Relaxing & Rejuvenating Holiday in Kerala Bespoke Holiday Itinerary / Experience Tour

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This is brilliant two week itinerary for a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday whilst at the same time getting a good overview of Kerala. You’ll follow the classic route around Kerala, focusing on covering all the main bases in this quieter part of India. You won’t need to do any long drives and there is a good amount of time at the beach at the end too. You’ll stay in smaller, characterful hotels where possible, to give you a more immersive experience on what ‘God’s own Country’ has to offer.

Highlights:

Stay in remote Kanam in a 1920’s planters bungalow converted to a small homestay style hotel
Relax on the backwaters at a lovely peaceful hotel and also take a boat cruise to see how the locals live.
Explore Cochin away from the crowds and contrast old and new with Fort Cochin and Ernakulam.
Take some time to chill out on at Mararikulum beach, where life has hardly changed in the last 100 years.

As with all of our suggested itineraries, we can tailor-make your holiday to suit your budget, style and expectations. Find out about our exclusive ‘Journey Planner’ here.

DAY 1 DEPART THE UK

Depart and fly to Delhi or Mumbai and connect to Kochi.

DAY 2 - 4 KOCHI Bustiling seaside city

Arrive in Kochi and you’ll be picked up by your driver who will remain with you till the beach part of your trip. They’ll take you to your hotel on the harbour side of this charming seaside city.

Today you will take a guided tour of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry in local style – on board an auto rickshaw. You can explore the lesser visited lanes and alleyways that aren’t accessible by car, and really get under the skin of the city. In the afternoon, you’ll take a ferry across to Ernakulam, the business hub of modern day Cochin. It’s fascinating exploring the contrasts between old and new.

DAY 5 - 8 KUMARAKOM Lake side living

Rise early this morning and head toward Kumarakom, which is a small cluster of palm fringed islands sat next to Vembanad Lake. It’s the perfect place to relax for a few days and take in the laid back lifestyle of the Keralans. You’ll stay in a family run hotel on a peaceful island with a lovely farm attached. An ideal place to experience rural lake life. During your stay you can relax and savour the tranquillity, take a sunset cruise, walk around the Kumarakom bird sanctuary or take part in a local cooking school. The time is yours to enjoy as you wish.

DAY 9 & 10 KANAM Rubber estate

After a scenic four hour drive (with stops along the way) you’ll arrive at an old 1920’s plantation bungalow, restored to its former glory with painstaking craftsmanship. You will spend the next two nights in this rural setting exploring at leisure. We highly recommend a walk around the plantation.

DAY 11 -13 MARARIKULAM BEACH time and relax

This morning you’ll be picked up by your driver and taken to Mararikulam, a drive that generally takes between 3-4 hours. Here you will check into your hotel for a relaxing 5 night stay. There are many local experiences you can book whilst staying at this hotel, even though it’s generally quite a remote beach. Please sure you travel consultant for ideas.

DAY 14 FLY HOME (OR STAY!)

Depending on your flight time, you’ll take the 1.5 hour drive back to Cochin Airport for your onward journey. Or just ask if you’d like to extend the beach! All of tours are tailormade, so the above is just a suggested idea of what you can do in Kerala. Do call us on 0207 924 7133 for a chat with an India specialist.

As every holiday is unique to you, prices vary. To give you an indication, two-week holidays range from roughly £2,500 to £8,000 per adult, with an average price of £3,300. We also offer substantial child and seasonal discounts.

Fill in our Quote Request form to get your quick, no-obligations proposal.

As every holiday is unique - Call our experts on 1-888-577-8452 for an inclusive, personalised quotation for your preferred dates or use the quote request form below...

Inclusions

Your personalised quotation with Experience Travel Group will include:

International Flights (which can be omitted from your quotation if you prefer)
Accommodation as described
Privately guided tours and transfers
Original Experience Travel Group "Signature" experiences
Full financial protection (full ABTA and ATOL bonding)
Meals as described
24 hour in-country backup whilst away
Your own dedicated travel expert in the UK

For more on our pricing policy read here.

You can book this holiday tour on its own, with flights or it can be tailored for you.

Here are the hotels and villas within this holiday as standard...

Marari Beach Resort, Mararikulam

The cottages at Marari Beach Resort are designed in fishing village style. Expect sound eco-friendly policies, good facilities, and great dining.

Phillipkutty's Farm, Kumarakom

A remote homestay experience, Phillpkutty’s Farm is a tropical oasis near Lake Vemnabad on the Kerala Backwaters with lovely open-plan cottages.

Secret Garden, Cochin

A charming hotel in the heart of Fort Cochin, this lovely hotel has a relaxed intimate atmosphere with a pool.

Serenity, Kanam

Simple and tranquil as the name suggests, Serenity is an intimate experience in a private villa on a rubber plantation in Kanam.

You can book this holiday tour on its own, with flights or it can be tailored for you.

Here are the experiences & activities within this holiday as standard...

An Alternative View, Cochin

An alternative view of Fort Cochin and Mattencherry in an auto-rickshaw; hidden lanes, alleyways and a forgotten synagogue.

Cochin Tour and Performance, Cochin

As the oldest European settlement in India Kochi (Cochin) features a fascinating blend of architectural styles.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary , Kumarakom

Visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, an ornithologist's paradise - a favourite haunt of migratory birds.

Customer Feedback

Suresh our driver was brilliant! He was very helpful and went out of his way to make the holiday fun and accommodate any requests we made.

- Brian Rusling, September, 2015

Customer Protection

The air holiday packages shown are ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is ATOL 9324. Please see our booking conditions for more information.

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