Kerala Heritage & Nature Escape

Leave Kochi after breakfast for Munnar, travelling inland from the coast towards the Western Ghats. The landscape gradually changes from tropical lowlands to winding mountain roads, waterfalls and slopes covered in tea. Pause along the way for photographs and refreshments, with the route adjusted to suit road conditions and your interests. On arrival, check in and enjoy the cooler air of the highlands. The remainder of the day is free for a quiet evening surrounded by Munnar’s dramatic valleys and evergreen hills.

Spend the day exploring the scenic surroundings of Munnar with your private guide and vehicle. Visit a tea estate or tea museum to learn how the region’s distinctive leaves are cultivated and produced, then continue through rolling plantations and mountain viewpoints. Depending on the season and local conditions, there may be opportunities to see waterfalls, forest edges and colourful roadside markets. The programme is intentionally flexible, giving you time to linger over the scenery rather than rush between attractions.

Travel from Munnar to Thekkady along a beautiful route through the Cardamom Hills. Tea plantations gradually give way to dense forest, small farms and spice-growing communities. After arrival, visit a local spice garden to discover the plants that give Kerala its culinary identity, including cardamom, pepper, cinnamon and cloves. Your host can explain traditional uses and cultivation methods. Settle into your accommodation in the afternoon, with the evening available for a relaxed walk, a wellness treatment or a regional performance.

Enjoy a full day in Thekkady, Kerala’s gateway to the Periyar landscape. Choose from experiences available locally, such as a guided nature walk, a lake excursion, or a visit to a spice plantation and village community. Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed, but the forest setting offers opportunities to appreciate birdlife, native vegetation and the region’s rich biodiversity. Your private vehicle remains available for nearby visits, while the day can also be kept deliberately slow for time at your resort.

Descend from the hills towards Kerala’s celebrated backwaters, travelling through changing scenery from forested slopes to coconut groves and rice-growing country. Continue to Kumarakom and board a traditional private houseboat for a leisurely cruise towards Alleppey, subject to the sailing schedule and waterway conditions. Watch village life unfold along narrow canals as local boats, paddy fields and palm-fringed banks drift past. Enjoy freshly prepared regional meals on board and spend the night surrounded by the calm rhythm of the backwaters.

Wake to the quiet beauty of Alleppey’s waterways and enjoy breakfast on board before disembarking according to the houseboat schedule. Your chauffeur will then transfer you to Kochi for your onward journey. If your departure timing allows, you may add a final short visit or relaxed lunch in the Kochi area. The journey concludes with a private transfer to the airport, railway station or another agreed destination, bringing together Kerala’s heritage, mountains, spice country and backwaters.