Jetsetting with Jess - Independent Travel Agent

Name: Jetsetting with Jess - Independent Travel Agent
Address: Bristol, GB
Telephone: +441174869927

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14/09/2026

Save this for when you visit Kerala, India 🇮🇳

📍 is a property in the backwaters of Kerala and is unlike any hotel I’ve ever stayed at before.

🌴 The grounds are luscious with hundreds, if not thousands, of plant species, which alongside the waters give the most relaxing tropical feel

☕️ India knows how to do tea, and especially this tea lady who turns up on her boat at 4pm! She’s been doing this role for decades, and you can’t resist a hot drink and some freshly made snacks

🌍 CGH Earth stands for clean, green and healthy, and that’s exactly what the property lives and breathes everyday

🚤 The only way to arrive at this property is by boat, taking your breath away from the moment you turn into view of the hotel.

If you’re looking to visit this bucket list hotel or build an itinerary to Kerala, I’d love to help you. It truly is a very special location 🫶

Bucket list hotel | Bucketlist hotel | Luxury hotel | Luxury India | Eco hotel | Kerala India | Kerala tourism | India tourism | South India | eco travel | unique travel | bucket list travel | bucketlist travel | sustainable travel

12/09/2026

Today is all about being on or near water, eating some incredible food, and switching over to the final hotel in Kerala.

🌷 The water lilies were out this morning at Coconut Lagoon, adding a splash of bright colour to the many lush greens around the property.

⛴️ House boats are a very popular stay in Kerala. These are typically one night and you stay on board with a full crew with all your meals included. They range in level of size and luxury; we were on a mid-range 3-bedroom house boat for a few hours today, which you can tell I was thrilled to steer.

🔎 While on board, I was fascinated with watching the people who go about their daily lives on a backwaters. School buses become school boats, baths and washing machines replaced by the waters. Here even the bridges have to fit in with the way of life!

🚌 This was our final day with our coach driver and his assistant. We’ve been so well looked after, with a constant supply of snacks and water, and a big smile and fist bump every time I stepped on board.

🗺️ Marari Beach Resort is a little bigger than the others we’ve stayed at, so I’ve had to get into the map on several occasions.

🥘 The hotel hosts a cookery demonstration run by local ladies (so local we needed a translator). This was “fake fish” because husbands insist on fish curry each night and sometimes there is no catch, so cocolasia is a root vegetable that is similar. Prob the best curry I’ve ever had.

☕️ The tea cart came by at 4pm serving tea, masala tea, hot chocolate, coffee, banana fritters and banana cake. It’s taken 8 days but I’ve perfected my masala tea order.

🏝️ I ended the day messing around with photographing the sunset. I picked this one at random because I couldn’t decide.

These last 2 properties have felt like the best way to wind down after a busy trip, whether that’s mentally busy from the Indian chaos or physically busy. Kerala is all about the scenery, environment, and food, so if this sounds like you - let’s chat!

11/09/2026

Have I really been in Kerala for one week? Time does fly when you’re having fun! Coming in with day 7 of the INDIA DIARIES!

🚌 We checked out of Spice Village, CGH Earth and headed to Coconut Lagoon, CGH Earth as our penultimate stop. We stopped in a small cafe and I sat outside watching a man making parathas, the greedy nosy girl I am. Our driver came sat next to me, asked for a selfie, and then said “come with me”. He took me into the kitchen, explained how they make the breads, and then bought me one ♥️ it was a long journey and cheered me up no end!

🥥 Arriving at Coconut Lagoon was an incredible experience. It’s only accessible by boat, and photos do not do the scenery justice. Pulling into this pristine resort surrounding by coconut trees and lush greenery was a beautiful welcome!

☕️ At 4pm, the tea lady arrives to serve tea, coffee, hot chocolate and snacks. It certainly beats ‘anything from the trolley dear?’

🚤 We headed out onto the backwaters for a sunset canoe experience (I’m not sure if canoes are different in India, but this wasn’t a canoe that I recognised!). We were spoilt to amazing views of how the locals live on the water, selling coconuts to passing boats, and plenty of beautiful birds. My Kingfisher photo isn’t great but you get the idea. The sunset was a perfect end to the activity, and looking forward to exploring life on the water more tomorrow 👀

I have to save Coconut Lagoon, CGH Earth is unlike any property I’ve ever seen or stayed at before. The integration of the backwaters into the landscape and flow of the property is excellent, and makes a perfect addition to an unconventional India trip.

10/09/2026

I’ve just finished up packing ready to leave for our next stop, which means it’s the perfect time for day 6 of the INDIA DIARIES.

🐅 Today we headed early into Periyar Tiger Reserve. We caught a government-run bus into the National Park as these are the only vehicles allowed. We had our own guide and naturalists, but you have to be accompanied by National Park Guides.

🍃 We did the 2 hour Nature Walk and got issued some fetching leech proof socks, which I personally think were giving Revolution/Hamilton vibes.

⛴️ If the Nature Walk isn’t for you, you can catch a boat around the lake, or if you’re more adventurous, you can go for a full day hike, overnight camping with guides, or rafting.

🐾 We didn’t see any tigers sadly but we saw evidence of a tiger, and that’s the closest l will probably ever get in the wild!

🌲 I also climbed a tree (barely, it was like 2ft high) which was fun although I did drop my good stick that I’d found.

🛌 This is our second and last night at Spice Village, CGH Earth which has been a really cute property, loads of opportunities to learn about nature and the environment, a million miles from what you expect when you initially think of India, possibly. I went for a walk into the local town, and the Disney Ambassador at me giggled at the questionable branding of a store…

🫧 India take Ayurveda and spas very seriously, and for us Westerners the value is excellent. I had 3 hours worth of treatments for under £100, including a local Kerala specialty treatment where warm oil swings on a pendulum and slowly trickles onto your forehead. It sounds like weird torture but was amazing and I fell asleep instantly.

🔥 We ended the day seeing KADATHANADAN KALARI KERALA martial arts performance which was so entertaining, I’d highly recommend this to any clients on the Thekkady area. I did a big cheer for the only woman in the group too, what a hero.

Kerala continues to surprise me with how different it is to ‘stereotypical India’. The scenery, nature and care that goes into protecting the environment here makes it an amazing destination for a slightly intrepid traveller who loves nature 🌍

09/09/2026

There’s a competition in the caption, so make sure you read on 👀 INDIA DIARIES day 5 sees us checking out from the Windermere Estate in Munnar and driving to Thekkady, which is about a 4 hour drive. We are still in Kerala although right on the border with Tamil Nadu.

🍃 We pulled over to see some of the tea pickers, it’s a really tough life. In the summer they are expected to pick 20kg of leaves, and 30kg in the winter. This will be multiple trips to and from the fields in the heat and difficult terrain. A whole new appreciation for what goes into creating my tea bags at home.

🐕 We went to a small coffee shop mid journey and I met this good whispy fellow.

🪴 I want to play a game… who can guess the spices/ingredients in pictures 4 to 9? Whoever comments the most correct answers in the comments will win a prize. If you were there (or my husband) you can’t win because that’s cheating 😂

🌱 We watching this specific spice being picked and tried a seed straight from the plant. It personally wasn’t for me but most of the group liked the taste of it! We asked the picker how she knows when it’s ready to be picked, she said “experience!”

🛍️ The plantation had a small store which I absolutely raided and I cannot wait to have it all cooked into the most delicious meals for me! If it fits in my suitcase…

This was the day I was possibly most excited for on the whole itinerary, and it was fascinating to meet the farmer who passionately spoke about his spices, to learn about how these plants all grow, and their medicinal impacts (did you know you can overdose on nutmeg?!).

Whether you’re interested in food, art, culture, hiking - there’s literally something for everyone here.

Don’t forget to comment which spices you think are which, and you might win a prize 👀

08/09/2026

Today was a busy day in the world of Jetsetting with Jess - Luxury Travel Specialist for day 4 of the INDIA DIARIES 🇮🇳

🐦 The day kicked off 7am with a birdwatching walk hosted by the property’s naturalist. Can you spot the birds in photos 2 and 3?

♥️ We then headed to Athulya Paper Studio and Aranya Natural at Shristi, which is a school and vocational training centre for differently abled people. It’s a fabulous non-profit initiative supported by Tata but ultimately has created employment, education and opportunities for these people who have become skilled artisans in their own right.

☕️ We followed up with a visit to Lockhart Tea Factory, where we learnt about the process of creating the tea we drink everyday.

🌶️ Next stop was a quick look around a market, which I loved and took 1000 photos of chillis, grains, fruits and vegetables because they’re so colourful!

🍃 Once we got back to Windermere Retreats we went for a hike through the cardamom plantation, again with our amazing naturalist. I think she knows every plant, animal, flower, bug, bird and living (and dead) creature ever.

🫖 More time for tea, as a local Munnar-born-and-bred tea expert came to show us how to taste tea. His family and forefathers have all worked in tea plantations, and it was so nice to see how passionate he was about tea and how proud he was to talk to us about it.

All these are activities that clients could do on their itinerary, showing the level of thought and care that goes into designing a trip. We COULD take you to a Tea Museum, but we know it’s busy and commercial, and you’d get a better experience from an operational factory. Many tour operators won’t even know about Srishti, let alone be able to tour you around the property so you can support their work.

I’ve said it time and time again, but this is why it’s so important to work with a travel expert who knows and understands you, rather than giving you a bog standard off-the-shelf itinerary with no thought, care or consideration of you as the client 🌍

If you love the idea of nature, learning about culture and experiencing something your neighbours probably haven’t done, let’s talk 🫶

07/09/2026

Today is a changeover day in the INDIA DIARIES day 3! We left Fort Kochi and headed to Munnar via the Cardamom Hills, driving through tea plantations and past waterfalls.

🧘 Kicked the day off with some early morning yoga. It wasn’t a promising sign when the old bendy man said “you do yoga everyday yes?” at the start, but he went gentle on us and didn’t roll his eyes too much. We were even greeted by a peacock to our session.

🚎 We had a quite a long drive as we headed out of Fort Kochi towards the hills. The scenery really changed and we even chased some waterfalls and fed some monkeys.

🍴 We had a site inspection and lunch at Windermere Retreats property Windermere River House which was gorgeous. A boutique property of just 5 rooms built around nature and the stunning scenery. They host hikes, birdwatching and other wholesome activities. They are very much creating a homestead for visitors, so the hospitality and meals are similar to those if you were from Kerala.

🚗 We arrived at our next home for two nights, the Windermere Estate up in the tea plantations and hills. This property is again built around nature and hosts many different activities, which I am partaking in tomorrow and I will tell you more about then!

This side of India is the side NOBODY expects. You hear India and you think of polluted cities such as Delhi and Mumbai, not of the hills, lush greenery and fresh, crisp air. I am so excited to bring this “less seen” side of India to you, as I carry on exploring Kerala 🇮🇳

06/09/2026

Day 2 of the INDIA DIARIES! What a full day it’s been exploring Fort Kochi, so much to share with you and so much learnt about this amazing region.

🥐 Breakfast at Brunton Boatyard was great, with the highlight being a pastry boat that’s pushed around the restaurant full of delicious treats. The hotel also features an elephant made entirely out of nuts and bolts that reminded me of a disco ball 🪩

👣 We explored the area initially with a walking tour, learning about how the area was initially colonised by the Portuguese, then the Dutch, then the British. Our guide is local from Kerala and how he remembers every single date and fact, I’ll never know (probably because he’s been doing it for ‘decades’, in his words)

🎣 The region is famous for their Chinese Fishing Nets, which we were lucky enough to see operating today. The catch varies from squid, shrimp, cat fish, tuna, empty soda cans and more.

🗺️ We saw St Francis church - the oldest European church in India, starting life as a Catholic Church before becoming Anglican when the Brits moved in, and its stayed Anglican ever since. We couldn’t go in as they were having a service, but could enjoy the singing from outside.

🛺 We went for a ride around a tuk tuk which was a welcome breeze from the heat and humidity!

🧺 We also headed into a commercial launderette which was run by men, I’ve never seen a man who can iron so this was a revelation, and I love that Bellingham fans exist here too…

🔎 Other exploration included a palace museum, a synagogue, the streets of Jew Town (yes it’s legit name) and a traditional dance drama in a theatre where I can’t help but admire the men’s make up skills

Tomorrow we are off to our next stop and a change of scenery…

We are travelling an example itinerary that a client may experience, although everything can be tweaked and tailored to the client’s interests. Learning about a destination really helps me understand if a destination is suitable for a client, and how I can make it even more perfect 👌

If you’re looking at this thinking “I’d love to go to India”, then drop me a message and I’d love to help you 🇮🇳

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+441174869927

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https://linktr.ee/jetsetting.with.jess

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