Classical TAMIL NADU
24th Feb To 3rd March, 2019
Historically the word “drāviḍa” is used to denote the geographical region of South India. The third century BCE onwards saw the development of large Dravidian political states: Chola dynasty, Pandyan dynasty, Rashtrakuta dynasty, Vijayanagara Empire, Chera Dynasty, Chalukya dynasty and a number of smaller states.
South India refers to the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. The South Indian culture is essentially the celebration of the eternal universe through the celebration of the beauty of the body and motherhood.
A region with a captivating history, a region full of customs and traditions, culture and cuisine, art and architecture, each so colourful and distinct…..here is where the Spice Circuit journey begins…..
The Spice Circuit is a personal invitation to be our guest; to connect with our homes and household and experience our custom, culture and cuisine.
Passionate about their roots, proud of their heritage and much captivated by their culinary legacy, Chef Kanthi Kiran Thamma and Wilson Rajan under the patronage of Martha Lucius have taken up the mantle to re-discover and present the Dravidian land and tradition to the world like none before.
The Spice Circuit is not just a passage but a platform to showcase the profundity of South India and Sri Lanka to people from around the globe; people who love to travel; who want to go deeper than a tourist and eagerly discover the Dravidian history and culture and learn for the first time about regional cuisine that are not so known to many.
Chef Kanthi Thamma was born and raised in Hyderabad, the culinary capital of southern India and is still inspired by its history, food and flavors of his childhood. It was in his mother’s kitchen wh...
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Chef Kanthi Thamma was born and raised in Hyderabad, the culinary capital of southern India and is still inspired by its history, food and flavors of his childhood. It was in his mother’s kitchen where he was inspired to become a chef, a journey that has seen him travel the world in search of culinary inspiration and excellence. At age 18 Kanthi started traveling, cooking in Switzerland, Disney World Resorts in the USA and Disney Criuse Lines before settling in the UK. Gaining experience with some of the UK’s most acclaimed chefs he opened his first restaurant, Curry Leaf Cafe. There are now two other restaurants and a Kiosk at the Brighton Railway Station, in just under three years. Pulling on the cuisines of his childhood in India, he gained the attention of critiques and diners. He quickly garnered many awards and accolades. Kanthi readily admits that he gathers ideas and inspiration about ingredients and cooking from the local chefs he meets every day. He's been invited to Basaal, Vancouver, and The Hague for chef collaborations. He wants to give similar experiences to his guests. Two years ago he started traveling with friends, showing them Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu's rich culture and cuisines, hence, Spice Circuit. Now the gastronomic tours in South of India with the same personal touch is possible in this annual tour for American and European audience. Spice Circuit is born of Kanthi’s passion for food and travel. “Alongside my three busy restaurants in the UK this is something that I have always wanted to pursue. I take a lot of pride in presenting my country, it's rich culinary heritage and superb hospitality”....
Born in Kollam, Kerala, Wilson grew to love hospitality from a young age. With his determination and study, he graduated top of his class from Saptagiri College in Hotel Management, Mangalore. &nbs...
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Born in Kollam, Kerala, Wilson grew to love hospitality from a young age. With his determination and study, he graduated top of his class from Saptagiri College in Hotel Management, Mangalore. Now he has more than 24 years of extensive experience working across diverse sectors, including: Hospitality, Conference, Exhibition & Event Management and Media & Publications. His signature skill is setting up multi-cuisine restaurants and has to his credit more than a dozen such fine dining restaurants, setup across; Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa, Pune, Vishakapatnam and Hyderabad. In the last four years, he is managing a restaurant called Zaeem Foods in Sohar, Sultanate of Oman. Presently he is consulting and reviving a restaurant chain in Muscat. Wilson hails from Kerala, is an enthusiastic foodie with a love of travel. Always gracious, eager to explore and happy to socialize, Wilson brings his kind and nurturing personality to Spice Circuit. He's motivated to take up travel and event assignments. Spice Circuit is their dream realized. They've delivered two tailored tours of South India for groups of British travelers. In Jan 2018 they hosted their first American group to Kerala and Tamil Nadu. As part of the Kerala circuit, a day will be spent in Wilson's lovely family home, Palamoottil Pandakasala, where Chef Kanthi along with Mrs Ponnnamma Rajan, the mother of the house will demonstrate Keralan cooking. One will embrace village life reserved only for such intimate tours....
Martha Lucius was bitten by wanderlust from birth. Her father's insatiable appetite for travel had her family living in Nigeria, Thailand, Tanzania, and India. Not to mention all the side trips to Mal...
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Martha Lucius was bitten by wanderlust from birth. Her father's insatiable appetite for travel had her family living in Nigeria, Thailand, Tanzania, and India. Not to mention all the side trips to Malaysia, Indonesian and other countries. Dinner could be a formal coursed dinner or simple street fare. Her college career had her balancing her time between her degree in Economics, and running her college's India Club. After graduation Martha had a ten year career as a calligrapher and graphic designer. But food and travel made her switch gears, and she opened two restaurants in Baltimore, Maryland. Her menu was taken directly from her travels. Customers delighted in Indian, Mediterranean, and Thai soups, sandwiches and desserts. Their signature items were Mulligatawny Soup and Hippie Cookies. Now she's a business advisor to chefs and owners across the US. Her desire to run a trip to India melded with Kanthi and Wilson's plan to launch Spice Circuit to the US. Come, experience South Indian hospitality, it's a journey of a lifetime. You can't get better than a trip that is spiced and tailored like the Spice Circuit!...
Born and brought up around the coastal villages of Andhra Pradesh, Shiv's work always portrays a certain influence of the region. With a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture, Class 2007 from the prest...
Read MoreBorn and brought up around the coastal villages of Andhra Pradesh, Shiv's work always portrays a certain influence of the region. With a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture, Class 2007 from the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad, Shiva Kumar has presented his work in a unique manner - this includes him and his work both as a student and professional creative person. It all started when he used to borrow his friends cameras in college to click some creative photos. His passion was taken to the next level when he bought his first camera with all his saving from his architecture job, back in 2007. His strong sense of composition which is evident in his photos is quite realistic and natural some times influenced by his place of birth. From simple objects to moving portraits to dramatic street scenes, a walk through his visuals will tell tales, making the mundane, dramatic and the dramatic or chaotic, pleasant. Apart from shooting for a few fashion labels, corporate firms, and specialty restaurants, business and international schools, he loves to travel on work and leisure. His travel and nature photography around India can be seen hanging on the walls of some renowned five star hotels in Hyderabad. The best thing about his work is the connection that one experiences when they look at his images....
Suswagatham…
a hearty welcome to our journey, where hospitality and culinary experience merge to make this trip a lifetime delight.
A restorative and gastronomic passage across prominent southern states of India; Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean – Sri Lanka. Journeys packed with tradition, culture, heritage, health and culinary enchantment.
Our Culinary Itineraries for 2018 are now open for bookings!
24th Feb To 3rd March, 2019
26th Jan to 4th Feb
4th to 11th Feb
Apart from the above and based on your preference we can design tours for shorter or longer duration. Just let us know the dates and we will customize a memorable journey for you.