Get ready to romance the hills of Kerala in this 4-day trip of Munnar and Thekkady. Partake in plantation walks, wildlife sightings and indulge in picking farm fresh spices as you fully immerse yourself in the lush greenery.
Places Covered: Munnar, Thekkady
Romantic Kerala DAY 01:
Munnar
Arrive at Kochi Airport or railway station and transfer to Munnar, the Queen of hill stations in South India, (155 kms /4 hrs). Check in to the hill resort and the day is at leisure for engaging in resort activities or an evening city tour. Enjoy special Dinner for the couple! Overnight stay at the resort.
Romantic Kerala Day 2:
Munnar
Munnar half day sightseeing of Maduppetty Dam, Kundala Lake, Echo point and back to the resort OR continue with your day tour to Rajamalai (Eravikulam National Park) a soft trekking hill top view point to spot mountain goats). Overnight stay at the resort.
Romantic Kerala Day 3:
Thekkady
Transfer to the famous Hill station and Wild life destination Thekkady renowned for the Periya Wildlife Sanctuary, (90 kms/3 hrs). Check in to the resort and day at leisure for the visit to the wild life sanctuary and enjoy the plantation tour. Evening at leisure at the destination for shopping farm fresh premium quality spices and back to the resort. Overnight stay at the resort.
Romantic Kerala Day 4:
DEPARTURE (Kochi)
Departure transfer to Kochi Airport / Railway station (185 kms/5 hrs)
Quick Facts
State: Kerala
District:
Idukki
Best Season: October to March
Famous for/as: Ecotourism
Languages:
Malayalam,English,Tamil,Hindi
Altitude:
2500 sq ft from Sea Level
Weather:
(deg C) - Summer- Max 30 Min 20 Winter- Max 24 Min 19
PIN Code:
685512
STD Code:
04868
This little village is situated on the
outskirts of Periyar Wild life Sanctuary in the Idukki district of
Kerala, 15 kms. or half an hour excursion from its home town Kumily.
Nestled in the unending chains of hills of the Western Ghats (1200
meters above from sea level) and the cool mountain air make Chellarkovil
a perfect holiday retreat. Chellarkovil eco tourism cater to a number
of community based Eco tourism program mes of this region.
The ecotourism activities are envisaged to centre around at Chellarkovil
Ecotourism Community centre. This land is vested with the Forest
Department, Government of Kerala. Years ago this was an isolated barren
land, had a bad reputation to host some anti social elements like
smugglers, ‘moon shiners’, poachers etc. In the year 2005, the villagers
submitted a project proposal to the Forest Department to constitute an
environmental protection committee and got its sanction. After the
achievement of basic organizational setup, arranged essential minimum
funding from the State Eco tourism and Forest Departments, the project
was inaugurated on 5th of May 2008 by the honourable Forest Minister for
the State.
The facilities include a number of huts, a lovely watch tower, path
ways, a her barium of medicinal plants, a tourist amenity center and an
ecoshop. Adhering to the true concept of environment preservation and
protection, the project got a head start right from its beginning.
Raising the issues of environment protection in a very rural
neighborhood like this resulted to a paradigm shift in the mind set of
many villagers.
Attractions
Atop on the Western Ghats in Kerala, Chellarkovil village borders with
the Tamilnadu State. Long stretches of uninhabited bush land demarks the
two states where one can overlook into the unmatched scenic beauty of
Tamilnadu plains as a birds eye view. At times nothing can be seen
around , except the whiteness of the mist and the next moment a wind
would sweep it unveiling the green valley almost 3000fts.down below.
This program is designed partly like a border hiking. There are nature
trails to follow. Here nothing comes before you other than freshness of
nature as you walk along the beautiful landscape consisting of rare
plants, wild flowers, bushes, cliffs, brooks and streams. Its terrains
commune with nature at its tranquil best and a casual walk along its
plantations or a rugged jungle trail will be rejuvenating.
The other side of the village are country roads passing through
different terrains. This contoured land is verdant with plantation of
pepper, cardamom, coffee, turmeric, ginger, clove, nutmeg, vanilla etc.
and long stretches of high altitude paddy (rice) fields. There are small
holdings of high land farmers around the village. The practice of inter
cropping (poly culture) and rearing live stock in their home premises
provides them organic farming inputs which is the secret behind the
freshness, flavour or aroma of their wonderful produce!. An interaction
with the local people will help to know more about their life and
culture. Tips
Duration : 2 hrs.(for guided trekking)
Price : Rs.400/- minimum.( two persons. for extra persons Rs.150/- each.)
Guided Spice Tour
A
landlocked district, Idukki is one of the most nature rich areas of
Kerala. As a tourist destination, Idukki offers diverse attractions like
wildlife sanctuaries, hill stations, spice plantation tours, mountain
treks etc. The Anakkara village(in which Chellarkovil comprises) and
surroundings are the heart land of spices in the country. Government of
India and the United Nations Development Programme has identified this
village in their Spice tourism circuit project. This aims to support
spice growing communities by providing tourists a first hand experience
of spice cultivation and its processing. The enchanting spice farms are
treasures of this region and worth visiting
The hill stations in Idukki district of Kerala are rich in bio-diversity
for its flora and fauna, spice plantations, wildlife sanctuaries and
vibrant village community life.
How to Reach
By Air : Nearest Airport : Madurai (Tamil Nadu) 140 kms, Kochi (Nedumbassery - 170 km), Thiruvananthapuram (265 kms).
By Rail : Nearest railway station is Kottayam ( 110 kms). Madura station is 136 kms from here
By Road : An excellent road network from Kumily links the to all major towns and cities in india. Cochin town is 185 kms away.
Kerala is a small state in the southern part of India and is arguably
one of the most beautiful place and a most important in the tourism map of India. Kerala is blessed with varied
geographical features which add more variety to its natural beauty and
it is this variety that makes Kerala a major travel destination in
India. There are a lot of travel places worth visiting in Kerala and
people from different parts of the world are seen making their trip to
this wonderful piece of land.
Adding to all the natural beauty, Kerala is also blessed with a good
climatic condition that provides a great tour experience for the
travellers. Kerala has moderate winter, summer and an extreme monsoon
season which creates a sense of varied geographical beauty to this
place. Due to its unique monsoon season when it rains continuously for
weeks, there are specially customized monsoon tour packages offered by
various tour operators which help people to enjoy the monsoon to its
fullest.
In Kerala you can see good and friendly Malayalam speaking locals,
who are considered to be one of the most disciplined people in India.
Kerala is well known for its wide stretch of beautiful backwaters, hill
stations, hills, low range plains, paddy fields, villages, temples,
churches, mosques, food etc. These all things add more value to the
tourism industry in Kerala and there will be no dearth of travel
activities once you are in Kerala.
The major cities of Kerala such as Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam,
Thrissur and Kozhikode are all rich for various travel attractions and
even if you are in the midst of a peak time in these cities, you will
never get exhausted. All the cities are indeed a mixture of urban and
rural atmosphere which is rarely seen in other cities across India. The
major cities of Kerala are well connected to each other either by air,
rail or road, which makes it much easier for the travellers to travel to
and fro.
This blog will try its best to project details and information
regarding the major travel places across Kerala that are worth visiting.
Really appreciate everyone’s support and feedback in making this blog
move ahead in a positive direction.
A tour operator can plan a great vacation for you, however, he can
never select a hotel of your choice unless you are involved in this
exercise. The reason is simple, planning a tour require expertise on the
area but hotel selection is subjective, hence I have written this blog
article on ‘How to Select a Hotel of Your Choice’, not on ‘How to Select
the Best Hotel’.
Hotel selection is subjective, which means no one in this world can
assume to know which hotel you will like as this depends on your style,
budget, standard of living, requirements, expectations and other
personal factors. If you are planning for a great vacation and if you
are particular about where to stay, don’t leave this element completely
on a tour operator. You should get involved, spend some time, do
internet research and always make sure the hotel selected is as per your
preferences.
Tour operators always recommend hotels, they get good feedback from
previous guests. You can take their recommendations and check reviews
about the hotels yourself before confirming. Keep in mind, finding good
hotels on your own is a time taking process. But you can take the hotel
recommendations and do your own research before finalizing.
Please remember that a tour operator never recommend a hotel which
get bad feedback regularly irrespective of what best rate he gets from
the hotel. It really doesn’t matter which hotel you select, he gets his
profit. That’s how this business is run. I am being open here and
sharing the fact with you…!
While planning for a vacation, finalize your Itinerary and have a
rough idea about your budget. Ask tour operator to give hotel choices as
per budget and give him your preferences in selecting the hotel. Once
he come back to you with the choices, do an in-depth research of the
hotel through Google search. You will get relevant details and reviews
about the hotel, based on which you can make the decision.
Things to be taken care while selecting a hotel :
Budget should be the first preference. You will have choice of different hotels on your budget.
Location of hotel is really important as some people like to stay in
city, some outside, some with good view, etc. All options has its own
advantages and disadvantages which we will cover in detail below.
Hotel category should be your next preference which again depends on budget, your standard of living and expectations.
Food quality and food options should be enquired especially for pure vegetarians and Jains.
Let us discuss each of them in detail :-
Budget
If you are concerned about overall travel budget, you can give
preference to that and select a hotel accordingly which suits your
requirements. There will be lot of hotels at all places for all budget
categories. But my personal suggestion is not to go for cheaper options
as they lack cleanliness, service and most important safety.
You can expect decent hotels ranging from 1500/- at most of the
places. When you take budget hotels you cannot expect anything
extraordinary in the hotel but with basic amenities. Budget hotels are
preferred if your mindset is to have a decent stay with more emphasis on
sightseeing or else please go for a higher category hotel.
You get the best rate from tour operators rather than booking directly
with hotels as very often hotels have a special offer rate for tour
service providers. Rate of hotels vary according to locations which will
be discussed in later in the article.
Location of Hotel
This is another important aspect to consider while choosing your
hotel. Do consider hotel location and its proximity to town. At most of
the tourist places, majority of good resorts and hotels are outside
the town area; but there are good options very close to town center as
well. This selection should be as per your preferences. If you are
choosing one outside city, you get to enjoy the best view. While
staying in a city hotel, you can always roam around city.
I personally like to stay outside the town when I am on holiday. As
we live everyday in city and during vacations, I want to relax and
enjoy the natural beauty. And of course, this concept varies with
person! Always check location of hotel before confirming the same and
make sure its as per your preferences.
Hotel Category
At all locations, you will find hotels ranging from budget to 5
Star. You can also opt for Resorts at tourist places rather than going
for star hotels. They seem to have good service and room amenities.
Food
Most of the hotels will have their own restaurant and provide food.
If you are a pure vegetarian and never take food from mixed restaurants,
make sure this aspect is checked on priority basis. Most of the hotels
cook both Veg and Non Veg in the same kitchen. Jain food is also
available at most of the hotels.
While booking a Hotel room/Resort, you have the following options of booking
EP – European plan where booking is only for room and food is not complimentary
CP – Continental plan where you will get room with complimentary breakfast
MAP – Modified American plan where you will get room with complimentary breakfast and dinner
AP – American plan where you will get room with complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner
Please note that complimentary food is for one person, if your
booking is for single room and for 2 people if booking is for double bed
room.
It is always good idea to take room on CP basis only. If booking is
done on MAP or AP plan, you are paying for the food in advance and you
need to pay even if you do not like the food at the hotel. If your
booking is on CP, you have the option of either having your food from
same hotel by paying extra amount directly or you can have from other
nearby restaurants.
Food menu is at the sole discretion of hotel management and booking
agent do not have any role on this. If your hotel is outside city, it is
a good idea to have food from city after sightseeing and move to hotel.
Otherwise you need to have food from the hotel you stay because coming
back to the city at night will not be safe at most times. If your
booking is for one room only but accompanied by a child, you need to
pay food charges for the child directly at hotels even if this is not
confirmed by booking agent.
Extra bed/matrress
Extra bed is provided when there is a extra person to be accommodated
in a room. This is chargeable as per hotel policies. Normally any child
above 5 years is required to take one extra bed where breakfast will be
complimentary for the person who takes extra bed {if booking is on CP
for extra bed}.
Some hotels charge for extra person even though you don’t take extra
bed for the person accompanying you. Most of the hotels allows only one
extra bed in a room. Also please note that they will be giving you just
the bed; extra cot will not be provided.
Room types
Different hotels has different room types varying from standard,
deluxe, super deluxe etc as per their choice. For some hotels base
category rooms are named as standard while some name them as deluxe and
so. While selecting room type, you should check difference in amenities
for each category of rooms. In most cases when you book a package, rooms
included with be from the base category option in the hotels. If you
are looking for best amenities and outside view, try to book higher
category rooms.
I hope the above details helped you in having an understanding of
Kerala hotels and what you should look for before booking. Now we shall
take a brief look into the aspects involved in hotel booking at major destinations in Kerala.
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most beautiful places in Kerala. This should be a must-visit place in your Kerala tour.
The scenic hill station will enthrall you with its natural beauty.
Normally, two night stay is required to cover everything Munnar has to
offer. If you are traveling to Munnar from Cochin, it takes almost 5hrs
to reach Munnar. Hence second day should be utilized for Munnar
sightseeing.
Munnar has lot of hotel options available from budget to 5 star. When
you select hotel here, first preference should be given to location.
You will find that most of the good resorts and hotels are outside
town. Most of them are within the radius of 30km from Munnar town. If
you love to stay near town, Munnar has lot of budget and few good hotels
in and around the town area. These hotels are within 10km radius to
Munnar town.
Do remember that, you won’t find AC rooms anywhere in Munnar; most of
the hotels won’t even have fan as this is a cold place. While selecting
hotel at Munnar, you can check category of room as only the best rooms
will have excellent view to tea plantations depending on the
resort/hotel selected.
Sometimes you may even find good resorts which are difficult to
reach. My personal suggestion is to stay away from town and enjoy the
beauty of Munnar. But that’s your choice and should be conveyed to your
agent at the time of booking.
While at Munnar if your hotel is far away from town, have dinner from
city center and move to hotel or plan to have it from the hotel you
stay. You might need to inform the hotel beforehand. Traveling to the
town at night from hotel is not a good idea as there will be fog and is
not safe to drive. The mobile range at most of the hotels in Munnar is
very poor.
Thekkady
Thekkady is known for Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. There are three KTDC hotels in Thekkady which is near to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Most of the good hotels are in Kumily, about 2km from Thekkady and is
the best option. Thekkady also has hotels but only a few good ones.
The hotels are in the same area and are nearby. There are only few A/C
hotels at Thekkady and that too only for high category rooms. Most of
the tour agents quote with Non A/C rooms rates for Thekkady stay.
There are a few luxury resorts also at Thekkady. Some of these
resorts have tree houses too! Number of hotels are less in Thekkady
compared to Munnar.
Alleppey & Kumarakom
Alleppey and Kumarakom are two different places which are 40km apart.
Alleppey is a place where you can see backwaters as well as beach and
Kumarakom has only backwater stretches. At Alleppey, there are few
beach resorts and some back water resorts. You can also find lots of
good hotels inside the city.
There are even hotels 30km away from Alleppey towards Cochin with
good view of backwater. There are hotels at Marari, Thannermukkam etc ,
which are about 25km from Alleppey but are good choices. Always check
the facilities of the resort and proximity to water before confirming
your stay at Alleppey or Kumarakom resort.
Kumarakom resorts are ideal if you are on honeymoon or for extended
stay where you can relax and enjoy all the facilities of a good resort
like swimming pool, pedal boating etc. Check for rooms with good
outside view during your stay at Kumarakom or Alleppey. Book only hotels
with A/C rooms at Alleppey.
Varkala
Varkala has few hotels and resorts. But it is ideal place for relaxation
with extended beach view. There are good Ayurvedic resorts here.
Kovalam/Trivandrum
For a tourist, Kovalam is the ideal place to stay instead of
Trivandrum. Most of the hotels at Kovalam are near to sea, though they
may not be along the shore. Some hotels have good view to sea but most
of the hotels have only partial view of sea.
If you really want to stay in a resort or hotel with good sea view,
you can make your choice accordingly and sometimes you may need to
select the best room in the hotel for that which will cost you few
thousands extra. Staying at Trivandrum is not a good idea if you are
planning to spend most of your time at Kovalam. Also book only A/C rooms
as it might get hot!
My blog article on Kerala tour planning
have crossed 3800 viewers per month and I am extremely happy to know
that my blog helps many people who are planning Kerala vacations.
Every day I get a lot of email appreciations and the most
interesting part is that some guests admit that they could plan Kerala
tour without the help of a tour operator after going through the blog.
Though I loose some business here, I feel proud and honored to be known
as a blogger.
A tour operator can plan a great vacation for you, however, he can
never select a hotel of your choice unless you are involved in this
exercise. The reason is simple, planning a tour require expertise on the
area but hotel selection is subjective, hence I have written this blog
article on ‘How to Select a Hotel of Your Choice’, not on ‘How to Select
the Best Hotel’.
And believe me you will be able to select the best hotel of your choice after reading this blog.
Hotel selection is subjective, which means no one in this world can
assume to know which hotel you will like as this depends on your style,
budget, standard of living, requirements, expectations and other
personal factors. If you are planning for a great vacation and if you
are particular about where to stay, don’t leave this element completely
on a tour operator. You should get involved, spend some time, do
internet research and always make sure the hotel selected is as per your
preferences.
Tour operators always recommend hotels, they get good feedback from
previous guests. You can take their recommendations and check reviews
about the hotels yourself before confirming. Keep in mind, finding good
hotels on your own is a time taking process. But you can take the hotel
recommendations and do your own research before finalizing.
Please remember that a tour operator never recommend a hotel which
get bad feedback regularly irrespective of what best rate he gets from
the hotel. It really doesn’t matter which hotel you select, he gets his
profit. That’s how this business is run. I am being open here and
sharing the fact with you…! While
planning for a vacation, finalize your Itinerary and have a rough idea
about your budget. Ask tour operator to give hotel choices as per budget
and give him your preferences in selecting the hotel. Once he come back
to you with the choices, do an in-depth research of the hotel through
Google search. You will get relevant details and reviews about the
hotel, based on which you can make the decision.
Things to be taken care while selecting a hotel :
Budget should be the first preference. You will have choice of different hotels on your budget.
Location of hotel is really important as some people like to stay in
city, some outside, some with good view, etc. All options has its own
advantages and disadvantages which we will cover in detail below.
Hotel category should be your next preference which again depends on budget, your standard of living and expectations.
Food quality and food options should be enquired especially for pure vegetarians and Jains.
Let us discuss each of them in detail :- Budget
If you are concerned about overall travel budget, you can give
preference to that and select a hotel accordingly which suits your
requirements. There will be lot of hotels at all places for all budget
categories. But my personal suggestion is not to go for cheaper options
as they lack cleanliness, service and most important safety.
You can expect decent hotels ranging from 1500/- at most of the
places. When you take budget hotels you cannot expect anything
extraordinary in the hotel but with basic amenities. Budget hotels are
preferred if your mindset is to have a decent stay with more emphasis on
sightseeing or else please go for a higher category hotel.
You get the best rate from tour operators rather than booking directly
with hotels as very often hotels have a special offer rate for tour
service providers. Rate of hotels vary according to locations which will
be discussed in later in the article. Location of Hotel
This is another important aspect to consider while choosing your
hotel. Do consider hotel location and its proximity to town. At most of
the tourist places, majority of good resorts and hotels are outside
the town area; but there are good options very close to town center as
well. This selection should be as per your preferences. If you are
choosing one outside city, you get to enjoy the best view. While
staying in a city hotel, you can always roam around city.
I personally like to stay outside the town when I am on holiday. As
we live everyday in city and during vacations, I want to relax and
enjoy the natural beauty. And of course, this concept varies with
person! Always check location of hotel before confirming the same and
make sure its as per your preferences. Hotel Category
At all locations, you will find hotels ranging from budget to 5
Star. You can also opt for Resorts at tourist places rather than going
for star hotels. They seem to have good service and room amenities. Food
Most of the hotels will have their own restaurant and provide food.
If you are a pure vegetarian and never take food from mixed restaurants,
make sure this aspect is checked on priority basis. Most of the hotels
cook both Veg and Non Veg in the same kitchen. Jain food is also
available at most of the hotels.
While booking a Hotel room/Resort, you have the following options of booking EP – European plan where booking is only for room and food is not complimentary CP – Continental plan where you will get room with complimentary breakfast MAP – Modified American plan where you will get room with complimentary breakfast and dinner AP – American plan where you will get room with complimentary breakfast, lunch and dinner
Please note that complimentary food is for one person, if your
booking is for single room and for 2 people if booking is for double bed
room.
It is always good idea to take room on CP basis only. If booking is
done on MAP or AP plan, you are paying for the food in advance and you
need to pay even if you do not like the food at the hotel. If your
booking is on CP, you have the option of either having your food from
same hotel by paying extra amount directly or you can have from other
nearby restaurants.
Food menu is at the sole discretion of hotel management and booking
agent do not have any role on this. If your hotel is outside city, it is
a good idea to have food from city after sightseeing and move to hotel.
Otherwise you need to have food from the hotel you stay because coming
back to the city at night will not be safe at most times. If your
booking is for one room only but accompanied by a child, you need to
pay food charges for the child directly at hotels even if this is not
confirmed by booking agent.
Extra bed/matrress
Extra bed is provided when there is a extra person to be accommodated
in a room. This is chargeable as per hotel policies. Normally any child
above 5 years is required to take one extra bed where breakfast will be
complimentary for the person who takes extra bed {if booking is on CP
for extra bed}.
Some hotels charge for extra person even though you don’t take extra
bed for the person accompanying you. Most of the hotels allows only one
extra bed in a room. Also please note that they will be giving you just
the bed; extra cot will not be provided. Room types
Different hotels has different room types varying from standard,
deluxe, super deluxe etc as per their choice. For some hotels base
category rooms are named as standard while some name them as deluxe and
so. While selecting room type, you should check difference in amenities
for each category of rooms. In most cases when you book a package, rooms
included with be from the base category option in the hotels. If you
are looking for best amenities and outside view, try to book higher
category rooms.
I hope the above details helped you in having an understanding of
Kerala hotels and what you should look for before booking. Now we shall
take a brief look into the aspects involved in hotel booking at major destinations in Kerala.
Munnar
Munnar is one of the most beautiful places in Kerala. This should be a must-visit place in your Kerala tour.
The scenic hill station will enthrall you with its natural beauty.
Normally, two night stay is required to cover everything Munnar has to
offer. If you are traveling to Munnar from Cochin, it takes almost 5hrs
to reach Munnar. Hence second day should be utilized for Munnar
sightseeing.
Munnar has lot of hotel options available from budget to 5 star. When
you select hotel here, first preference should be given to location.
You will find that most of the good resorts and hotels are outside
town. Most of them are within the radius of 30km from Munnar town. If
you love to stay near town, Munnar has lot of budget and few good hotels
in and around the town area. These hotels are within 10km radius to
Munnar town.
Do remember that, you won’t find AC rooms anywhere in Munnar; most of
the hotels won’t even have fan as this is a cold place. While selecting
hotel at Munnar, you can check category of room as only the best rooms
will have excellent view to tea plantations depending on the
resort/hotel selected.
Sometimes you may even find good resorts which are difficult to
reach. My personal suggestion is to stay away from town and enjoy the
beauty of Munnar. But that’s your choice and should be conveyed to your
agent at the time of booking.
While at Munnar if your hotel is far away from town, have dinner from
city center and move to hotel or plan to have it from the hotel you
stay. You might need to inform the hotel beforehand. Traveling to the
town at night from hotel is not a good idea as there will be fog and is
not safe to drive. The mobile range at most of the hotels in Munnar is
very poor.
Thekkady is known for Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. There are three KTDC hotels in Thekkady which is near to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.
Most of the good hotels are in Kumily, about 2km from Thekkady and is
the best option. Thekkady also has hotels but only a few good ones.
The hotels are in the same area and are nearby. There are only few A/C
hotels at Thekkady and that too only for high category rooms. Most of
the tour agents quote with Non A/C rooms rates for Thekkady stay.
There are a few luxury resorts also at Thekkady. Some of these
resorts have tree houses too! Number of hotels are less in Thekkady
compared to Munnar.
Kumarakom lake Resort – Image by mystikalindia Via Flickr
Alleppey and Kumarakom are two different places which are 40km apart.
Alleppey is a place where you can see backwaters as well as beach and
Kumarakom has only backwater stretches. At Alleppey, there are few
beach resorts and some back water resorts. You can also find lots of
good hotels inside the city.
There are even hotels 30km away from Alleppey towards Cochin with
good view of backwater. There are hotels at Marari, Thannermukkam etc ,
which are about 25km from Alleppey but are good choices. Always check
the facilities of the resort and proximity to water before confirming
your stay at Alleppey or Kumarakom resort.
Kumarakom resorts are ideal if you are on honeymoon or for extended
stay where you can relax and enjoy all the facilities of a good resort
like swimming pool, pedal boating etc. Check for rooms with good
outside view during your stay at Kumarakom or Alleppey. Book only hotels
with A/C rooms at Alleppey.
For
a tourist, Kovalam is the ideal place to stay instead of Trivandrum.
Most of the hotels at Kovalam are near to sea, though they may not be
along the shore. Some hotels have good view to sea but most of the
hotels have only partial view of sea.
If you really want to stay in a resort or hotel with good sea view,
you can make your choice accordingly and sometimes you may need to
select the best room in the hotel for that which will cost you few
thousands extra. Staying at Trivandrum is not a good idea if you are
planning to spend most of your time at Kovalam. Also book only A/C rooms
as it might get hot!
Kanyakumari
Kanyakumari has few good hotels. You can try to book sea view rooms if available during your stay at Kanyakumari.
The tour which is ideal for for honeymoon couples and families looking for a cool break will take you through few of thefamous hill stations in Keralalike Munnar and the backwaters of Alleppey .This is the most popular honeymoon package in Kerala and we combine it with our legendary hospitality to deliver the best kerala honeymoon package experience at affordable rates.
We believe in transparency. While this phrase may be a bit overused, you'll find its true meaning embodied here. Within the packages listed here, you will get an experience of what we can offer you in a Kerala tour, our dedication and our continuing drive to provide the utmost in customer service and memorable experiences in Kerala.
Off season – June 15 – September 30
Season – January 11 – June 14, October 01 -December 14
Peak season – November 01 – November 15 , December 15 – January 10 (35 % – 60 % hike)
Munnar & Houseboat Honeymoon Tour Package cost includes
A/c Car (Indica) Transportation
Fuel, Parking Toll & Driver allowance
Accommodation on double sharing in Basic Rooms
Complimentary Breakfast
All Meals in the Houseboat
Houseboat cruising and one night stay
All Sightseeing by road as per the Itinerary
Candle light dinner at houseboat
Bottle of Soft Drink
Honeymoon Cake
All Applicable taxes
Munnar & Houseboat Honeymoon Tour Package cost does not include
Any Train/ Flight Fare
Lunch and Dinner at Hotels
Any Personal Expense
Tips and Gratitude, guide charges
Entrance fees and all items of personal nature
Any services not specifically mentioned in the inclusions Itinerary
ITINERARY Day : 01 Cochin – Munnar
Your Honeymoon tour package starts by your arrival at Cochin Airport / Ernakulam Railway
station, you will be received by our representative and will transfer
you to Hotel/ Resort Munnar (145 Kms away) It is about a 04 hours of
delightful journey Throughout the journey enjoy beautiful streams small
water falls like vallara and cheeyappara water falls, Rubber, Pepper
cardamom and Tea plantations and thick forests, On arrival at Munnar
check into Hotel.. Overnight stay. Enjoy the cool breeze, mist and fog
the Queen of the Southern Hill stations and have everlasting memory of
your honeymoon days in Kerala.
Day : 02 Munnar
Morning after breakfast you will be escorted for a full day sightseeing
trip of Munnar Perhaps one of the most romantic experiences you love to
cherish in the album of your heart.Visit – Mattupetty Lake & Dam,
Echo Point, Kundale Lake, Blossom Garden, Rajamalai, Eravikulam Wildlife
sanctuary, famous for Nilagiri Tahr and Tea gardens & Tea
Plantation. You never feel tired. The enchanting beauty of Munnar beats
the sweat of your brow. Later you will lead to your hotel room early to
have your own world. Overnight stay in Hotel, Munnar.
Day : 03 Houseboat
Morning at leisure at resort, Have your breakfast proceed to Alleppey where
at about 12.00 noon you can check in to the much awaited houseboat.
Cruising in a House Boat through the back waters of Kerala is the
fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauty of the backwaters. Sit
back and relax while the boat cruises through the narrow serene
backwaters, rivers and canals. Lunch, Evening Tea/Coffee with snacks,
dinner and breakfast will be served on board. Enjoy your evening on the
sun decked sand and shore. Overnight stay at House Boat will be a
unique experience. (Air conditioner in the houseboat will be on only
from 09 P.M. to 06 A.M. )
Day : 04 Departure
Finally the day has come we have to say bye – - – Please have the
breakfast before you check out of the Houseboat at 09:00 hrs. We
transfer you from the Houseboat to the Cochin Airport /Ernakulam Railway Station . ( If time permit you are lucky to visit Alleppey Beach, Cochin Marine Drive )
With its sprawling tea plantations, pristine valleys and mountains and cool air, it's no suprise that Munnar rated so high with holiday-makers. In recent years, it has also been attracting adventure travellers, who are enamoured by the the stunning topography of verdant Munnar, which is ideal for paragliding, trekking and rock-climbing. Mystic Munnar tour is ideally suited for guests who are looking for a romantic hill stattion getaway or a short break via a Munnar Tour Package.
We believe in transparency. While this phrase may be a bit overused, you'll find its true meaning embodied here. Within the packages listed here, you will get an experience of what we can offer you in a Kerala tour, our dedication and our continuing drive to provide the utmost in customer service and memorable eperiences in Kerala.
Off season – June 15 – September 30
Season – January 11 – June 14, October 01 -December 14
Peak season – November 01 – November 15 , December 15 – January 10 (35 % – 60 % hike)
Munnar Honeymoon Tour Package cost includes
A/c Car (Indica) Transportation
Fuel, Parking Toll & Driver allowance
Accommodation on double sharing in Basic Rooms
Complimentary Breakfast
All Sightseeing by road as per the Itinerary
Honeymoon Cake
All Applicable taxes
Munnar Honeymoon Tour Package cost does not include
Any Train/ Flight Fare
Lunch and Dinner at Hotels
Any Personal Expense
Tips and Gratitude, guide charges
Entrance fees and all items of personal nature
Any services not specifically mentioned in the inclusions
ITINERARY
Day : 01 Cochin – Munnar
Your Honeymoon tour package starts by your arrival at Cochin Airport / Ernakulam Railway
station, you will be received by our representative and will transfer
you to Hotel/ Munnar (145 Kms away) It is about a 04 hours of
delightful journey Throughout the journey enjoy beautiful streams small
water falls like Vallara and Cheyappara water falls, Rubber, Pepper
cardamom and Tea plantations and thick forests, On arrival at Munnar
check into Hotel.. Overnight stay. Enjoy the cool breeze, mist and fog
the Queen of the Southern Hill stations and have everlasting memory of
your honeymoon days in Kerala.
Day : 02 Munnar
Morning after breakfast you will be escorted for a full day sightseeing
trip of Munnar Perhaps one of the most romantic experiences you love to
cherish in the album of your heart. Visit – Mattupetty Lake & Dam,
Echo Point, Kundale Lake, Blossom Garden, Rajamalai, Eravikulam Wildlife
sanctuary, famous for Nilagiri Tahr and Tea gardens & Tea
Plantation. You never feel tired. The enchanting beauty of Munnar beats
the sweat of your brow. Later you will lead to your hotel room early to
have your own world. Overnight stay in Hotel, Munnar.
Day : 03 Departure
Finally the day has come we have to say bye – - – Please have the
breakfast before you check out of the hotel room at 09:00 hrs. We
transfer you from the Hotel to the airport / railway station at Cochin
From the above listed major tourist destinations, make a list of places you wish to cover in Kerala.
I shall be writing about all these places in detail below with travel
time required for each. After reading this post, you would be in a
position to finalize the places to visit depending on your leave from
office. Once places of visit and number of nights in each destination
are finalized, Itinerary can be prepared with ease.
Cochin:
Most of the time, this is the place where you land in Kerala. If you
have enough days in Kerala, a full day visit of Cochin is worth doing.
Cochin has lot of sightseeing places including Marine drive, Chinese
fishing nets, Fort Cochin where you can visit Dutch palace, Jew
Synagogue etc.
If you are short in time, I suggest you to move directly to your
first destination from Cochin. This can be Munnar which is 4 to 5hrs
drive from Cochin, Thekkady which is 5hrs drive, Alleppey 2hrs,
Guruvayoor 2hrs and Athirapilly-vazhachal, a short 2hrs drive. If you
want Kovalam as your first destination, it is better to arrive at
Trivandrum instead of having a hectic travel of 6 to 7hrs on the same
day of arrival.
For every travel you need to consider halting time in between for
sightseeing, food etc. If your first destination is Alleppey Houseboat,
make sure you reach Cochin at least by 9AM so that you can check in to
Houseboat at 12Noon. If your arrival is after 10AM at Cochin, then don’t
plan Alleppey Houseboat cruise on the same day as check in to houseboat
is at 12Noon and check out is at 9AM next day. If you are reaching
Cochin after 3PM, then don’t plan any travel on that day. In this case
best option is to stay in a hotel near to airport or railway station
depending how you come to Cochin. Most of the hotels near to airport
gives free pick up from airport thus can save money on vehicle on that
day. Do inform your travel agent about your mode of arrival to book
hotel accordingly. Cochin airport is almost 20km from Cochin
city/railway station.
If you are planning to stay at Cochin on arrival day, normally check
in time of all hotels is 12 Noon and if you are reaching early morning,
do inform this in advance to your travel agent. In this case you can
request for early check in. Most of the hotels allow this subject to
room availability and do note that breakfast will not be complimentary
for this day.
If you are planning to travel to other destination on the same day, I
suggest you to start directly to that destination instead of having a
half day sightseeing of Cochin and then traveling to next destination.
If you are arriving Cochin by train or bus or after a long flight
travel, try to refresh yourself before driving from Cochin to your next
destination. This helps you to enjoy the trip right from beginning and
can visit all sightseeing on the way. Coordinating your first
destination in accordance with your arrival time is very important.
Munnar:
Munnar, a hill station, is one of the most beautiful places in Kerala.
There are lots of Tea plantations and more than a dozen places to see
near Munnar. This is a must see place if you are visiting Kerala.
Climate will be mostly cold throughout the year. Munnar is 140km from
Cochin.
If you are traveling to Munnar, you should try to stay there at least
for 2 nights. For your onward journey, travel time listed from Cochin
is 4 to 5hrs, but in practical you will reach Munnar in about 7 to 8 hrs
only. There are lots of sightseeing spots in between. You can enjoy
waterfalls and rolling hillside with tea gardens on the way. During this
travel enjoy as much as you can on the day and don’t be in a rush to
reach Munnar. You can even visit spice plantations on the way. After
enjoying the scenery, you will be reaching Munnar by evening only.
If you feel like, you can spend some time in the market. If your
hotel is away from Munnar town, try to have food and finish all
activities in town and move to hotel. Coming back from hotel to town in
night is not a good idea as there can be fog in the road and driving is
not safe.
Second day should be dedicated for sightseeing in and around Munnar.
If you want to cover almost all places, try to start sightseeing by
8.30. Or you can choose places to visit according to your interest and
mood. Purchase spices, tea etc. while you go for shopping.
Selecting the resort/hotel is most important while you are in Munnar.
Every hotel in Munnar is not in town, you will find hotels within a
radius of approximately 30km from Munnar. Most of the good resorts are
away from city. If you are a person who wishes to stay in city, do make
sure the hotel you select is in city itself. If you want to be away from
all traffic and love to have a relaxed mood select a resort/hotel
accordingly. While approaching any tour operator, if you have a specific
choice, make sure you communicate this clearly.
It is always better to do a Google search on the hotel selected.
Nobody can tell you whether you will like a hotel or not. As this is
very subjective and depends upon your interests and background.
Personally I like to stay away from city when I am on holiday and used
to prefer hotels outside the city. But for business trips, I prefer city
hotels.
A normal package can be prepared with 2 night stay at Munnar. If you
wish to stay at Munnar for 3 nights, you will get a lot of time to
relax. A package with one night in Munnar is not that advisable. I have
seen many times people taking package with one night at Munnar and one
night at Alleppey when they have only 3 days to spend. This is not a
good idea as they will not be able to cover neither Munnar nor Alleppey.
From Munnar, you can travel to next destinations like Thekkady,
Alleppey, or Cochin. Moving to Kovalam directly from Munnar is not a
good idea as travelling time would be minimum 10hrs. If you are moving
to Cochin to catch return flight/train do make sure you have minimum
6hrs in between, as you may even stop for food during this travel. So do
your time planning accordingly. Distance to various places from Munnar
Distance from Munnar to Madurai – 130KM
Distance from Munnar to Cochin – 135KM
Distance from Munnar to Aluva – 130KM
Distance from Munnar to Theni – 165KM
Distance from Munnar to Thekkady – 110KM
Distance from Munnar to Trivandrum – 280KM
Distance from Munnar to Alleppey – 190km
Distance from Munnar to Kodaikkanal – 180km
Thekkady:
The famous Periyar wild life sanctuary is in Thekkady. Thekkady is
sometimes referred to as Kumily or Periyar. Thekkady is the best place
to visit if you are interested in adventure and eco-tourism activities.
If you are not interested in such activities, you have only Periyar wild
life sanctuary to see.
To watch wild life closely, you need to go for boating through the
Periyar River. Wild animals, forest areas of Periyar sanctuary and
Mullapperiyar dam from long view can only be seen during this boating.
Vehicles are not allowed inside the sanctuary for sightseeing.
Boating in Thekkady has fixed timings and the guest need to be
personally in the queue to get tickets. You need to give your personal
details as well as show ID card while taking this ticket. Depending on
season, the rush for boating varies. In peak seasons, there might be
heavy rush, so try to be in queue at least 3 to 4 hrs before the
departure time.
Thekkady has lot of activities/shows running in the evening. If
interested, you can watch Kalarippayattu (martial arts of Kerala),
Kathakali, Magic show, musical fountain, tribal dance etc. You can also
go for Ayurveda massage, Elephant ride, Elephant bath, Elephant shower,
Spice plantation tour etc. You can plan for boating through Periyar
River as well above activities if you have one night stay at Thekkady.
Unless you are interested in adventurous activities, don’t stay for more
than 2 nights there. If you are opting for two night’s stay, you can
relax on the second day enjoying the wilderness of Thekkady..
If you are an adventurous person, this is the place for you. Plan for
2 or 3 nights at Thekkady and you get to do all sorts of adventure
activities here. You can go for Gavi tour which includes full day Jeep
safari, trekking etc., bamboo rafting, eco-tourism, nature walk, night
patrolling etc. Go through the details for these activities and fix the
number of days you want to stay at Thekkady.
From Thekkady you can move to Alleppey, Munnar, Cochin, Madurai (Tamil
Nadu), Kodaikkanal (Tamil Nadu). Again Kovalam is not a good idea as
there will be lot of traveling. Distance to various places from Thekkady
Distance from Thekkady to Kumily – 4km
Distance from Thekkady to Munnar – 110km
Distance from Thekkady to Alleppey – 150km
Distance from Thekkady to Cochin – 170km
Distance from Thekkady to Kodaikkanal – 120km
Houseboat Cruise in Alleppey:
Alleppey is famous for Kerala style houseboats. Alleppey has a good
beach also. A houseboat cruise is a different experience and should not
miss this if you have enough holidays with you. Houseboats give a
different feel than staying in a hotel. These floating villas have
dining hall, rooms with bath rooms and kitchens. Number of rooms varies
from one to nine as of now.
Houseboat cruise can be of two types; you can either opt for a 21hrs overnight cruise or can take morning cruise for 5 to 6 hrs.
If you are opting for morning cruise, you have to check-in at 10AM
and check-out will be at 4 or 5 PM depending on the cruise provider you
opt. In this case, you will be greeted with welcome drink (lime juice or
tender coconut) and will serve lunch prepared in boat and evening
snacks. Boat will cruise through the inland canals, backwaters and
lakes. And you can also watch the long stretch of paddy fields at
Alleppey (Kuttanad). This cruise, I am sure, will be one of the most
memorable experiences of your lifetime.
Boat will halt during lunch timings and food is prepared in the boat
itself. The boat will have a Captain (driver), Cook and sometimes a
helper too depending on the size of boat. These boats are engine driven.
For overnight stay houseboat cruise (21hrs), you need to check-in to
your houseboat at 12 Noon and check-out will be at 9 AM next day. The
boat will take you for a cruise at 12 Noon and will be going around till
lunch time. The boat will halt for lunch and after lunch it cruises
till 5.30 to 6PM and then anchors till next day morning. You will be
cruising again next day for at least an hour before check out.
For this kind of cruise, you will be getting welcome drink, lunch,
evening snacks, tea, dinner and breakfast for the next day morning. Food
is prepared in the boat itself and all boats will have their fixed
menu. They take your food preference before you reach Alleppey and raw
materials will be stored in boat before it leaves the shore.
If you are a non-vegetarian, you will be getting rice, vegetable
(2types), fish fry, curd, pickles, pappad, Sambar for lunch and chicken,
chappathy, rice, vegetable curry, dal for dinner. If you are a
vegetarian, the menu is similar with some changes. It will be Payasam
instead of fish fry for lunch and one more variety of veg curry instead
of chicken for dinner. For breakfast, it will be idly-sambar, omelet and
bread butter jam.
It’s always advisable to inform them in advance if you have any
specific preference as once you start the journey getting raw materials
is not easy. If you have children with you and want more milk or such
food, don’t forget to inform that in advance. During the cruise, you can
purchase prawns, extra fish on your own (if you feel like). The crew
will cook and serve that for you.
If you are opting for A/C Houseboat, unless specifically mentioned
A/C operates from 9 PM to 6 AM only. If you require full time A/C or
need extra hours, then inform the houseboat operator in advance. You
will be charged extra unless your package is with full time A/C
houseboat. If you want extra A/C time, they need to carry extra fuel
with them and unless you tell in advance, this will be difficult.
While on board, do close the windows and doors of your room in the
evening. As it is in water and flies may enter in the evening.
Houseboats are normally parked in a safe place where the owner of
houseboat has easy access or is near to his house. Houseboats are of
different categories and rooms may not be as big as your hotel room.
The biggest disadvantage of houseboat is that if there is some issue
with A/C or TV in the night, it may not be able to get it repaired till
next day. To get an electrician late night to that halting place may
not be possible. But such things happen very rarely.
Depending on your interest, either go for 21hrs cruise or take a
morning cruise and then stay in a resort at Alleppey or Kumarakom.
Kumarakom and Alleppey Resorts:
Alleppey is famous for Houseboats, backwater resorts and beach whereas
Kumarakom is for Houseboats and backwater resorts. Both are just 30km
apart. Both places have descent resorts as well as houseboats. Depending
on the option selected, you may move to that place. You can plan for a
resort stay either after a Houseboat morning cruise or for the next
night after overnight cruise.
If you have enough days, I always suggest taking one night stay in a
resort after your Houseboat cruise. In most cases, you will be reaching
Alleppey or Kumarakom after 3 night stay at Munnar, Thekkady or any
other places and a resort stay here will definitely relax you.
You can either move back to Cochin to catch your flight back or can travel ahead to Kovalam after this relaxing stay.
While selecting a resort at Kumarakom or Alleppey, make sure you do
enough research. Make sure the resort is as per your liking because
there are few things to do at when you are in a Kumarakom/Alleppey
resort. You can visit Alleppey beach in the evening and can relax. Some
backwater resorts do provide additional facilities like pedal boating,
swimming pool and Ayurvedic spa. And there are resorts providing
countryside boating, fishing and cooking class. This resort can be
either at Alleppey, Kumarakom and I know some good backwater resorts on
the way to Cochin also.
Once you are done with Alleppey and Kumarakom , you have several
options. It depends upon your travel plan. You can either move towards
Cochin and return back home on the same evening or stay at Cochin and
travel to Guruvayoor or Athirapilly-Vazhachal on the next day. Or you
can move to south from Alleppey to visit Kovalam, Trivandrum, Varkala
and Kanyakumari. You also have the option of going to Thekkady or Munnar
from here if you started the tour from Trivandrum. Alleppey lies almost
midway between Trivandrum from Cochin. Distance to various places from Alleppey
your vehicle will find it difficult in pulling through hills. There
should be space to keep your luggage also while selecting the vehicle.
Tempo traveller (12, 14, 17, 19 Seater)Toyota InovaIndigoIndica
Distance from Alleppey to Cochin – 80km
Distance from Alleppey to Munnar – 190km
Distance from Alleppey to Thekkady – 140km
Distance from Alleppey to Trivandrum – 170km
Distance from Alleppey to Kovalam – 180km
Distance from Alleppey to Kanyakumari – 250km
Varkala:
Varkala lies in between Alleppey and Trivandrum and has a good beach.
There are several beach resorts if you want to stay here. Opt for this
place, only if you have extra days or skip this place.
Trivandrum/Kovalam:
Trivandrum is the capital city of Kerala. At Trivandrum, you can visit
the famous Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, Museums, art gallery, Zoo etc.
If you have plans to visit the temple, make sure you have the required
dress to get inside. Pants or jeans are not allowed for both ladies and
gents. The temple can be visited between 5 to 11 in the morning or 3 to 6
in the evening. Visit other places as per your interest and time availability.
While at Trivandrum, it’s advisable to stay at Kovalam which is
famous for its beach. If you are really in a tight schedule, one night
stay is sufficient but we recommend two night stay to fully enjoy this
place. When you have two nights at Kovalam, you can visit Trivandrum one
day and next day you can visit Kovalam beaches. Select resort as per
your interest at Kovalam.
There are some luxury resorts at Poovar also. Poovar is a
place just 14km from Kovalam and is famous for its estuary, where
backwater and sea meet! To fully unwind you can extend your stay for
one more night, either at Kovalam or at Poovar.
If Kovalam is your last destination, try to book return ticket from
Trivandrum which helps you to spend enough time at this place and to
avoid long journey of 6 to 7 hrs to Cochin. If your return ticket is
from Cochin, try to leave Kovalam at least 8 hrs in advance to be on the
safer side. And if the return ticket is for morning flight/train from
Cochin, make sure you stay at Cochin instead of rushing from Kovalam on
the last day.
From Kovalam, you can do day-visit to Kanyakumari. You can spend one
night at Kanyakumari, if you have time. Kanyakumari is 90km from
Trivandrum and is almost 2hrs drive. There is Kerala-Tamil Nadu check
post in between.
If your tour is starting from Trivandrum, you have the choices of moving to Kanyakumari, Varkala, Alleppey, Cochin from here. Distance to various places from Trivandrum
Distance from Trivandrum to Cochin – 250km
Distance from Trivandrum to Munnar – 310km
Distance from Trivandrum to Thekkady – 270km
Distance from Trivandrum to Kovalam – 13km
Distance from Trivandrum to Kanyakumari – 90km
Kanyakumari:
Though Kanyakumari is not in Kerala, if you are travelling up to
Trivandrum it is recommended to visit this place. Try to have one night
stay at Kanyakumari so that you can see the sunset as well as the
sunrise. Make sure you reach Kanyakumari before 4PM to see the sunset.
If you are on a tight schedule, a day trip to Kanyakumari from
Trivandrum is also recommended.
The famous Sree Krishna temple is at Guruvayoor. Guruvayoor is 90
kilometers, a 2 hour drive from Cochin towards North West. If you are
planning to visit Guruvayoor, it is recommended to spend one night
there. Though it is only a 2hrs drive from Cochin, you can expect a long
queue and will have to wait for about 2 to 4 hrs to enter temple.
If you are staying overnight, you can visit the temple in the evening
when the crowd is less. At around 7PM, there are lots of rituals
happening there. When I go, I visit the temple at 6PM, have darshan and
stay inside the temple till 8PM and come back to hotel. Then I wake up
at 2.30AM and visit the temple again early morning at 3.30AM and come
back to hotel. During this time, rush will be less and one can go inside
quickly.
There is an elephant Sanctuary near to temple where you can see more
than 60 elephants and is a must see place if you are visiting Guruvayoor
temple.
Athirapilly-Vazhachal Waterfalls:
This is the biggest waterfalls in Kerala and is approximately 70km from
Cochin. If you have enough holidays, you may consider visiting this
place. During Athirapilly visit, either you can stay at Athirapilly
itself or can come back and stay at Cochin. There are few good resorts
at Athirappily –Vazhachal region.
Cherai Beach:
Cherai is ideal for a beach visit and is only 30km from Cochin.
Either you can have overnight stay here or visit if you have enough
time.
Wayanad:
Wayanad: Wayanad is
approximately 300km from Cochin towards north. If this is your first
destination, try to book ticket till Calicut. A 3 night stay is
advisable as all sightseeing places in Wayanad are not close to each
other. If your next destination is towards south, a night stay at
Cochin is required as the drive from Wayanad to Cochin itself takes 7 to
8 hrs. If Wayanad is your last destination, you can book return ticket
from Calicut instead of driving back to Cochin.
Hope with the above details, you will be now in a position to chart your
travel itinerary with the destinations chosen and number of nights to
be spent at each location decided.
Get Route Plan Done
Some suggested route plans are mentioned below. Depending on your
interest, you may decide on the number of days to be spent at each
destination. You may skip any place in between also. As km is also
mentioned, this will help you to get the routing done easily for your
holidays. If arrival is at Cochin
Cochin – (135 km) – Munnar – (110 km) – Thekkady– (160 km) – Alleppey resort – Alleppey Houseboat – (80 km) – Cochin
Cochin – (135 km) – Munnar – (110 km) – Thekkady– (160 km) –
Alleppey resort –Alleppey Houseboat – (80 km) – Varkala – (150 km) –
Kanyakumari– (90 km) – Trivandrum/Kovalam – (230 km) – Cochin
Cochin – (80 km) – Alleppey resort –Alleppey Houseboat – (210 km) –
Kanyakumari– (90 km) – Trivandrum/Kovalam – (230 km) – Cochin
Cochin – (135 km) – Munnar – (110 km) – Thekkady– (160 km) –
Alleppey resort –Alleppey Houseboat – (80 km) – Cochin – (90 km) –
Guruvayoor– (140 km) – Athirapillyvazhachal– (70 km) – Cochin
Cochin – (300 km) – Wayanad– (300 km) – Cochin – (135 km) – Munnar –
(110 km) – Thekkady– (160 km) – Alleppey resort –Alleppey Houseboat –
(80 km) – Varkala – (150 km) – Kanyakumari – (90 km) –
Trivandrum/Kovalam Cochin
If arrival is at Trivandrum
Trivandrum/Kovalam – (90 km) – Kanyakumari – (150 km) – Varkala –
(80 km) – Alleppey Houseboat –Alleppey resort – (160 km) – Thekkady –
(110 km) – Munnar – (135 km) – Cochin
Selecting Vehicle
Do select vehicle as per the number of people travelling and the luggage
you carry. Indica is suggested only if number of persons traveling is
three or less than that. When 4 people are travelling, there will be
enough luggage and Indica is a vehicle which does not have boot space.
In Kerala, finding an Indica with carrier is difficult. If you are just 2 or 3 people traveling but require
better luxury go for Indigo instead of Indica. If there are 4 to 7
persons, then choose Tavera and for more luxury Innova can be selected.
If there are 8 or more people in your group, then travel in Tempo
traveler. Do note that when you are on this holiday trip, you are
travelling
approximately 150km every day that too through hilly areas. If you try
to save money by congesting yourself in a vehicle, then your travel will
not be relaxing. Not only that
your vehicle will find it difficult in pulling through hills. There
should be space to keep your luggage also while selecting the vehicle.
Luggage/Cash/ID card
While travelling try to carry minimum luggage. Also try to take
minimum cash with you and fewer ornaments. You will find lot of ATM’s in
Kerala.
Do carry ID card of every person who travels with you. ID card is required at the time of check-in at hotels.
I hope this article helps you in planning your Kerala trip smoothly and to decide the itinerary. You may contact me at director@paradise-kerala.com
for any clarifications required. I would be the happiest person in this
world to clarify you. I am reachable on 9947876214 any time.
If you find me wrong anywhere in the article, I am open for discussion and will be updating the same.
Thank you very much and wish you a great Kerala experience.
While
planning for a vacation, finalize your Itinerary and have a rough idea
about your budget. Ask tour operator to give hotel choices as per budget
and give him your preferences in selecting the hotel. Once he come back
to you with the choices, do an in-depth research of the hotel through
Google search. You will get relevant details and reviews about the
hotel, based on which you can make the decision.
Thekkady is known for Periyar 
For
a tourist, Kovalam is the ideal place to stay instead of Trivandrum.
Most of the hotels at Kovalam are near to sea, though they may not be
along the shore. Some hotels have good view to sea but most of the
hotels have only partial view of sea.
