Kerala Luxury Backwaters & Hills Escape

Spend the day discovering the varied scenery around Munnar. Visit a tea-growing area and learn about the region’s long association with tea cultivation, then continue through rolling plantations, eucalyptus groves and highland viewpoints. Your private vehicle allows time for unhurried stops along the route. You may also explore a local market or visit a tea museum, subject to opening schedules. Return to your hillside accommodation for a relaxed evening surrounded by Kerala’s fresh mountain air.

Leave Munnar after breakfast and travel towards Thekkady, following a beautiful route through the Western Ghats. The landscape gradually shifts from tea estates to dense forest and spice-growing plantations. On arrival, settle into your accommodation and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the Periyar region. Later, consider a guided spice garden visit or a cultural performance, depending on your interests and timing. The evening is free to relax, browse local handicraft shops or dine at leisure.

Today is dedicated to the natural character of Thekkady. Choose an appropriate Periyar experience, such as a nature walk, a guided forest activity or a lake-based excursion, subject to local operation and availability. The protected landscape is known for evergreen forest, spice-scented slopes and a rich variety of birdlife, with wildlife sightings never guaranteed. Your guide can help shape the day around walking ability, interests and seasonal conditions before you return to your accommodation.

Travel from the hills to the tranquil waterways of Kumarakom. The changing scenery takes you through plantations, villages and lowland Kerala before reaching the shores of Vembanad Lake. After check-in, enjoy time at leisure in your lakeside surroundings. You may choose a gentle village visit, a birdwatching opportunity or simply an afternoon overlooking the water. Kumarakom offers a peaceful transition from the active highlands to the slower rhythm of Kerala’s backwaters.

Continue to Alleppey, the gateway to Kerala’s intricate network of canals, lagoons and village waterways. Board a traditional-style private houseboat or selected cruise arrangement and settle into the quiet flow of the backwaters. Watch coconut palms, paddy fields and small riverside communities pass by as the crew prepares meals and manages the route. This is an ideal day to disconnect from the road, enjoy Kerala cuisine and experience the region’s most distinctive landscape at an unhurried pace.

After breakfast, disembark from the houseboat or complete your backwater stay according to the selected arrangement. Your private vehicle will then transfer you towards Kochi for your onward journey. If your departure schedule allows, there may be time for a final stop in the city or a relaxed lunch before heading to the airport or another preferred departure point. Your Kerala journey concludes with the contrast of Kochi’s heritage, the hills and the backwaters.