DownUnderToKerala

Happy Vishu ✨🌼

A day of new beginnings, light, and prosperity here in Kerala…
and one I feel really grateful to now experience and understand more each year 🤍

Wishing you all a year filled with abundance and good things ahead.

#happyvishu #vishu #keralam #kerala

1 month ago | [YT] | 200

DownUnderToKerala

Our week in pictures 🤍
This week felt slow in the best way.1. We spent most of it here at Monsoon Mist doing the not-so-glamorous parts of running a business… maintenance, little upgrades, and a lot of time thinking about how to share this place with others. The weather has been kind to us lately. Cool mountain air, blue skies, and those quiet moments where everything just feels still.
2. I had some time to sit with my mural again. It’s still not completely finished, but slowly coming together, one small detail at a time.
3. We were reminded (again) how beautiful life here can be. From tiny details like flowers and berries on a coffee tree at night… to meeting kind people from around the world who also found their way to this little town.
4. This week also felt full of small, special things, visiting a local nursery run by a lovely family, spotting birds nesting in the trees around our building, and finally getting our first miracle fruit from our little tree.
5. We drove through the mountains, watched the sun set over Mundakayam…
6. and made a quick trip to see family where the heat hit us immediately and reminded us just how different each place here can feel.
7. Our Jackfruit trees are growing lots of new fruit which makes us happy.
8. There was lots of good food (always)
9. a few comforts sent from family in Australia, and little reminders of the people we love even when they’re far away.

Nothing big or dramatic. Just a week made up of simple moments… that somehow feel like everything 🤍

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1 month ago | [YT] | 61

DownUnderToKerala

When I think about the person I’ve become, I know it started with the women around me.
Growing up between Kerala and Saudi Arabia, I was surrounded by wonderful women, my mother, my sister, my aunties, my cousins. Each of them shaped my understanding of family, resilience, and kindness in their own way.
My mother especially showed me what quiet strength looks like. The kind that holds families together and guides children without needing recognition.
Later in life, I moved to Sydney to pursue my masters degree. That experience taught me what it feels like to build a life in a new place, learning how things work, finding your community, creating a sense of home far from where you started.
Years later, life brought Jess into my world.
Now she is doing something very similar, moving from Australia to Kerala, learning the culture, the language, and building a life here with me. Watching her embrace this place, while also bringing her own kindness and perspective, reminds me so much of the qualities I saw growing up in the women around me.
This International Women's Day, I’m grateful for the women who shaped my life and proud of the life Jess and I are building together.
Because when women give their strength, their care, and their courage to those around them, everyone gains.

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2 months ago | [YT] | 59

DownUnderToKerala

Our week in pictures 📷
 
A few days that felt full in the simplest way.
 1.    A drive into Kochi to submit paperwork and a night watching the sunset at Marine Drive
2.    Some slow mornings at home making breakfasts we love, eggs every which way, fluffy pancakes, and good coffee shared at the table.
3.    Meals cooked and meals eaten out.Mutton curry simmering on the stove, pazhampori and chaya on a cool afternoon, banana–coconut muffins fresh from the oven, masala dosa eaten happily with our hands.
4.    Even beef curry, idiyappam, and boiled egg for breakfast. Days where food is comfort, culture, and connection all at once.
5.    Planting, growing and learning.We planted ginger into the soil to grow some ourselves, our okra is thriving, our flowers are blooming, and our rooftop jabuticaba tree is heavy with fruit.
6.    We even tried the first jabuticaba fruit at sunrise, with juice-stained fingers and all.
7.    Small moments of joy that stay with us. Fibin quietly admiring his chana bhatura.
8.    Me practicing writing Keralam in Malayalam, one careful letter at a time.
9.    And as always, the place that holds it all, sunsets over the mountains of Idukki,
10. and mist rolling around Kuttikkanam, reminding us why we love calling this place home.
 
Nothing big but still meaningful 🤍
 

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2 months ago | [YT] | 37

DownUnderToKerala

Our homestay isn’t just rooms. It tells the Kerala story.
Every studio at Monsoon Mist is inspired by a different landscape, season, or memory, from misty monsoon hills and tea plantations to spice forests, elephants, lotus-filled waters and the backwaters of Alappuzha.
We created this space to feel grounded, calm and connected. A modern stay, anchored in the colours, history and landscapes of the place we call home.
The artwork you see is personal, places we’ve explored together, moments that shaped us, and stories we wanted our guests to live inside during their stay.
From spacious studios with rain showers to shared spaces that spark conversation, and a rooftop pool overlooking the high ranges of Kuttikkanam, Monsoon Mist is an invitation to experience Kerala slowly.

✨ Come stay with us.📍 Kuttikkanam, Idukki📩 Call us on +91 81294 47585 or email us at monsoonmistkerala@gmail.com to enquire

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2 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 43

DownUnderToKerala

Intercultural relationships can be deeply rewarding but they take intention.

From our experience here are 5 reasons why they might fail:
1. Ignoring cultural differencesDifferences exist. Acknowledging them matters more than pretending they don’t.
2. Poor communicationAssumptions create conflict. Honest conversations build trust.
3. Different life visionsAlignment on family, lifestyle, and values matters more than romance alone.
4. Outside pressureFamilies, society, and opinions can strain relationships if boundaries aren’t clear.
5. Lack of flexibilityBoth people need to adapt, not just one.

Respect, communication, and shared values matter most. We are definitely still learning as we go. What’s been your biggest lesson?

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2 months ago | [YT] | 39

DownUnderToKerala

We get asked these questions time and again by young people in Kerala. Here are our answers:

1. “Do I have to leave to succeed?”No. Leaving is one path, not the only one.
2. “Is staying back risky?”Every path has risk. Choose intentionally, not by fear.
3. “What should I focus on?”Build skills that move with you: adaptability, communication, problem-solving.
4. “What defines success today?”Meaning, stability, and quality of life. Not just money or location.
5. “Is it okay to change direction?”Yes. Growth often looks like starting again.

The world has changed and so has success.There’s no single “right” path anymore.Ask good questions. Choose intentionally.
What would you like us to answer next?

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4 months ago | [YT] | 24

DownUnderToKerala

Life looks very different from what we imagined years ago and that’s okay.
These are a few things we wish we understood earlier.
1. Success doesn’t look the same anymore.What worked for the generation before us isn’t the only path today. The world has changed.
2. Skills matter more than titles.Degrees help, but adaptability, communication, and problem-solving matter more long-term.
3. Quality of life is part of success.Health, peace, and relationships matter just as much as income.
4. It’s okay to change your mind.Growth isn’t linear. You’re allowed to evolve.
5. Comparison steals joy.Someone else’s timeline shouldn’t be your benchmark.

What would you add to the list?

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4 months ago | [YT] | 43

DownUnderToKerala

We didn’t plan this life, but we did choose it.
We met online during COVID, got married, and two years ago moved to Kerala to build something of our own. What started as a big leap slowly became home.
Along the way, we’ve learned a new culture, new rhythms, and what it really means to slow down and show up for people. We opened a small homestay in the misty hills of Kuttikkanam, not because it was easy but because it felt meaningful.
This journey has stretched us, changed us, and taught us that success isn’t just about where you live, but how you live and who you share it with.
Thanks for following along. If you’re new here, welcome 🤍What would you like to know about our life here?

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4 months ago | [YT] | 65

DownUnderToKerala

Some more of your questions answered.
What do you do for work?I (Jess) have a PhD in Biology and completed two post-doctoral fellowships. Fibin has an MBA. These days I’m focusing on science communication and we are both helping build and run our homestay. I am also enjoying learning as much as I can about Kerala culture and family life.

Do you enjoy living in Kerala?Genuinely, yes. The kindness of people, the incredible food, and learning about the amazing animals that live here make every day interesting.

How did you meet?Like many post-COVID love stories… online.

What do you love most about each other?Jess: Fibin always goes above and beyond for the people he cares about.Fibin: Jess’s caring nature and how she grounds me.

How do you manage cultural differences?By accepting they exist, focusing on our similarities, and communicating openly.

Is Jess learning Malayalam?Yes, I understand a lot more than I can speak (working on it 😅).

Do you share the same vision for life?Very early on we realised our values and vision for the future aligned (family, travel, and exploring new things) and that’s what made us work through the differences together.

Any more questions for us? 🤍

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4 months ago | [YT] | 35