Insider Series: Premium 15-Day Southern India Highlights with Foodie Experiences Co-Curated by Matt Preston

See South India through the eyes of renowned food writer and former MasterChef Australia judge Matt Preston on our exclusive Insider Series tour. He’s co-curated this exciting South India itinerary with one goal in mind: allowing you to see his favourite places and enjoy his most-recommended experiences.

With a deep curiosity for Indian culinary traditions, Matt is the ideal insider to help reveal the region’s marvellous and myriad flavours. From learning Pondicherry’s Creole cuisine in a local home to fine dining in award-winning restaurants, Matt has co-curated select experiences throughout your journey that bring the region’s bold flavours to life.

Begin in Chennai with a feast at Avartana – voted India’s #1 restaurant in 2024 by Condé Nast Traveller. As Matt explains, “They are regularly listed as one of the four best restaurants in India, if not the best.” Then delve into the heart of Tamil cuisine at Erode Amma Mess, where hand-ground spices and traditional masalas have been perfected over generations.

In Pondicherry, join an intimate cooking class with Mamie Pushpa, whom Matt describes as “one of the world’s leading authorities in local Creole food that combines Tamil Nadu flavours with French colonial influences.” Along the way, marvel at temples dating back to the 7th century, including Kapaleeshwarar and Meenakshi. In Madurai – “regarded as one of the best cities to eat in all of India,” according to Matt – set out on an evening street food tour through ‘Thoonga Nagaram’ (the city that never sleeps).

Your adventure continues to Periyar National Park in the Cardamom Hills, a renowned wildlife sanctuary and home to Spice Village, a CGH Earth Experience. Take part in a cooking class on a private island farm in Kumarakom before finishing in Kochi with an extraordinary dinner at Chef Pillai’s restaurant. As Matt calls him, “the uncrowned king of Keralan kitchen” and “a tireless champion of a regional cuisine that is regarded by many experts in India as the best in the country.”

Stay in handpicked CGH Earth boutique properties – from the elephant-grass-thatched cottages of Spice Village to the heritage mansions of Coconut Lagoon – where luxury meets authentic local character. This is your chance to experience Southern India the way culinary insiders do, uncovering flavours and traditions off the tourist track.