Kerala Vistas

Day 1: UK/Cochin
Depart on your scheduled flight to Cochin via Mumbai.

Day 2: Cochin
On arrival in Cochin you will be welcomed with flower garlands before you transfer to your hotel, where two nights’ accommodation has been arranged. Cochin is the cosmopolitan capital of Kerala. With a picturesque harbour, houses built on stilts, islands and backwaters, this city boasts a unique atmosphere and is often referred to as the ‘Venice of the East’.

Day 3: Cochin
After breakfast this morning join your Local Guide on a tour of the city, with highlights including the Jewish Quarter, the Dutch Palace and St Francis Church. You’ll also see the huge Cochin Chinese fishing nets – the only ones of their kind in India. At lunch time you are invited to a cooking demonstration with Nimmy Paul – Nimmy is a famous local chef and food journalist, and together with her husband, she hosts these demonstrations in her own home. Kerala has historically been the spice trade centre for India, and Nimmy will show you how to use these aromatic ingredients in your cooking. After the lesson, the dishes you have learned to cook are served up for lunch.

This afternoon you will take a boat ride around Cochin harbour before returning to your hotel. This evening we have included a display of Kathakali Classical Dance, a local art form dating back to the 17th century.

Day 4: Periyar
Today’s drive to Periyar is a treat for all the senses as you journey past rice paddies, tea and rubber tree plantations and aromatic gardens of coffee, cardamom and pepper plants with the Western Ghats mountain range providing a glorious backdrop to the rainforests and backwaters.

You will arrive in Periyar, on the edge of Periyar Game Reserve, this afternoon. Your hotel, the Cardamom County, is perched on a hill facing the reserve. Settle in and enjoy some time at leisure around the inviting swimming pool and beautiful landscaped gardens. You will stay here for two nights. This evening we include a visit to a spice plantation and you may choose to join an optional nature trek in the game reserve in the company of a Local Guide.

Day 5: Periyar
Join your Local Guide on today’s included half-day excursion to the fascinating Periyar Game Reserve. Your journey will be taken by boat – keep your eyes on the shoreline, where you may spot elephants, bison and deer. You’ll also see all kinds of plantlife flourishing in this tropical habitat as you explore further.

Day 6: Alleppey
Leaving Periyar today you’ll drive to Alleppey, where an overnight stay on one of Kerala’s famous houseboats has been arranged. Known as kettuvalloms, these vessels have been converted from rice boats, and offer an unforgettable experience in traditional surroundings. From the comfort of the sun deck, take a gentle cruise and see for yourself how the locals live. In the evening your boat will be anchored in a quiet spot on the palm-fringed backwaters, where you’ll enjoy the peace of this enchanting setting.

Day 7: Kumarakom
Leaving the houseboat you will head to Kumarakom, a tiny settlement nestling on a peninsula in the famous backwaters of Kerala. Kumarakom is made up of several small islands in Vembanad Lake, one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes, and home to an important bird sanctuary. It consists of paddy fields, coconut groves and mangrove forest and its waters, which punctuate the landscape, teem with marine life. Two nights’ accommodation has been arranged here and the rest of the day is free for you to spend at leisure.

During your time in Periyar and Kumarakom, you’ll be able to try the Indian holistic system of Ayurveda (at extra charge) as your hotels feature an Ayurveda spa. The system uses aromatic and medicinal oils to tone and heal the body and you can have an individual consultation with an Ayurveda doctor and experience this truly Indian art.

Day 8: Kumarakom
Enjoy breakfast this morning before joining your Local Guide on a half-day visit to a traditional fisherman’s village and local market, viewing coconut farms and fragrant spice gardens en route. The backwaters are also home to a wealth of birdlife, so keep a lookout for kingfishers, cormorants and egret. Enjoy a relaxing end to the day by indulging in yoga or meditation. You can also choose to take a canoe out on to the lake (extra cost) or enjoy a cooling swim.

Day 9: Kovalam
You’ll depart Kumarakom by coach for the drive to Kovalam area and its magnificent beaches. The name Kovalam means ‘coconut grove’ and you will see why when you get there – the landscape is lined with coconut trees which play a rhythmic tune as they sway in the cooling breeze. Your hotel, where you will stay for the next two nights, is right on the Chowara beach, so why not relax and soak up the sunshine, take to the water for a swim, or if you’re feeling adventurous you might give surfing a try (at extra cost).

Day 10: Kovalam
Enjoy a further relaxing day in this stunning location. If you take a stroll on the beach you can watch as fishermen pull in their huge nets which lay across the entire bay.

Day 11: Mumbai
Today you will transfer to Trivandrum Airport for your return flight to Mumbai where we include a brief orientation of the city followed by a meal in a local restaurant. You will then take your onward flight to the UK.

Day 12: UK
You will arrive back in the UK early this morning.

Please note:
We want you to get the most from your holiday with us so please be advised that this tour is not suitable for anyone with limited mobility.

Accommodation throughout is in hotels of a comfortable standard, typical of the hotels you will stay in are:

4-star Casino Kochi Hotel in Cochin
4-star Cardamom County in Periyar
4-star Abad Whispering Palms Resort in Kumarakom
4-star Travancore Heritage Hotel in Kovalam
These good quality hotels feature a restaurant, bar, swimming pool, and gym. Comfortable guest rooms all benefit from en suite facilities, air-conditioning, telephone and TV.

Your accommodation in Alleppey is in a traditional wooden houseboat. Each houseboat features a spacious living/ dining area, sun deck with canopy and two or three bedrooms with en suite facilities, accommodating a maximum of six people. You will receive excellent service from the two or three crew members on board, including your personal cook, who will prepare traditional, simple Indian cuisine for dinner.

All hotels will be confirmed in your final documentation.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Included excursions and visits

Cochin tour
Nimmy Paul cookery demonstration and lunch
Cochin harbour cruise
Kathakali show
Periyar Game Reserve by boat (half day)
Spice gardens visit and drive through tea plantations
Kerala backwaters cruise
Fisherman’s village tour and market (half day)
Mumbai tour

Your holiday includes

Scheduled flights
Overseas transfers and other transportation
8 nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast, plus 2 lunches and 9 dinners
1 night aboard a houseboat with breakfast, plus 1 lunch and 1 dinner
The services of a Travelsphere Tour Manager and Local Guide
Hotel porterage (one bag per person)
All airport taxes and security charges
UK Airline Passenger Duty
All state and local taxes

With 50 years’ experience in arranging escorted tours to exciting destinations across the globe, Travelsphere have built an excellent reputation founded on quality and value.

By choosing a Travelsphere escorted holiday you can travel with confidence, knowing that every aspect of your holiday has been carefully planned and arranged from start to finish. Further to this they are ATOL bonded and members of ABTA.

Travelsphere’s thorough planning of travel arrangements, itineraries and accommodation combined with the unique insight of their knowledgeable Tour Managers and Local Guides will enable you to experience the culture, traditions and hidden away places less accessible to other travellers.

Our Opinion
“Travelsphere are one of the biggest names in the Escorted Tour market. Finely tuned over the last 50 years their tours have been tried, tested and refined by thousands of customers.”