Kerala is perhaps best known for its backwaters, where vast inland stretches of palm-lined canals serve as the main transport between hundreds of small villages. We charted a converted rice barge (complete with crew and chef) for our two day adventure. As we travelled gracefully down the water we watched life go by around us – we passed villages with families bathing in the water and children playing in the fields, we saw small boats carrying families, food and supplies and we stopped off now and again to pick up provisions. Including the biggest prawns you’ve ever seen – and admittedly the most expensive, ever. I won’t go into the details, but before we knew what was going on 1000 rupees (£14) had changed hands for three giant prawns. Still, they tasted good.

We spent the evening eating amazing food, playing cards, drinking beer and occasionally wallowing in our own pity over the ‘prawn incident’. The following morning we hopped on the bus and headed south to Varkala.