With picture perfect locales comprising of tranquil backwaters and beaches, uniformly lined up sky touching coconut trees, mouth watering delicacies that suits the taste buds of one and all, and to top it all the colorful and rich heritage and culture and friendly people of the place, all contribute towards making Kerala God’s own country the best destination for any traveler. Explore the world famous backwaters of Kerala, unexplored beaches and indulge in rejuvenating Ayurveda and satiate your palate with mouth watering fresh seafood, prepared with local spices. Our 9 days and 8 nights Kerala backwater to beaches has been designed in a way that you can explore prominent beach and backwater regions of Kerala without any stress and return with happy memories.

Day 01: Arrival Cochin

Welcome to India!! Upon arrival please clear immigration formalities and proceed to exit gate where you will be met and greeted by our India Tours representative with a placard. You will be transferred to your hotel where you can relax and unwind.

Kochi, or more familiarly Cochin, is a city of many parts and is spread across islands and promontories in a stunning location between the Arabian Sea and the Backwaters. The city was founded in 1341 when a flood created a natural safe port which became the principal harbour for Malabar coast’s spice trade. Around for a long, long time, Kochi played a pivotal role in the development of shipping and trade in the region. Kochi's prime location on the west coast, its fine bay and protected harbor made it popular with seafarers and merchant ships who made frequent stops to stock up on spices, coffee and wood enroute to the rich markets of Europe and West Asia. And so down the ages, Kochi prospered as a busy port city and commercial centre. Its seafront is still extremely relevant to Cochin and to India: it houses a Naval Base and one of India’s busiest ports. The rulers invited people of various religions to settle here, attracting the Jews and the Christians who built places of worship and their own communities.

Day 02: In Cochin

Today morning proceed for Walking Tour of Fort Cochin starts at the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets and ends at Church of St Francis – the original burial place of Vasco da Gama. Later proceed for the sightseeing tour of Cochin.

You will first proceed to Mattancherry and visit the oldest Jewish Synagogue (Closed on Saturdays & All the Jewish holidays) in India, built in 1568; it was destroyed by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch a century later.

You will also visit The Dutch Palace - which was built in 1555 and its coronation hall and murals at Ramayana are noteworthy features. Continue your drive to Chinese fishing nets, the cantilevered fishing nets line the entrance to the harbour mouth. Chinese traders are believed to have originally introduced them in the 14th century although, today parts of the nets are known by Portuguese names.

Evening enjoy visit of Kathakali dance performance.

Witness the most elaborate of the dance forms in southern India. Kerala owes its transnational fame to this nearly 300 years old classical dance form, which combines facets of ballet, opera, masque and the pantomime. It is said to have evolved from other performing arts like Kootiyattam, Krishnanattam and Kalarippayattu.

Day 03: Cochin - Periyar [Surface: 160 Kms&4 ½ Hrs approx.)

Today morning you will be driven to Periyar and upon arrival check into Hotel.

Thekkady also known as Periyar is South India’s most popular wildlife sanctuary, encompassing an area of 777 sq. km. Set on the attractive man-made Periyar Lake, it attracts over 300,000 visitors a year. Though the sanctuary was made a part of Project Tiger in 1973, it is better known for its elephants. Apart from elephants, bison, sambar, wild boar, langur, otter and flying squirrel are common. There are also 246 species of birds and 112 species of butterfly.

Rest of day at leisure to explore on your own.

Day 04: In Periyar

Today morning proceed for a walk through Spice Plantations. This walk is a novel experience with sighting possible of rare varieties of flora & fauna, Ayurvedic medicinal herbs, spices, fruits, flowers etc. Guests gain rich knowledge about Ayurvedic cure, spice extracts, wood crafting etc. Periyar (Thekkady) is the heart land of spices, when you reach Periyar surely you will be welcomed by tea plantations and aroma of the spices. The scent may be of cloves, nutmeg, pepper, cinnamon or cardamom and sometimes a fragrance that combines the scents of two or more spices. You can have a close look at the spice plantation. The Spice produced in Periyar and its nearby villages are used worldwide in the name of flavors like vanilla, oregano, rosemary, thyme, basil, mint, bay leaf and sage.

In the afternoon proceed for a Jungle Safari inside Periyar National Park on a Launch Boat to the picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Herds of elephant and sambar, gaur and wild pigs and wander down to the lakeside.

Optional: Enjoy visit to witness Kalaripayattu an Indian marshal art form at local studio.

Day 05: Thekkady - Kumarakom [Surface: 130 Kms / 06 Hrs]

Today morning you will be driven to Kumarakom.

In the lush backwaters of Kottayam in Kerala, lies a veritable paradise, which is called Kumarakom, or the 'Venice of the East'. 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 are panoramic sights one can never forget. Kumarakom is Kerala’s heartland of lagoons, palm fringed lakes and paddy fields, inter-linked with hundreds of winding canals, with the typical low slung country boats that carry everything from people to fish, rice and coconuts to the milkman and newspaper boy, local politicians and priests to wedding parties. Here an old rubber plantation around the lake has been developed into a bird sanctuary.

Upon arrival proceed to check in at your hotel.

Remaining day is free for relaxation. Lie in a hammock on this lakeshore, and allow your senses to possess you. Before you is Vembanad Lake; rippling under the vault of an impossibly large sky.
Sunset enjoy Boat ride on Vembanad Lake.

Day 06: Kumarakom - Onboard Houseboat [Surface: 40 Km / 01 Hr]

Morning is free to relax at the hotel's beautiful location.

Later on time your Houseboat will pick you up from the resort for the most exquisite tour on the back waters on board the rice boats or “Kettuvallams”

You will be cruising through the narrow lanes of the backwaters. In Malayalam, the work ‘Kettuvallam’ means a matted or stitched canoe. Traditionally they were built of planks sewn together with coir cordage, threaded through with a ‘needle’ carved from a palm frond. The seams, caulked with coir plugs soaked in sardine or cashew oil made the boats waterproof. The traditional houseboat of Kerala is one of the most enduring images of the backwaters - its natural, cocoon-like profile complementing the surrounding countryside. These ‘kettuvallams’, were designed to carry heavy cargo, such as coconuts and spices, and to provide living accommodation for the boatmen. Preserving their historic character and style, craftsmen have created a unique atmosphere on board, a luxurious, self-contained world from which to observe rural Indian life flowing gently by. Enjoy a backwater cruise, lazing in the houseboat as it meanders through the tranquil network of water canals, dotted with busy hamlets, lush green paddy fields. The scene is idyllic and the mood-romantic.
Lunch & Dinner onboard.

Day 07: Houseboat - Kovalam [Surface :170 Kms / 04hours]

Post breakfast disembark from your houseboat at Alleppey boat jetty and drive to Kovalam. Upon arrival proceed for check-in at your hotel.

Once a calm fishing village clustered around its crescent beaches, Kovalam competes with Varkala as Kerala’s most developed resort. Kovalam was brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore. The European guests of the then Travancore kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. However, Kovalam shot into limelight in the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies. That started the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist destinations in all India - the Kovalam beach.

Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 08: In Kovalam

Full day is at leisure today.

Unwind relax and let an authentic Kerala massage create a new you.

Let the miracles of Yoga work on you with our master Yoga teacher.

Day 09: Departure Kovalam

Today on time our representative will meet you at the hotel lobby transfer you to Trivandrum airport to board your flight for back home.