Price from $2978 per person on twin sharing basis
Cochin – Munnar – Dewalokam – Alleppey – Varkala – Trivandrum
Get an insight into the southern state of Kerala, with its famous backwaters influencing the daily lives of people in the region. Visit the tea gardens and beautiful natural landscape of Munnar before taking an enchanting Houseboat Cruise on the backwaters and ending with a few days at the famous Varkala Beach.
Highlights: Fishing nets in Cochin, tea factory visit in Munnar, village stay in Dewalokam, Backwater Cruise.
Day 01: Cochin (B)
Arrive in Cochin and transfer to your hotel.
Day 02: Cochin (B)
Take an afternoon tour of Cochin, the commercial capital of Kerala, with its wealth of historical associations and its magnificent setting on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas. Of special mention is the older parts of the Fort Cochin area. This part of the city reflects an unusual blend of medieval Portuguese, Dutch and English country life grafted onto the tropical Malabar Coast. The 16th century Mattancherry Palace, also known as the Dutch Palace, is a fascinating fort with elegant buildings and interesting collections from the Royal traditions of the region. The unique feature of Cochin is the unexpected and isolated Jewish community, whose origins date back to AD 52. They are self-contained in Jew Town and have their own Synagogue.
A special treat awaits us this evening as we proceed to witness the strength and vigour of Kathakali dance drama, as it enacts episodes from great Indian epics. The extremely stylized gestures, the elaborate make-up, the masks and the splendid costumes of these all-male dancers, recreate an incomparable sense of pageantry.
Day 03: Cochin - Munnar (B)
Today you drive to Munnar, the highest town of Kerala with a cool, bracing climate exuding old-world charm and popular for extensive tea and cardamom plantations on lustrous rolling hills.
Day 04: Munnar (B)
This morning, take a walk through the tea plantation. Some of the plantations here lie at an altitude of 2100 m making them among the highest in the world. Visit a Tea Museum. This museum basically is a demo model of a working tea factory and show the basic processes of tea making. This museum was established by Tata Tea and features rare exhibits and photographs that trace the tea industry, right from its formative years to the modern times. Trek through cardamom forests and landscaped tea shrubs.
Day 05: Munnar – Dewalokam (B/L/D)
Drive to Dewalokam. Afternoon explore the village of Dewalokam meeting locals, observing their homes and their lifestyles. Dewalokam is a very special place, a farm with luxuriant vegetation on the banks of a small river, where life is celebrated with good food and friendly environment. Completely cut off from the cities and ‘madding crowds’ it is located in the lap of nature, lulled by a murmuring river and birdsong, unlike any touristy place, it give you an experience of real-life Kerala. There are heaps of sporting and cultural activities at the village, that you can participate in.
Day 06: Dewalokam –Alleppey (Houseboat) (B/L/D)
Drive this morning to pier to board a Houseboat. A houseboat cruise is the best way to explore the beauty of the backwaters; sit back and relax while the boat cruises through the narrow serene backwater canals that take you through nearby villages. Cruise on the backwater canals in a personal, luxurious kettuvalam (houseboat), watching the paddy fields painted rich greens, rice barges and village life along the slim canals of Kerala.Enjoy your evening on the sundeck away from polluted cities and maddening crowd. The only disturbance will be the twinkle of a shining star or the leap of a fish near you.
Day 07: Alleppey (Houseboat) – Varkala (B)
Late morning, disembark at Alleppey, also known as “Venice of the East” for its narrow canals. Proceed towards Varkala for your beach break.
Day 08: Varkala (B)
Day at leisure.
Day 09: Varkala (B)
Day at leisure.
Day 10: Varkala – Trivandrum (B)
Transfer to Trivandrum airport for your onward flight.
Note: Contact us if you require more options on Hotel categories.
Private program - can start any day of the week and can be customised
Included: Accommodation in 4* Hotels, meals as shown above, transfers & sightseeing using air-conditioned private car, local English speaking guides, entrance fees at monuments, current taxes.
Prices quoted are valid till 30 September 2022. Cost above is indicative, based on Low Season in NZ Dollars and subject to change due to fluctuation in exchange rates. Please read T&C before booking. Call 09 410 5060 or 0508 EXOTIC (0508 396 842) or email info@exotic.net.nz for more information.