Kerala · 8 Days
Kerala Backwaters & Beaches — Grand
Eight days on the coast, with three nights in Kovalam for Ayurveda or a Varkala cliff day.
Day by Day
8 Days, In Full
The full coastal route. Kochi and Alleppey run as they do on the six-day trip, then Kovalam becomes a real stay rather than a stop. Three nights there gives you room for a licensed Ayurvedic course, a lighthouse morning, and an hour's drive north to the red cliffs at Varkala. Kerala rewards this pace. Most of what people remember here happens when nothing is scheduled — a long lunch, an empty beach at seven in the morning, a boat that goes nowhere in particular.
Kochi
Arrival in Kochi — Fort Kochi & the Spice Quarter
Your driver meets you at Cochin airport. The road runs out to Fort Kochi, where four centuries of trade left their mark on one small peninsula. Walk the lanes on foot. St Francis Church, the Dutch Cemetery, the godowns of Jew Town still stacked with ginger and pepper. Evening is free for a Kathakali performance if you want one.
Kochi
Kochi — Chinese Fishing Nets & Mattancherry
Start early at the Chinese fishing nets on Vasco da Gama Square. The frames are cantilevered. Four men work each one by hand. Chinese traders brought the design here centuries ago. The method has not changed since. Later, Mattancherry Palace and its Ramayana murals. The afternoon is yours — Fort Kochi rewards aimless walking.
Kochi → Alleppey
Kochi to Alleppey — Boarding the Houseboat
A short drive south brings you to Alleppey. Your houseboat is waiting at the jetty. Lunch is cooked on board as you push out into Vembanad Lake. The rest of the day belongs to the water. Paddy fields sit below the waterline. Village life happens on the bank, an arm's length away.
Alleppey
Alleppey — The Narrow Canals by Country Boat
Houseboats cannot reach the small canals. A punted country boat can. You slip into channels barely wider than the hull, past coir workshops, toddy shops and school children rowing themselves home. This is the half-day that most travellers remember longest. Back on board for a late lunch.
Alleppey → Kovalam
Alleppey to Kovalam — Down the Coast
You leave the backwaters after breakfast and drive south along the coast road. It is a long stretch, close to five hours, broken where you want it broken. Kovalam appears as three crescent beaches stacked under a headland. Check in, then take the rest of the day slowly.
Kovalam
Kovalam — Lighthouse Beach & the Headland
Climb the Vizhinjam lighthouse first, before the heat. The red and white tower gives you the whole coastline at once. Below it, Lighthouse Beach curves away to Hawa Beach. Swim in the morning when the sea is calmest. Afternoons here are for shade and long lunches.
Kovalam
Kovalam — Ayurveda, or a Day Trip to Varkala
Two ways to spend this day. Stay in Kovalam for a proper Ayurvedic treatment — most resorts here run licensed centres with resident physicians. Or drive an hour north to Varkala, where red laterite cliffs drop straight into the sea and a mineral spring runs out onto the sand.
Kovalam
Kovalam — Last Morning, then Departure
A slow final morning on the beach. Trivandrum airport is only sixteen kilometres away, so there is no rush. If your flight is late, your driver can take you through the city — the Padmanabhaswamy temple and the Napier Museum are both worth the detour.
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Priced Packages On This Route
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luxury · 7 Nights
Kerala Backwaters & Beaches — Grand — Luxury
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
premium · 7 Nights
Kerala Backwaters & Beaches — Grand — Premium
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
luxury · 7 Nights
Kerala Beaches & Backwaters Signature — Luxury
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
premium · 7 Nights
Kerala Beaches & Backwaters Signature — Premium
per person, twin sharing — enquire for current pricing
Kashmir to Kanyakumari
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