THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESSFRIDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2014 | CHENNAI

N A COUPLE of months, when Juliana Fraccaro, a fashion designer from Madrid, flies down to India to tour Rajasthan, Mumbai, Goa and Kerala, she won’t be doing the well-trodden circuit of Gateway of India, Ayurvedic massages and other tour-

isty mandates. Instead, she will be following a bespoke itiner-

ary—like meeting local designers, catching up with indigenous crafts-men, and discovering places to source inter-esting material. That’s the speciality of Silk

Route Escapes, an expe-riential luxury travel

outfitter. “Every bit of our tour packages are cus-

tom-crafted. We combine luxurious accommodations with

cultural expertise, and we pride our-selves on being the best people for the unusual and the offbeat,” says Maneesha Panicker, the founder, explaining that they have an exclu-sive network of artists, designers, art historians, yoga practitioners and others who will spend an afternoon

with their guests, giving them a first-hand look at what they do.

Offbeat IndiaWhile the company was registered just a few months ago, Panicker has been organising tours since 2008. “I was working in New York as a man-ager (packaging) with Estee Lauder, but I wanted to do something that would let me divide my time between NYC and Kerala. And travel was a pas-sion,” says the 35-year-old, who was exposed to offbeat India as a child, when she travelled with her father, the late member of Parliament K Vasudeva Panicker. She reminisces about chanting with Himalayan monks and fishing with tribes in the Nilgiri forests. “Immersive travel was almost unheard of back then. So while on a holiday in Kerala, I put together a yoga package (after visiting every ashram, resort and teacher possible) and presented it at Equinox, a high-end fitness club in NYC that I was a member at. Soon there was a line out the door,” laughs Panicker, who has a master’s in industrial engineering.

Walks and talksCatering to high-flyers, she admits their Delhi-Agra-Jaipur (art in Gurgaon to a hot-air balloon safari over the Aravalli mountains), Mumbai-Aurangabad (discovering treasure in Chor Bazaar to a wine trail in Nashik) and Kerala tours (spend a day with an elephant and try

beachside yoga) are the most popu-lar. “We are adding a lot more to our itinerary now, like a walk in Mumbai with a local designer I met recently. She will take you through Lal Bagh, meeting mithawallahs, sampling Bengali thalis and giving access to watch a group of women who make drums for a living,” says the entre-preneur who tries to meet all her guests personally and lead at least one of their experiences.

The second edition of the Kochi Biennale, less than two months away, also makes for exciting times for the travel company. “Contemporary art is huge in Kerala now. We are planing curated gallery visits, afternoons of conversations with renowned artists, fine arts classes and more,” she says.

Details: silkrouteescapes.com

—Surya Praphulla Kumar

resort/weekendergetaway

—Surya Praphulla Kumar

Bespoke & localpackage deal

Island retreatPanicker’s latest project is Kayal, a four-room boutique resort at Kakkathuruthu, an island in the Kerala backwaters that is home to 600 fam-ilies. “It will be on the edge of the island. While the resort will have activi-ties like yoga and Ayurveda, the highlight will be the freedom the guests will have to take impromptu bike trips into the village or go canoeing in waters that are free of other tourists (it is away from popular tourist spots and yet just 20 minutes from the city). We are also training the local chil-dren to take them on walks and tying up with housewives to give them cooking classes,” she explains, adding that guests will be served local food by a chef trained in five-star properties. While two rooms (`7,000 a night during the off season) are already ready for occupation, the other two will be ready by November.

Making plansEvery trip begins with a one-on-one interaction with the client—talking about interests and understanding expectations—to create highly-personalised itinerar-ies. While international guests book their own flights, Silk Route Escapes will arrange flight/train/bus tick-ets for local guests. Chauffeur-driven cars are provid-ed and, for large groups, a guide. Guests are given a mobile phone with a local SIM so the team can provide round-the-clock assistance. Last-minute additions to the itinerary (or cancellations) are also entertained.

When to goDecember to April is a great time to visit Kerala. Besides the biennale, it’s also the time for many temple and cultural festivals. If you are visiting, catch a performance by an all-women Kathakali troupe—from the royal family of Thripunithura—in Kochi. Panicker is also planning to concentrate on North Kerala—with its white beaches, old forts, flavourful food and Theyyam dances.

Ayurvedic massages and other tour-isty mandates. Instead, she will

be following a bespoke itiner-ary—like meeting local

designers, catching up with indigenous crafts-men, and discovering places to source inter-esting material. That’s the speciality of Silk

Route Escapes, an expe-riential luxury travel

outfitter. “Every bit of our tour packages are cus-

tom-crafted. We combine luxurious accommodations with

cultural expertise, and we pride our-

Every trip begins with a one-on-one interaction with the

round-the-clock assistance. Last-minute additions to the

From visiting Bollywood sets to going backstage at a

Kathakali performance, Silk Route Escapes gives

guests offbeat and luxe experiences

Bespoke & local

Panicker with a local fisherman30