Captivating Kerala - 8 days

Captivating Kerala - 8 days

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8 Days From

$1225

Captivating Kerala - 8 days

8 Days Starting and ending in Kochi

Visiting: Kochi, Munnar, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kumarakom, Alleppey

Tour operator:

On The Go Tours

Tour code:

693/CKE

Guide Type:

Fully Guided

Group size:

2 - 24

Age range:

16 + if accompanied by an adult.

Special diets catered:

Vegetarians, Please contact On The Go Tours with specific dietary requests

Tour operated in:

English

Trip Styles:

Small Group

Interests:

Cultural

From: $1225

NB: Prices correct on 22-Dec-2024 but subject to change.

Tour Overview

Uncover the delights of tropical Kerala in India's deep south on this 8-day group tour. From Kochi visit the picturesque hill station of Munnar with its verdant tea plantations as well as Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Spend a night aboard a houseboat, gliding along the tranquil, palm fringed backwaters.

Highlights

  • Kochi – Enjoy free time to explore the coastal city and perhaps enjoy a traditional Kathakali dance show

  • Kerala Backwaters – Cruise along the famous backwaters on a deluxe rice boat, past lush forests and local villages

  • Kumarakom – Relax on the shores of Lake Vembanad and opt to visit the local bird sanctuary

  • Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary - Spot herds of elephants from an included boat ride on Lake Periyar

  • Munnar – Stroll through a tea plantation on a guided walk and visit a local market

Itinerary

Expand All

Day 1: Kochi

Location: Kochi

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Casino Hotel

Saturday. Welcome to India! You’ll be met at the airport and transferred to our hotel for an afternoon at leisure.

Day 2: Munnar

Location: Munnar

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Clouds Valley Leisure Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast

Kochi - Munnar. Today we travel to the picturesque former hill station of Munnar, surrounded by sprawling tea plantations. We take a guided stroll through a local tea plantation and visit a local market, before the rest of the day is free to relax as you please. You may wish to visit nearby Blossom Park and enjoy cycling or boating in your stunning surroundings. This evening we meet others joining our group who have been travelling on our longer South India Explorer itinerary.







Day 3-4: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Location: Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Kumily

Meals Included: Breakfast

Munnar – Periyar. A drive south to Periyar, South India’s most popular wildlife sanctuary and home to bison, antelopes, sambar, wild boar, birds and even the odd tiger! Kumily, close to the sanctuary and where we'll stay, is a pretty little town dotted with small spice and handicraft shops. There is plenty to do in and around Periyar, so we leave the choice to you for the remainder of the day.





On day 4 we will enjoy an included boat ride on Lake Periyar to spot herds of wild elephants, spending the remainder of the day at leisure to explore on own. You can opt for an optional visit to explore the spice plantation or enjoy a kalaripayattu dance performance Periyar.

Day 5: Kumarakom

Location: Kumarakom

Accommodation Name: Deluxe rice boat

Meals Included: Breakfast

Periyar - Kumarakom. Today, we leave Periyar and take a drive to Kumarakom - a village spread over a cluster of islands on Lake Vembanad. The day is free to relax or explore Kumarakom at your leisure. Perhaps take a boat ride on the lake or visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is home to many rare bird species and is an important stopover for migratory birds in the winter (Nov-May).

Day 6: Alleppey

Location: Alleppey

Accommodation: Hotel

Accommodation Name: Overnight: Deluxe rice boat

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Kumarakom - Alleppey - Keralan Backwaters. On day 6, we will take a scenic drive to Alleppey. Here we board our private rice boat for a voyage through the famous Kerala backwaters. Our rice-boat takes us sedately along the enchanting palm-fringed backwaters, covering a distance of some 20 kms, during which time the boat glides past local villages and fascinating scenes of everyday rural life. Watch a beautiful sunset over the backwaters and enjoy tasty meals (starting with lunch) prepared by the on-board chef using fresh local produce.

Day 7: Kochi

Location: Kochi

Meals Included: Breakfast

Keralan Backwaters – Kochi. This morning, we disembark our rice boat and head for Kochi. Formerly a princely state, Kochi is also fondly referred to as “The Queen of the Arabian Sea”. The rest of the day is at leisure exploring Kochi on its own. This evening you can opt for an optional tour to watch an entertaining and traditional Kathakali dance show. Kathakali performers are known for their elaborate costumes and makeup, and they always put on a fantastic show.

Day 8: Kochi

Location: Kochi

Meals Included: Breakfast

Saturday. Our South Indian adventure comes to an end today. A departure transfer is included today for departures in 2024. If you are travelling in 2025 this can be booked for an additional supplement if required.

What's Included

  • Accommodation
    3 - 4 star and heritage properties

  • Breakfast daily, 1 lunch and 1 dinner

  • 6 nights 3-4 star and heritage hotels and 1 night deluxe houseboat

  • Boat ride on Lake Periyar

  • Houseboat cruise along the Keralan backwaters

  • Escorted by an English-speaking Indian tour guide (for groups of 4 or more)

  • Services of English-speaking Indian specialist guides at some sites

  • Airport arrival transfer on day 1 (For departures in 2024 a departure airport transfer is provided on day 8)

  • All relevant transfers and transportation in private A/C vehicles

What's Not Included

  • International flights and visa

  • Tip for your tour guide. We recommend you allow USD$4-7 per day, per traveller. Tipping your guide is an entirely personal gesture

  • Entrance Fees: USD$15-25pp, paid in local currency

Age Policy

15 + if accompanied by an adult.

Check out our Q&As

  • What is the maximum group size?

    24

  • Are airport transfers included in this tour?

    Airport arrival and departure transfer on days 1 and 7

  • Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?

    Yes

  • What is the standard of the hotels on this tour?

    3 - 4 star and heritage properties

  • What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?

    Ensuring our footprint is light and that the benefits of travelling reach the local communities you visit is paramount to us. We’re proud to say that when travelling with us, the large majority of your holiday funds remain within the countries you visit, supporting local economies at a grass roots level.

  • How long has the tour company been trading?

    Since 1998

  • Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?

    With English-speaking tours, it's not a huge surprise that most on our travellers are from English-speaking countries or have English as their second language. Our group tours cater for everyone from 18 years old to 70+

  • Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?

    Yes

Reviews of this operator

Nicola Hodgkinson (Google Reviewer)  

Recently returned from Greece, a...

07-May-2024

Recently returned from Greece, a 5 day tour with OTG. Unfortunately, I had a negative experience on day 2 where I needed local support to get me out of a tricky situation. Thank you to Alexandra Z from Hetco Tours in Athens for helping me continue on with the trip, to the Hotel Zafolia staffing team and to Danielle and team here in the UK for supporting me with the aftermath. Your kindness will not be forgotten and I will pay it forward. I've now booked 3 trips with yourselves and will continue to go back. Thank you all. Honestly, I am SO grateful. Blessings to you all. Nicola

Calvin  

Wonderful experience

05-Jan-2023

Jamal is our tour guide. Right from the start, he created a group chat in whatsapp and if any issues to make sure we contact him. He was on the ball with every issue thrown at him. Luggage being left behind, stragglers wondered off in a different path, hotel room etc. He explains the various site along our route to give us a better understanding of the local cultures. We had a great time, thanks to Jamal.

Trustpilot
Norma Sullivan  

Land of the Northern Lights 5 day tour of Iceland

10-Sep-2021

The Land of Northern Lights tour was a triumph! My tour of Southern Iceland was absolutely wonderful. The venues chosen, the timing allotted at each venue and the variety of things to experience was nearly perfect. Our guide, "Thor", was smart, amusing, full of history and anecdotal stories as well as being incredibly hospitable and helpful. This small group experience was my first, but not my last thanks to On the Go.

Trawls (Google Reviewer)  

On The Go Tours Sri...

05-Feb-2024

On The Go Tours Sri Lanka was an incredible experience that was made even better by our tour guide Akthar. He was incredibly knowledgeable about his country and he loved sharing it with us. The tour covers a wide range of activities so you can truly experience what Sri Lanka is all about. The beautiful 4-5 star hotels at the end of every day was an absolute bonus. Thanks for a great trip OTGT I’m sure this won’t be my last

Xtreme Floor Care (Google Reviewer)  

Traveled through Egypt with On...

30-Nov-2023

Traveled through Egypt with On the Go Tours, professional service, very informative and helpful tour guides. The choice of hotels was excellent... Definitely recommend this company

Gavin Harrigan  

King Tutankhamun 10 day tour of Egypt

16-Sep-2021

I have just returned from my tour with On The Go and it was an amazing trip! From arriving at the airport and meeting the OTG representative, everything was well organised and hassle free.  Our tour guide was Amir. He is awesome!! From the beginning he was so friendly and enthusiastic about showing us around Egypt, giving us loads of information at each place and time to explore ourselves. Learnt so much from him about this fascinating place, and he was always happy to answer more questions.   The trip itself was amazing. There's lots of travelling on this trip, but it's really not too bad, and the sights you see when you get to where you are going are worth it. I'm not a big fan of boats, but the Felluca ride across the Nile was pretty fun too.  On the first day I also did the optional tour of Cairo with Ahmed Helal - another excellent guide from OTG. It's worth doing this add on as you don't spend much time in Cairo, and you go to three very different places.  I'm so glad that I decided to do this trip. It was just ace.  If you're thinking about it too, you should probably just book it. And hopefully you get Amir as your guide.

Joyce Heitler (Google Reviewer)  

I would give this tour...

09-May-2024

I would give this tour group no stars if possible. The tour was not guaranteed but they did not inform me when I booked and they did not have enough people. Way after I booked they said I needed a doctors letter because I was over 70. Also way after booking I was informed I needed travel insurance. They knew my age when I booked. They would not refund my tour even though it was 4 months away.

Simla Patel (Google Reviewer)  

This company doesn’t deserve even...

26-Nov-2024

This company doesn’t deserve even 1 star. I would not recommend this company. There are hidden fees which means the cost of the holiday ends up being very expensive. We recently came back from our trip to China where it is not customary to tip in restaurants & hotel staff. Yet we had to make a payment upfront in cash to to the guide for more than £100. The hotel service was appalling. Just think £100 from each person. The trip was suppose to be a Tour yet we had to pay for all entrance fees. We complained about the poor condition of the hotels but no one responded to our emails to date. The after sales service is non existent. Do not use this company. Far far too expensive for what you get. Not competitive at all. They messed up our booking; repeatedly asked for the same information. We spent so much time correcting their errors. Very difficult to get hold of anyone because they all work in S Africa or New Zealand. Absolute nightmare

Sarah Paterson (Google Reviewer)  

Terrible tour of India. For...

27-Dec-2023

Terrible tour of India. For some reason On the Go hadn't realised that my room mate had booked her own room for the first night of tour. So the hotel in Delhi had tried to put me in her room after midnight, by wheeling in an extra bed. She went Crazy!! I then had to sit in hotel reception for hours. While the tour guide said he couldn't find me a room. Throughout the tour the guide consistently ask me and my room mate for money for my room, causing more friction between us. Don't book with this company had the worst experience ever. Go with Intrepid or G Adventure

brandy hoffman (Google Reviewer)  

I had used them once...

09-Aug-2023

I had used them once before and loved them. I decided to try them again for a Baltic tour not knowing that they put me on another Tour group- Baltic vision. Loved that tour but was not impressed they marked up the cost for me over 100%. I understand taking some for yourself because of paperwork, but over double the cost everyone else paid on the tour. Just double check before you book with them that you’re not over paying.

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Prices last published on 22-Dec-2024

Book with Confidence

  • Low Deposit

    On The Go Tours requires a minimum deposit of 600 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.

  • Cancellation Policy

    We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of on the go tours charges.

    Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.

    At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.

    At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.

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