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Rolling green hills catching the last warm light of the day

South India

Kerala

Backwaters, tea country and a coast in between

Best time
October to March
Flight
2h from Mumbai

About Kerala

Three landscapes within four hours of each other: the backwater lagoons, the tea hills, and the Arabian Sea.

The classic route runs Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey and out — but most trips try to fit all five into six days and spend the week in a car. Three bases is better than five.

Worth building a day around

  • A night on a houseboat at Alleppey
  • Tea estate walk above Munnar
  • Fort Kochi's Chinese fishing nets at dusk

When to go

Dry and green, after the second monsoon has passed.

  • Oct-Mar

    Best

  • Apr-May

    Good

  • Jun-Sep

    Quiet

What our designers tell people

  • Do the houseboat as one night

    Two is one too many. The novelty is the first evening.

Questions people ask

How much driving is there?
Between four and six hours on the two transfer days. There is no way around it.

4 trips in Kerala

Filter these
Kerala Ayurveda Fortnight

Rated 4.5(4)

Kerala Ayurveda Fortnight

  • Kerala
  • 14N/15D
  • Domestic

Fourteen nights, one doctor, one plan

  • 1Hotel
  • 13Activities
  • 2Transfers
  • 0Leisure

From₹1,18,000

per person

Kerala Backwaters & Tea Country

Rated 4.7(3)

Kerala Backwaters & Tea Country

  • Kerala
  • 5N/6D
  • Domestic

Three bases, one houseboat night

  • 1Hotel
  • 4Activities
  • 2Transfers
  • 0Leisure

From₹32,500

per person

Vembanad Village Canoe Tour

Activity

Vembanad Village Canoe Tour

  • Kerala
  • Day trip
  • Domestic

Narrow canals you cannot reach by houseboat

  • 0Hotels
  • 1Activity
  • 0Transfers
  • 0Leisure

From₹3,800

per person

Kumarakom Lakeside Bungalow

Stay

Kumarakom Lakeside Bungalow

  • Kerala
  • 1N/2D
  • Domestic

A lawn that ends at the water

  • 1Hotel
  • 0Activities
  • 0Transfers
  • 0Leisure

From₹13,500

per couple