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Kerala Backwater and Beach

Package price On Request

Product Code : AGORA27

Explore the serene beauty of Kerala with our "Kerala Backwater and Beach" private tour. This 10-day itinerary covers the cities of Cochin, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, and Kovalam. Immerse yourself in the lush tea plantations of Munnar, cruise through the serene backwaters of Alleppey, and relax on the beaches of Kovalam. Experience the diverse culture and heritage of Kerala with visits to temples, museums, and spice plantations. This tour offers a perfect blend of adventure and relaxation in one of India's most beautiful states.

 

Day 1: Arrive Cochin

Upon arrival at Cochin airport, you will be greeted by your guide who will transfer you to your hotel for check-in. In the evening, enjoy a Kathakali performance, a traditional dance form of Kerala that features lavish costumes, exotic makeup, and masks. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 2: Cochin - Munnar (140kms)

After breakfast at the hotel, start your day by visiting Fort Cochin, a charming seaside area known for its Dutch, Portuguese, and British colonial architecture and elaborate bamboo fishing nets at Fort Kochi Beach. St. Francis Church, the original burial site of explorer Vasco da Gama, and Jewish Synagogue are also worth a visit. Continue to the Mattancherry Dutch Palace to learn more about the history of the area. Later, drive to Munnar and check in at your hotel. In the afternoon, visit a tea estate and sample some of the delicious tea produced in the region. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 3: Munnar

After breakfast, head to Pothamedu, which offers an excellent view of the tea, coffee, and cardamom plantations in Munnar. Next, visit the Mattupetty dam and its reservoir, a concrete gravity dam built between the hill ranges for water storage for hydroelectric projects. Continue to Rajamala, a hill station in Eravikulam National Park, where you can spot the Nilgiri tahr, a rare mountain goat that is fast becoming extinct. Visit the Mattupedi Dairy Farm, famous for the Indo-Swiss Farm, a highly specialized dairy farm that comes under the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project. Echo Point is also worth a visit. Later, visit the Tea Museum to learn more about the century-old culture of tea production in South India. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 4: Munnar - Thekkady (110kms)

After breakfast at the hotel, drive to Thekkady via Ramakkalmedu, one of the windiest places in Asia where you can find a wind farm generating electricity. Visit Frog Rock, Turtle Rock, and the highest twin-statue in Kerala called Kuravan & Kurathi. Continue to Thekkady, check in at your hotel, and relax. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 5: Periyar

After breakfast at the hotel, explore Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary on a boat. The tropical evergreen and deciduous forests are teeming with elephants, bison, sambar deer, wild dogs, jungle cats, tiger, and wild boar, along with various species of snakes, including cobras, vipers, kraits, and many non-poisonous snakes. A variety of birds, such as grey jungle fowl, Malabar grey hornbill, woodpeckers, and bulbuls, also have found a home in this sanctuary. Afterward, take a spice plantation tour to see crops of cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, and coffee, among others. You could stop at the local market and pick up some fragrant spices. Overnight at the hotel.

 

Day 6: Thekaddy - Alleppey (135kms)

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to Alleppey boat jetty to board a traditional houseboat for an enchanting sail through the tropical countryside backwaters. While sailing, you can enjoy the panoramic view of palm-fringed narrow canals winding through the vast expanse of paddy fields and the neat tiny hamlets lined up along either side of the canals. This area is one of the few in the world where farming is done below sea level. Alleppey is referred to as the Venice of the East due to its canals, backwaters, and lagoons. Boats are the main mode of transportation here, and you can see Shikara boats, small motor boats, passenger boats, cargo boat, and houseboats. In the evening, you can enjoy the sunset from the sun-deck of the houseboat. The houseboat is fully equipped with a kitchen, a chef, and a driver. Lunch, dinner, and overnight stay will be on the houseboat.

 

Day 7: Alleppey - Kovalam (200kms)

After breakfast on the houseboat, you will disembark and drive to Kovalam. Upon arrival, check-in at the hotel and relax for a while. The rest of the time is free and easy for personal activities, and you can relax on the beach. Overnight stay will be at the hotel.

 

Day 8: Kovalam

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit some of the famous cultural and historical sites in the city. You will begin with a visit to Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, embellished in gold-plated covering, but the temple sanctum is only opened to Hindus. Next, visit Attukal Temple, rich in cultural heritage and adorned by impeccable Tamil architecture. You can also explore the art and culture of Kerala by visiting the museums in the city, such as the Napier Museum, renowned for its fine collection of sculptures, paintings, and musical instruments. Another famous museum is the Kuthira Malika, built in 1840, which houses artifacts like the ethnic jewelry that was once worn by the queens, wooden paintings and carvings, armory, and idols made of the purest metal. The Sri Chitra Art Gallery is another must-visit place for art lovers, housing some of the famous work of Raja Ravi Verma and art objects belonging to the Mughals, Rajputs, and Tanjore art schools. In the evening, you will drive through famous beaches which include Shankumugham Beach, Kovalam Beach, Vizhinjam Beach & Light House Beach Road. Overnight stay will be at the hotel.

 

Day 9: Kovalam

After breakfast at the hotel, the day is free and easy for personal activities, and you can relax on the beach. Overnight stay will be at the hotel. (Transport not included this day)

 

Day 10: Kovalam - Departure

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport as per your flight schedule to board a flight for your onward destination

- Assistance on arrival at airport.

- 9 Nights' accommodation in selected price category hotels.

- Daily breakfast at hotels.

- Private AC car/van for airport transfers, sightseeing, and excursions as per the program.

- English speaking tour guide on sightseeing days (local guide in each city), as per program.

- Monument entrances and activities charges mentioned in the itinerary.

- Boat safari in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary with naturalist.

- Bottled drinking water in car.

- Government taxes.

 

Hotels used or similar for 9 nights accommodation

Cochin x 1 nights
3* - The Dune Hotel/ Abad Plaza
4* - Casino Hotel/ The Avenue Regent
5* - Xandari Harbour/ Le Meridien

Munnar x 2 nights
3* - Fort Munnar/ Abad Copper Castle
4* - Nature Zone Jungle Resort/ Fragrant Nature Munnar
5* - Chandys Windy Woods/ Tea County

Pariyar (Thekkady) x 2 night
3* - Abad Green Forest/ Hotel Treetop
4* - The Elephant Court/ Cardamom County
5* - Spice village/ Cardamom County

Alleppey x 1 night
3* - ATDC Houseboat/ Dream Boats
4* - ATDC Houseboat/ Dream Boats
5* - Xandari Riverscapes/ Lakes & Lagoons/ Spice Route Premium

Kovalam x 3 nights
3* - Harmonia Beach Resort/ Sagara Beach Resort
4* - Estuary Island Resort/Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel
5* - Vivanta by Taj - Green Cove/ The Leela Kovalam Beach

- Any flight tickets.

- Camera charges at monuments if any.

- Meals other than mentioned in the inclusions.

- Expenses of personal nature like liquor, laundry, tips, telephone, fax, internet etc. 

- Gratuities and optional activities.

- Anything not mentioned in inclusions.