Living India: From Seeing the Sights to Becoming Part of the Story

We've travelled through India for years. We've seen the famous sights, stayed in beautiful hotels and experienced the extraordinary contrasts that make this country so fascinating.

But this time, we wanted something different.

My friend and travelling companion, Lottie, and I have come to Kerala in southern India to spend a few months living here rather than simply passing through. We want to shop locally, learn to cook, get to know our neighbours and discover what everyday Indian life is really like.

Lottie has travelled extensively through India, as have I during my 15-plus years as a tour manager. We agree on one thing: India deserves to be experienced at a slower pace.

It's an idea that inspired Lottie to establish Latitude9 (L9), offering small-group adventures that allow travellers to explore India in a more relaxed and personal way. We decided it was time to put that philosophy to the test ourselves.

A Slightly Rocky Start

Our adventure began with an overnight flight to Mumbai, followed by a connection to Kochi. Immigration took its usual time, and naturally, I chose the slowest queue. Then came my first mistake. My celebratory bottle of Italian wine was still in my hand luggage.

Watching it go down the drain was bad enough. Watching security staff search for a corkscrew before asking me to open it myself made it worse.

India: one, me: nil.

We eventually arrived in Kochi, where the heat and humidity greeted us before we'd even collected our thoughts. Our Uber driver took one look at our mountain of luggage and laughed.

Our new home was a homestay apartment in Palluruthy, a residential neighbourhood away from the usual tourist areas. It wasn't a luxury hotel, and there wasn't another tourist in sight.

Perfect.

We wanted to wake up in a real neighbourhood, shop in local stores and experience the rhythm of everyday life. Our host, Terrance, and his family helped us settle in, and soon we were venturing out to explore.

Our Malayalam was virtually non-existent, but a smile and a Namaskaram (hello) went a long way.

That first evening, we sat on our balcony listening to tuk-tuks rattling past, children playing and the call to prayer drifting across the neighbourhood. Nothing spectacular was happening, yet it felt like exactly where we needed to be.

Dentists, Doctors and Unexpected Discoveries

Our first few days weren't entirely devoted to soaking up the atmosphere. There were practical matters to sort out, including a SIM card, a failed attempt to open a bank account and, unexpectedly, a considerable amount of dentistry.

I went for a routine clean and polish. The dentist suggested crowns and bridges, and after checking the cost against UK prices, I agreed to proceed. One minute later, I was back in the chair!

A few days later, Lottie needed to see an ENT specialist about an infected ear piercing. The hospital was a short walk away, and within about 30 minutes she had been registered, examined and given a prescription.

The bill came to roughly £9.

Neither of us had planned to explore Indian healthcare during our first week, but that's the reality of living somewhere rather than following a holiday itinerary. Life has a habit of making its own plans.

Temples, Neighbours and the Taste of Kerala

One evening, we visited a local Hindu temple and received our first blessing. On the walk home, people stopped to chat, curious about where we came from and why we were staying in Kerala.

We noticed Christian, Muslim and Hindu families living alongside one another, with children happily playing together in the street. Despite our limited Malayalam, conversations seemed to happen everywhere.

It's the openness of the people around us that has made one of the biggest impressions. Sometimes an exchange is little more than a smile or a greeting; sometimes it turns into a conversation about family, work and life in India or Europe. We've only been here a short time, of course, but we're already discovering how much can happen when you have the time to stop and engage.

And then there's the food.

One evening, we ordered curries, rice and breads through Zomato, India's equivalent of Deliveroo. More food than two people could sensibly eat arrived at our door in about 30 minutes for less than £4.

The following day, Lottie had her first cooking lesson with Jesna, the housekeeper who looks after Terrance's parents. I was sent to the local shop with a shopping list, and an hour later, Lottie and Jesna had made delicious dal and fresh chapattis.

I was beginning to appreciate the benefits of this arrangement.

Then came the sarees.

Lottie bought two for around £30, only to discover that buying one and putting it on are entirely different matters. After much laughter and a lesson from Jesna, she emerged in a beautiful blue saree. Naturally, the cooking continued.

This time, the lesson involved preparing fresh coconut while another batch of dal simmered away.

How Lottie managed not to lose a finger remains a mystery. I was perfectly happy to enjoy the results.

The Little Things That Make a Place Feel Like Home

By the end of our first week, we'd lost a bottle of wine, battled bureaucracy, visited the dentist and hospital, received a temple blessing, eaten far too much takeaway and begun learning to cook.

Yet it's often the smallest things that stay with us.

We've seen bicycles with chains so rusty we'd probably have sent the whole thing to the tip back home, yet here they are, still doing their job. We've watched people carefully reuse bottles and containers, making the most of what they have.

These aren't the sights that usually feature in a travel brochure, but they're the details you notice when you stop rushing from one destination to the next.

The streets become familiar. You recognise faces. The local shop becomes somewhere you return to, rather than simply somewhere you visit.

Little by little, a place starts to feel less foreign.

And we're learning that you don't always need to travel further to discover more.

Sometimes you simply need to stay longer.

The Adventure Behind the Adventure

Of course, we haven't abandoned travelling altogether. We're trying to organise our own journeys by train and plane, which is proving to be an adventure in itself. Waiting lists, uncertain bookings and cancellations mean that even a straightforward journey can become a logistical puzzle. Patience and flexibility are essential, and plans don't always unfold as expected.

We're figuring it out as we go, learning what works and what doesn't — and discovering just how much there is to learn about travelling independently in India. It's another part of the experience we hope to share as our adventure continues.

What's Next?

We came to Kerala wanting to discover a different side of India. After just one week, we've already been reminded that the country has far more to offer than its famous monuments and must-see sights.

That's also what lies at the heart of Latitude9: exploring India in smaller groups, at a more considered pace, with opportunities to connect with the places and people along the way.

We're not claiming to have mastered life in Kerala. We've barely scratched the surface, and there will undoubtedly be more surprises, frustrations and moments of laughter ahead.

But we already know this won't be our last stay.

Join us next time as our Indian adventure continues. There are more places to discover, more food to try, more journeys to organise — and, given our current experience with Indian transport, absolutely no guarantee we'll arrive where we expect to!