tail ‘ my trip and prepare for the adventure in between. The accommodations and tours were thoughtfully and immaculately curated - no small feat when planing for groups I imagine! Karen’s professionalism, expertise, generosity of spirit and attention to detail made for a harmonious and smooth adventure - and enabled us to relax and have fun.”

— Catriona (Sydney, Australia)

“When I first saw this trip to India come up I thought, well, I’ve never been to India and it wasn’t really someplace that I would get to on my own so I simply decided, I’m there! I’ve been on several retreats with Grace in Nature and there’s something about these trips that seems to bring together a great group of people (explorers!).

Arriving in Delhi was just the beginning, finding that we would be traveling to several cities in different regions of India added to the adventure. We visited many beautiful sites from the Jama Masjid (largest mosque in India) and The City Palace and Palace Museum in Udaipur to the Monkey Temple and the Taj Mahal, one of the 7 Wonders of the World! All were spellbinding. Especially the Taj Mahal, how many times have you seen pictures of the Taj Mahal and then to be standing in front of it! I had to touch it just to make sure I was really there!!

We also visited the Sandipani School for Girls in Vrindavan. The girls were beautiful, all dressed in their school uniforms and after they got comfortable with us it was great to get so many hugs from them! It was sad to hear that when they returned home at the end of their day they would be going back to very poor neighborhoods. That is something that has really stayed with me; how we could be going through some very beautiful, opulent neighborhoods and a little later be going through some very poor neighborhoods where we were being asked for 10 Rupees (14 cents) by children on the street.

At the beginning of this trip we were all asked to pick a word that we would take with us on this trip; mine was “Learn.” Having never been to India, I thought it would be interesting to keep that word on my mind. Well, I learned about the wealth and poverty, about the many beautiful cities and sites that we visited, about some of the wonderful people we met, and I learned how to ride a camel and an elephant!! (Well, maybe learned is not the right word, I guess I really just learned how not to fall off of them!) It was great!!!”

— Mark Nagelsmith

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