Highlights of Kerala

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8 Days Excluding Flights From

8 Days from

£ 799

Culture

Activity Level

Easy & Moderate

Comfort Level

Classic

Ways to Travel :

Guided Group

Activity :

Culture

Group Size :

4 - 16

Ages :

16+

Trip Code :

AIO

Carbon Footprint :

73.9kg CO2e per person per day

Easy-going, exotic and entrancing – explore a totally different side to India in the tropical state of Kerala

Serene backwaters. Thriving rubber plantations. Idyllic coastlines. Kerala is India at its most laidback and inviting. Join one of our much-loved Indian tour leaders to immerse yourself in the scenery and meet the local people. Along the way, you’ll stay on a backwaters houseboat, explore the old spice port of Kochi, share a meal with a family in Thekkady and spot wildlife in Periyar National Park. We finish by the sandy shores of the Arabian Sea – an idyllic ending to an unforgettable trip.

Highlights

Experience laidback Kerala with a guide who knows it better than anyone
Witness remnants of India’s colonial past in the historic spice port of Kochi
Meet the rubber tappers of Kanjirappally and share a Keralan meal with the family
Look for tiger tracks and spot monkeys on a nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Cruise the backwaters and lakes on a traditional rice barge – a classic experience in South India!

Key Information

Accommodation: 4 Superior nights (hotels), 3 Classic nights (2 hotel, 1 houseboat)
Travel by private air-conditioned bus
Group normally 4 to 16, plus leader. Minimum age: 16

Countries visited: India

What's Included

All breakfasts, two lunches, three dinners
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Group arrival and departure transfers available

What's Not Included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations

Sustainability and Impact

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

TRIP

AIO - Highlights of Kerala

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Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

For flights call us on 0203 733 5948 or enquire when booking online

Regional flights available

Competitive flight prices

Specialist Flight Support

ATOL protected

Itinerary

Kochi (Cochin) Kovalam

Begin your adventure in the spice port of Kochi, where the remnants of colonial rule can still be seen in the historic buildings.

If you arrive in time, join an afternoon harbour cruise around Fort Kochi (arrive at the hotel by 1pm to join).

Around 6pm, say namaskaram to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Your tour leader then ensures a big Keralan welcome by arranging dinner at a local restaurant.

Want to explore Kochi further? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation: The Killians Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Dinner

Join your tour leader for a sightseeing tour of Kochi, taking in the adjacent historic neighbourhoods of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.

In Fort Kochi, we visit St Francis Church, where Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama died in 1524; see Santa Cruz Cathedral, originally used as a warehouse by the British; and wander past fishing nets lining the harbour entrance, which were introduced by the Chinese in the late-14th century.

In Mattancherry, we visit Mattancherry Palace, built by the Portuguese in the mid-1500s in a traditional Keralan style, and Jew Town, once home to a Jewish community and now a great place to peruse antique shops and warehouses.

If you’re interested, visit Thomas Chettan in the Little Queen Embroidery shop to learn about hand lace work, a dying art using bobbin lace. There is the option in the late afternoon to see a Kathakali dance performance – a similar show is also available in Periyar on Day 4.

Accommodation: The Killians Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Leave Kochi in the morning and transfer to the bustling village of Thekkady, gateway to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Breaking up the five to six-hour drive, we stop at a traditional Keralan bungalow in the serene rubber plantations of Kanjirappally. Take a walk through the plantations, watching our guide as they show us how to tap rubber, while also seeing regional trees such as rambutan, mangosteen, nutmeg, pineapple, banana and coffee. After, we enjoy lunch served at the plantation house.

Post lunch, we complete our drive to Thekkady. The whole area is a centre for spice growing, and this evening there is a short walk around a spice garden, where we see many different spices growing.

Accommodation: Peppervine Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch

Before breakfast, join a nature walk (approximately two to three hours) in Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary, in which your expert local guide points out tell-tale wildlife signs, including tiger tracks, animal droppings, and trees marked by sloth bears. You’re also like to spot monkeys in the trees and bird life.

In the afternoon, you have free time to explore the village and bazaar, with the chance to visit shops selling cardamom, vanilla, peppercorns, turmeric and other spices.

Alternatively, join an optional boat cruise on Periyar Lake to look for elephants, otters, wild pigs and buffalos. There is also an abundance of bird life – kingfishers, storks and hornbills are the most spotted. Other optional activities include an Ayurvedic massage, Kathakali dance show, and a martial arts performance.

We then join a family in their home for a cooking demonstration followed by dinner. We normally eat in their garden, under cover, among a variety of spices, which we have explained to us during the demonstration.

Accommodation: Peppervine Hotel (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast, Dinner

Today, we drive (four to five hours) to Alleppey to board our houseboat at midday and begin our cruise between the backwaters and larger lakes.

The cruise is one of the trip highlights – these enchanting boats, built of anjili (wild jack) wood and bamboo, transported goods for hundreds of years. Now, they have been decorated and made into comfortable cruise boats.

As you meander through tropical vegetation, we can see prolific bird life and gain a different perspective on village life. The cruise takes us along shallow, palm-fringed canals where coconut fibre, coconut meat and cashews are loaded onto dugout canoes.

In the evening, the boat is anchored by a bank, and we watch the sun set over the paddy fields.

Accommodation: Houseboat

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we leave our houseboat in Alleppey and visit the Coir Museum, learning how coconut husks were historically manufactured and how so many products we use daily are created. Later, we continue our drive (approximately four to five hours) to Kovalam, along the scenic Malabar Coast.

Visit Mannarasala Temple en route, which is decorated with more than 100,000 snake images. Couples seeking fertility come here and your tour leader explains the origin of snake worshiping.

Continuing, we pass through Quilon for a tea break before arriving at our destination. Once a relaxing hideaway on the old hippie trail, Kovalam has now been discovered, but the influx of tourism has not diminished this beautiful setting, and we have time to explore the restaurants this afternoon.

Accommodation: Soma Palmshore (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

Today is free to unwind on the soft, sandy beach or visit the shops for last-minute souvenirs. This is a great chance to enjoy fresh seafood from one of the many small beach restaurants. Try tandoori dishes – the clay ovens add an exquisite taste to bread and curries.

You can opt for an optional half-day village tour at Mannadikonam (approximately one-hour drive) near Balaramapuram.

Alternatively, join an optional full day’s sightseeing from Kovalam to Kanyakumari, the end point of India where three seas meet: the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. If it’s open, the trip can also take in the old wooden palace at Padmanabhapuram (extra cost), a marvellous building with fantastic wood carvings, and the Hindu temple at Suchindran, with amazing stone carvings. This trip can be booked and paid for locally. Please note, it is a long day (approximately 8am-6pm) and roads can be prone to traffic delays, but it’s always a popular activity.

Accommodation: Soma Palmshore (or similar)

Meals included: Breakfast

The adventure ends today. Begin your return journey home or, if you’d like a bit more time to relax on the sandy shores of Kovalam, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

You can combine this trip with India’s Golden Triangle, Colours of Rajasthan or Sri Lankan Highlights for a longer adventure.

Meals included: Breakfast

Essential Info

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 2 (Easy & Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Suitability: Although not a demanding tour, it is a busy and active itinerary with lots to see. Driving time is kept to a minimum and is not normally longer than four to five hours. Prepare for some early starts. The roads are generally pretty good, but traffic and/or road damage/maintenance can sometimes slow us down.

Monuments: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is responsible for the conservation of many monuments in India; very occasionally, this may mean work is taking place at sites visited on this trip. The ASI schedule is never published so it is not possible to forewarn when work is taking place.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Joining Instructions

Key information

Start hotel: The Killians, Post box 22, River Road, Fort Kochi, 682 001, Kerala
Phone: +91 484 22 17 245
Recommended arrival time: Check-in is typically from 2pm. There will be a welcome briefing around 6pm this evening.
Airport: Kochi Airport (COK)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately a 1hr 15min drive from the airport. We provide one group transfer from the airport to the hotel, which you can join at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

Catching your return flight

There’s one group transfer to Trivandrum Airport (TRV), which you can join at no extra cost. Please speak to your sales representative for the time of the transfer. If the group transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative.

Full joining instructions including local emergency numbers will be sent to you as part of our Final Joining Instructions. If you do not receive these at least a week before departure, or require them earlier please contact our office or your travel agent.

Location start: Kochi (Cochin)
Location end: Kovalam

Vaccinations and Health

India

You require a yellow fever vaccination certificate if arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. Proof of a polio vaccination may also be required by some visitors. Please confirm all requirements and recommendations with your doctor or travel clinic.

You may also want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, typhoid, cholera, hepatitis B, Japanese encephalitis, rabies and tuberculosis. The risk of malaria is slight, but you may wish to consult your doctor or travel clinic for further advice.

Additionally, dengue fever and chikungunya are known risks in India. Both are tropical viral diseases spread by daytime biting mosquitoes. There is currently no vaccine or prophylaxis available for either, and therefore the best form of prevention is to avoid being bitten. We recommend you take the usual precautions to avoid mosquito bites.

Some of our India trips spend time at altitude. In regions over approximately 6,560ft (2,000m), there is little risk of mosquito-borne diseases. For trips above 9,840ft (3,000m), there is a risk of being affected by acute mountain sickness. Our itineraries are designed to enable everyone to acclimatise to these altitudes, but you should be aware that it is still possible for you to be affected. Please see the Trip Notes for further information.

Visa

India

To avoid possible problems at immigration, make sure your passport is valid for a minimum of 180 days at the time of entry into India.

Travellers from the UK, US, CA and EU normally need a visa to enter India. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.
Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/india
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/india
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/india/entry-requirements
• USA: www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html

Travellers eligible for an e-visa, which includes those from the UK, US, CA and EU, can apply at www.indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html.

For more information on applying for your Indian Visa, including details required for your start hotel and local reference contacts, please click on this link: Indian Visa Information

Food & Drink

The included meals are detailed on the day-to-day itinerary. Allow at least 1,650 rupees (approximately US$20) per day for lunch and dinner where these are not included. You can eat out very cheaply in India, but if you mainly eat at the more expensive restaurants, you will spend more than the suggested amount.

In most towns, there is a good choice of restaurants and a mix of Indian and Western-style foods. If you are a vegetarian, India is probably one of the best destinations to visit. Tea and soft drinks are very cheap, while a large bottle of beer is approximately 500 rupees (US$6). Due to Kerala state laws, alcohol licenses are limited to one or two bars in each area and not all hotels are permitted to serve alcohol. The first day of every month and certain holidays in India are dry days, when no alcohol is permitted for sale.

Mineral water is available in the bus in large containers, so please bring a bottle with you to refill. Please note, restaurant service can be quite slow.

Weather

The most important feature of the Indian climate is the wet season or monsoon. The main monsoon strikes the Kerala coast in late May and sweeps northward over the next month or so. The ideal time to visit is during the dry season from October to March. Days are hot and the nights warm, the average maximum daytime temperatures are 21C-30C (70F-86F) and 6C-20C (43F-68F) at night. In the hills, temperatures can be considerably cooler and may near freezing point at night.

Frequent rainstorms occur in November. However, they are usually quite short, and the sun normally comes out quickly afterwards. Please note, swimming in the sea at Kovalam is not always possible, depending on recent weather conditions; however, the hotel we use in Kovalam has a pool.

TRIP

AIO - Highlights of Kerala

Departure Date

Number Of Passengers*

Message*

To enquire about an existing booking click here

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Keep me up to date with news and offers from Exodus by email.

Thank you for contacting Exodus Travels.

Find out more about how we use your data

Request a Brochure

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

View Trip Notes

Hotels and a houseboat

We spend most nights in hotels and one night on a traditional Keralan houseboat. Our hotels are all in the heart of the towns in which we stop. The accommodations typically used are on the day-to-day itinerary. However, below are a few of the notable accommodations on this trip.

Fort Kochi: The Killians

Highlights of Kerala

Within the Fort Kochi neighbourhood, this boutique hotel is in the heart of the action, close to the shores of the Arabian Sea. It also has an outdoor swimming pool, while the architecture is inspired by ancient and modern Portuguese, German, Dutch and Indian styles.

Thekkady: Peppervine Hotel

Highlights of Kerala

The four-star Peppervine is conveniently located for our adventures, close to Kumily town (the local name of Thekkady), where you’ll find plenty of shopping options, including locally grown spices and an eclectic assortment of souvenirs. Surrounded by woodland, the hotel offers comfort and tranquillity, with an outdoor swimming pool and open-air restaurant. So close to wildlife, you won’t find it hard to spot monkeys swinging in the trees as you relax.

Alleppey: Keralan houseboat

Highlights of Kerala

No trip to Kerala is complete without a houseboat stay. Typically, the boats are converted barges (known locally as kettuvallam), once used to transport rice from farm to market. All cabins have private bathrooms, and the staff keep you well fed. The houseboats have a deck and dining area, although the style/layout varies between boats. There is a cook, driver and assistants for each boat and the food is traditional Keralan fare using local produce. Houseboats have two to five twin-bedded rooms. Larger groups may be split over several boats; however, the group reunites at riverside stops and the overnight anchor point where your leader will be available.

Worth knowing