Kerala Highlights plus Backwaters Tour

Our guide will welcome you at Kochi International airport and transfer you to Fort Kochi, known for its Dutch, Portuguese, and British colonial architecture. In the evening we will go on an orientation walk in the area followed by a welcome dinner.

Included:
– Orientation walk in Fort Kochi
– Welcome Dinner

In the morning we will first spend time with some fishermen at the famous Chinese fishing nets and there will be a chance to try pulling the nets yourself!

We will later visit “Jew Town” where the first Jewish people settled in India and Paradesi Synagogue, the first in India. We will also visit the Dutch Palace, gifted to the Cochin Royal Family by the Dutch.

In the evening, you’ll attend an amazing Kathakali performance. Kathakali, a 17th century dance-drama that originated in Kerala, will capture you with its elaborate costumes, make-up, and most of all, complicated facial expressions.

Included:
– Chinese Fishing net experience
– Tour of Jew Town
– Visit to Dutch palace
– Local guide in Kochi (We need to use guide here as per local rules)

Not included:
– Kathakali Performance: INR 300pp

Today we will drive (6-7 hours) to Munnar in the morning. During the long, winding journey to Munnar, you will make several stops where your guide will show you many aspects of domestic and agricultural Keralan village life. We will also visit a toddy shop (liquor made from coconut sap, which you can try) and we will enjoy a delicious sea food lunch (also visited by Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsey).

Arriving in Munnar in the late afternoon, from the hustle and bustle of Kochi you’ll barely recognize where you are amidst the rolling mountains, fresh air, and tea plantations stretching as far as the eye can see.

You’ll have time to get settled into your guesthouse and explore Munnar a bit on your own. You can go for a short hike or you can sit back and relax with a good book, a nice cup of tea, and enjoy the scenery.

Included:
– Visit to a local village

Not included:
– Drink/Food at toddy shop: INR 200 to 500pp

Today we’ll do a full day tour in Munnar. We will visit Munnar’s tea museum to really understand what makes this hill station famous; you’ll learn how the tea transforms from a simple leaf to a piping hot cup of chai. We will also visit the very scenic Echo Point and the Rose Garden. In the evening you have an option to watch Kalaripayattu (martial art of Kerala), join a tea tasting event or learn some Kerala recipes at your hotel kitchen with the chef!!

Included:
– Tea tasting
– Cooking experience

Not included:
– Entry fee to Tea Museum: INR 150pp
– Kalaripayattu Performance: INR 400pp

Today we’ll continue south from Munnar to Alleppey (5 hours), home to some of Kerala’s most famous backwaters. Along the way, we’ll stop off at various places including a spice plantation to learn about the ingredients that make Indian cuisine so vibrant. If the season allows, we will meet some beekeepers and taste some of the local produce.

We’ll arrive in the afternoon, settle into our guesthouse, and your guide can recommend a number of restaurants for dinner this evening after the long journey.

Included:
– Spice plantation tour

We will begin early in the morning with a visit to a local fish market, where your guide will help you choose delicious seafood to be cooked on board our very own houseboat for lunch! We’ll then make our way to the backwaters and board our kettuvallam (Keralan houseboat). It will be a relaxing day spent cruising along the backwaters, a vast network of lakes, rivers, canals, and lagoons, observing and occasionally visiting some villages and rice farms. We’ll stay overnight on the open water on our houseboat (bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms) and enjoy the Kerala style lunch, dinner and breakfast cooked by our chef on board.

Included:
– Full day stay on private houseboat cruise (seafood lunch with vegetarian options included onboard)

This morning we will check out of the houseboat and will travel to Kovalam (3 to 4 hrs). In the afternoon, you will have free time to relax on the stunning beach or you can partake in water activities, cooking classes, yoga/pilates, ayurvedic treatments and shopping.

Not Included:
– Water activities, cooking classes, yoga/pilates, ayurvedic treatments

Today we will go on a day trip to the very southern tip of India, Kanyakumari, where you will experience some incredible views of the Indian Ocean and Arabian sea. We will get a boat to the 41-metre-tall Thiruvalluvar Statue. In the evening we have the optional visit to Jatayu Park to see the world’s largest bird sculpture.

Not included:
– Entry fee to Jatayu Park: INR 100pp
– Ropeway at Jatayu Park: INR 150pp

This morning we will finish the tour and we will transfer you to the airport or local train station unless you decide that you want to spend more time in Kovalam

Included:
– Airport transfer

At present all our tours in South India are of fixed itinerary and duration. Unlike many operators we directly arrange all the tour services ourselves without using any agents. This makes sure we are confident in the quality of the service offered and allows us to focus on our unique local community connections in the areas visited.

Yes, we do offer private tours, but the price will need to be increased accordingly. Please get in touch for a quote!

Mumbai has an international airport (Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport). Domestic flights from Delhi and other major Indian cities are also available.

Our minimum group size is 2 and maximum is 12.

We stay in well-appointed mid range hotels, locally owned where possible. All hotels have hot water and most have Wi-Fi. Single passengers will share a twin room with another group member of the same gender if required. One night we will stay on a houseboat. You are welcome to pay extra to ensure you have a room to yourself throughout the trip – please get in touch for costs. Upgrades to 4* accommodation are available at an additional cost for the private tours.

The tour package includes various meals including breakfast in the majority of our overnight hotels, and a welcome dinner is included.

The package includes several activities and entry fees. We also have additional suggestions for activities that aren’t included in the tour price. Please see the itinerary tab to see the included and optional activities.

A deposit payment of 50% is required. Full payment is then due by at least 30 days before tour departure. Advance payment is necessary in order to confirm the booking and can be made via bank transfer or by using our online card payment system

Yes absolutely! Our tours are minimum 2 people but for private tours we can look at providing dates that completely suit you. If you are interested in a shared tour we can often also still offer your preferred dates, guarantee the tour and invite other passengers to join.

All our tours ensure easy international and domestic flight connections before and after the tour. We do not arrange therefore but if there are any flights within your tour itinerary we do organise these and they are included within the tour cost.

All of our nearest arrival airports offer pre-paid, safe and simple taxi options to your start hotel. So we prefer to provide detailed information on this in advance rather than charge you extra unnecessarily like some operators!