Eight nights from Cochin and Munnar through Thekkady and Alleppey to the beaches of Kovalam and Poovar, on a B&B plan.
Kerala in 8 Nights — What to Expect
Kerala is a narrow coastal state where the landscape changes every two hours of driving. Tea hills give way to tiger reserves; tiger reserves open out onto backwater lagoons; lagoons eventually reach the sea. This 8-night, 9-day itinerary covering Cochin, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kovalam and Poovar is designed to show you that range without turning the journey into a bus marathon. Are bundled in — just show up at the departure terminal and the rest is handled.
The Route
Cochin — This destination offers some of Kerala's most distinctive landscapes, combining natural beauty with rich local culture. Highlights include Dutch Palace, Fort Cochin, St. Francis Church. Munnar — Munnar sits at 1,600 metres in the Western Ghats, its hillsides blanketed in tea estates managed since the British era. Mist rolls in by late afternoon and temperatures stay cool year-round. Highlights include Valara Waterfalls, Mattupetty Dam, Tata Tea Museum. Thekkady — Thekkady is the gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve — 925 square kilometres of forest where elephants, leopards, and sloth bears roam the hills around Periyar Lake. A boat ride on the lake is the signature experience. Highlights include Periyar Lake, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Alleppey — Alleppey — or Alappuzha — is where the backwaters begin in earnest. A night on a kettuvallam houseboat, drifting past paddy fields and coconut groves under a star-filled sky, is the defining Kerala experience. Highlights include Alappuzha Beach. Kovalam and Poovar — Kovalam is a crescent of three adjoining beaches on Kerala's southern tip. Lighthouse Beach, named for the functioning red-and-white lighthouse above it, is the liveliest; Samudra and Hawa beaches offer quieter stretches. Highlights include Napier Museum, Zoological Park, Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
The Houseboat Night
Alleppey's kettuvallam houseboats are converted rice barges fitted with bedrooms, a cook, and a small deck. You drift slowly through narrow canals lined with banana palms and paddy fields. There is no Wi-Fi on board, which turns out to be the whole point. Your cook prepares Kerala meals from fresh ingredients sourced at the morning market.
Accommodation
Your 3-star hotels across the route: SOLO INN BY HAWK HOSPITALITY (1 night), Lake Forest Munnar By Hawk Hospitality (2 nights), Hotel Sandra Palace (2 nights), Vembanad Village Backwater Resort (1 night), Cilantro By The Sea (2 nights). Each property is selected for location, comfort, and proximity to the day's activities.
Meals
Daily breakfast is included throughout. Kerala's food scene is one of its great underrated pleasures — appam with coconut stew at breakfast, a full sadya on a banana leaf for lunch, and grilled karimeen (pearl spot fish) for dinner are the meals to seek out along the way.
When to Go
Kerala's peak season runs October to March, when the skies clear and the beaches are at their best. The monsoon months (June to September) offer lush green scenery, emptier resorts, and better rates — and most of Kerala's experiences are rain-proof. Speak to the Kangaroo Travels team to find the window that works for your schedule and budget.
Trip Highlights
Tea estate drives and misty hill stations in the Western Ghats
Periyar Lake boat ride inside the Tiger Reserve
Night on a traditional kettuvallam houseboat in Alleppey
Kovalam's cliff-top beaches and lighthouse viewpoint
3-star hotels throughout — well-located and comfortable
Day 1: Cochin — Dutch Palace
Today covers Dutch Palace. Dutch Palace, also known as the Mattancherry Palace, is the perfect example of Kerala style architecture infused with co. The day also takes in Fort Cochin, St. Francis Church, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 2: Munnar — Valara Waterfalls
Today covers Valara Waterfalls. Located on the Munnar- Kochi flyover, Valara waterfall, dropping down from an altitude of 100 meters, is considered as o.
Day 3: Munnar — Mattupetty Dam
Today covers Mattupetty Dam. Flanked by steep hills and lush green tea plantations, Mattupetty Dam is known for its beautiful lake. View of the valle. The day also takes in Tata Tea Museum, Echo Point, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 4: Thekkady — Periyar Lake & Kalari Show
Arrive in Thekkady and check in. Take an afternoon boat ride on Periyar Lake inside the Tiger Reserve — elephants often come to the water's edge in the late afternoon. Evening: a Kalaripayattu martial arts demonstration, one of India's oldest combat traditions, performed with controlled precision.
Day 5: Thekkady — Periyar Lake
Today covers Periyar Lake. A beautiful artificial lake amidst the lush Periyar Tiger Reserve, Periyar lake is a famous attraction that often witnes. The day also takes in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 6: Alleppey — Alappuzha Beach
Today covers Alappuzha Beach. One of the most famous attractions of Kerala, Alappuzha Beach is secluded, beautiful and serene. Further adding to the b.
Day 7: Kovalam — Lighthouse Beach & Cliff Walk
Arrive in Kovalam and walk down to Lighthouse Beach — the longest of Kovalam's three adjoining bays. Swim in the sheltered cove, then climb the steps to the lighthouse for a 360-degree view of the coastline. Dinner at one of the cliff-top seafood restaurants above Hawa Beach.
Day 8: Kovalam and Poovar — Napier Museum
Today covers Napier Museum. Located in the center of Thiruvananthapuram city, Napier Museum is a 19th-century edifice named after the former Madras . The day also takes in Zoological Park, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 9: Kovalam and Poovar — Departure
Morning at leisure — one last breakfast and a slow walk through Kovalam and Poovar if time permits. Check out of the hotel and transfer to the nearest airport or railway station. Kerala's landscapes, houseboats, and food will linger long after you are home.
Inclusions
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — SOLO INN BY HAWK HOSPITALITY (1 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Lake Forest Munnar By Hawk Hospitality (2 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Hotel Sandra Palace (2 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Vembanad Village Backwater Resort (1 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Cilantro By The Sea (2 nights)
• Airport pickup and drop transfers
• Intercity transfers by AC vehicle
• Meals as per itinerary
• 10 activity passes (as per itinerary)
Kerala is a narrow coastal state where the landscape changes every two hours of driving. Tea hills give way to tiger reserves; tiger reserves open out onto backwater lagoons; lagoons eventually reach the sea. This 8-night, 9-day itinerary covering Cochin, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kovalam and Poovar is designed to show you that range without turning the journey into a bus marathon. Are bundled in — just show up at the departure terminal and the rest is handled.
The Route
Cochin — This destination offers some of Kerala's most distinctive landscapes, combining natural beauty with rich local culture. Highlights include Dutch Palace, Fort Cochin, St. Francis Church. Munnar — Munnar sits at 1,600 metres in the Western Ghats, its hillsides blanketed in tea estates managed since the British era. Mist rolls in by late afternoon and temperatures stay cool year-round. Highlights include Valara Waterfalls, Mattupetty Dam, Tata Tea Museum. Thekkady — Thekkady is the gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve — 925 square kilometres of forest where elephants, leopards, and sloth bears roam the hills around Periyar Lake. A boat ride on the lake is the signature experience. Highlights include Periyar Lake, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Alleppey — Alleppey — or Alappuzha — is where the backwaters begin in earnest. A night on a kettuvallam houseboat, drifting past paddy fields and coconut groves under a star-filled sky, is the defining Kerala experience. Highlights include Alappuzha Beach. Kovalam and Poovar — Kovalam is a crescent of three adjoining beaches on Kerala's southern tip. Lighthouse Beach, named for the functioning red-and-white lighthouse above it, is the liveliest; Samudra and Hawa beaches offer quieter stretches. Highlights include Napier Museum, Zoological Park, Padmanabhaswamy Temple.
The Houseboat Night
Alleppey's kettuvallam houseboats are converted rice barges fitted with bedrooms, a cook, and a small deck. You drift slowly through narrow canals lined with banana palms and paddy fields. There is no Wi-Fi on board, which turns out to be the whole point. Your cook prepares Kerala meals from fresh ingredients sourced at the morning market.
Accommodation
Your 3-star hotels across the route: SOLO INN BY HAWK HOSPITALITY (1 night), Lake Forest Munnar By Hawk Hospitality (2 nights), Hotel Sandra Palace (2 nights), Vembanad Village Backwater Resort (1 night), Cilantro By The Sea (2 nights). Each property is selected for location, comfort, and proximity to the day's activities.
Meals
Daily breakfast is included throughout. Kerala's food scene is one of its great underrated pleasures — appam with coconut stew at breakfast, a full sadya on a banana leaf for lunch, and grilled karimeen (pearl spot fish) for dinner are the meals to seek out along the way.
When to Go
Kerala's peak season runs October to March, when the skies clear and the beaches are at their best. The monsoon months (June to September) offer lush green scenery, emptier resorts, and better rates — and most of Kerala's experiences are rain-proof. Speak to the Kangaroo Travels team to find the window that works for your schedule and budget.
Trip Highlights
Tea estate drives and misty hill stations in the Western Ghats
Periyar Lake boat ride inside the Tiger Reserve
Night on a traditional kettuvallam houseboat in Alleppey
Kovalam's cliff-top beaches and lighthouse viewpoint
3-star hotels throughout — well-located and comfortable
Itinerary
Day 01
Cochin — Dutch Palace
Today covers Dutch Palace. Dutch Palace, also known as the Mattancherry Palace, is the perfect example of Kerala style architecture infused with co. The day also takes in Fort Cochin, St. Francis Church, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 02
Munnar — Valara Waterfalls
Today covers Valara Waterfalls. Located on the Munnar- Kochi flyover, Valara waterfall, dropping down from an altitude of 100 meters, is considered as o.
Day 03
Munnar — Mattupetty Dam
Today covers Mattupetty Dam. Flanked by steep hills and lush green tea plantations, Mattupetty Dam is known for its beautiful lake. View of the valle. The day also takes in Tata Tea Museum, Echo Point, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 04
Thekkady — Periyar Lake & Kalari Show
Arrive in Thekkady and check in. Take an afternoon boat ride on Periyar Lake inside the Tiger Reserve — elephants often come to the water's edge in the late afternoon. Evening: a Kalaripayattu martial arts demonstration, one of India's oldest combat traditions, performed with controlled precision.
Day 05
Thekkady — Periyar Lake
Today covers Periyar Lake. A beautiful artificial lake amidst the lush Periyar Tiger Reserve, Periyar lake is a famous attraction that often witnes. The day also takes in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 06
Alleppey — Alappuzha Beach
Today covers Alappuzha Beach. One of the most famous attractions of Kerala, Alappuzha Beach is secluded, beautiful and serene. Further adding to the b.
Day 07
Kovalam — Lighthouse Beach & Cliff Walk
Arrive in Kovalam and walk down to Lighthouse Beach — the longest of Kovalam's three adjoining bays. Swim in the sheltered cove, then climb the steps to the lighthouse for a 360-degree view of the coastline. Dinner at one of the cliff-top seafood restaurants above Hawa Beach.
Day 08
Kovalam and Poovar — Napier Museum
Today covers Napier Museum. Located in the center of Thiruvananthapuram city, Napier Museum is a 19th-century edifice named after the former Madras . The day also takes in Zoological Park, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, before returning to the hotel by evening.
Day 09
Kovalam and Poovar — Departure
Morning at leisure — one last breakfast and a slow walk through Kovalam and Poovar if time permits. Check out of the hotel and transfer to the nearest airport or railway station. Kerala's landscapes, houseboats, and food will linger long after you are home.
Cost Includes
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — SOLO INN BY HAWK HOSPITALITY (1 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Lake Forest Munnar By Hawk Hospitality (2 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Hotel Sandra Palace (2 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Vembanad Village Backwater Resort (1 nights)
• 3 Star-star hotel accommodation — Cilantro By The Sea (2 nights)
• Airport pickup and drop transfers
• Intercity transfers by AC vehicle
• Meals as per itinerary
• 10 activity passes (as per itinerary)
Cost Excludes
• Airfare (book your own flights separately)
• Meals not mentioned in inclusions
• Personal expenses (laundry, tips, telephone, shopping)
• Entry fees to monuments/attractions unless specified
