Travel challenge: A two-week tour in South India

Every week, we invite three companies to give us their best deal for a specific holiday. Today: a two-week trip to South India in early November. Prices are per person based on two sharing.

Hayes & Jarvis

£1,369: Classic Kerala

Includes Etihad Airways flights on 1 November from Heathrow to Cochin via Abu Dhabi; a week's mixed accommodation on the "Classic Kerala" private tour; and seven nights, with breakfast, at the Uday Samudra Hotel, Kovalam.

"Combine a private guided tour – taking in Cochin's Dutch and Portuguese heritage, a tea plantation in Munnar, the wildlife sanctuary at Periyar and a houseboat cruise – with a week at the beach in Kovalam to see the best of what Kerala has to offer," says Andrea Loddo, of Hayes & Jarvis (0844 415 1918; hayesandjarvis.com).

Indus Tours

£2,439: Southern Splendour

Fly Heathrow-Bangalore with BA on 4 November. Then take a private tour of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, visiting Mysore, Cochin, Periyar, Chettinad, Thanjavur, Puducherry and Chennai. Accommodation with breakfast is provided.

"One of the highlights of this tour is the visit to Chettinad," says Rajeev Manral from Indus Tours. "This off-the-beaten-track town is rich in cultural heritage, art and architecture, but most famous for its delicious Indian cuisine." (020-8901 7320; industours.co.uk).

Bales Worldwide

£2,530: Taste of Kerala

Fly Emirates from Heathrow to Cochin via Dubai on 3 November. Then take a private tour of Kerala, with B&B accommodation in Cochin, Thekkady, Periyar National Park, the Marari Beach Resort, plus an overnight houseboat cruise.

"This tour is based in the best available accommodation in Kerala and provides a delightful mix of culture and scenery," says Steve Lidgey, of Bales Worldwide (0845 057 0600; balesworldwide.com).