Backwater Special

Day 1 : Kochi - Munnar | 150Km | 5Hrs

On arrival our Tripdoers travel executive will greet you at the Airport Lounge or Railway station. Thereafter proceed to Munnar, a gracious hill station that lives up to its huge reputation as a tourism hot spot. Developed by the British into a summer resort, Munnar’s picture post card image is considered by many international tourists as very similar to the Scottish hillsides, with its distinctly English and colonial imprint of crystalline lakes, sprawling hillsides swathed in the green of tea gardens, lush meadows, banks of flowers, pebble-strewn streams and the lavish, colonial bungalows with gabled roofs and tall chimneys. On the way from Kochi to Munnar we will cover sightseeing places. On arrival to Munnar, we will check into hotel and spend the remaining day in leisure.

After breakfast proceed to Munnar sightseeing. Romance beckons from every up and dip of its seductively curving hills and lanes. With the main town saturated with tourism, it is better to move away to the less frequented and still pristine locales of Rajamala, Chinnakkanal and Lock Heart Gap for a more private rendezvous with nature. Rajamala is known for its proximity to the Eravikulam National Park that conserves the almost extinct Nilgiri Tahr, which can be observed only at a distance. Mattupetty, famous for the Indo-Swiss Livestock Project and the Kundala dairy farm, further uphill surrounded by endless vistas of tea gardens are great spots for a kaleidoscopic view of Munnar and its surroundings. In the evening return to the hotel and sleep comfortably after having a special candle light dinner.

After Breakfast proceed to Houseboat. A rich tapestry of rivers, estuaries, lagoons, lakes and canals, Kerala has a 1500 kilometer stretch of waterways. The backwater cruises in the traditional houseboats called kettuvalloms is unique to the Kerala brand of tourism and there are few experiences more exotic. The backwaters of Kerala have been used for transportation, fishing and agriculture. The kettuvalloms sport a thatched roof over the wooden hulls and were in earlier days used as grain barges to transport rice and other cargo to the local markets. Today the houseboat is an experience in itself, it is a floating home with all the modern luxury that a resort or hotel provides. With the stunning vistas of equally vivid waterscapes and landscapes that unspool along the sides, a cruise is refreshing as it is restful.

After Breakfast proceed to Kumarakom. The bewitching backwaters of Kerala were discovered by the elite Indian tourist in the 90’s. But Kumarakom found its place in the sun much more recently, and since then tourism brochures, writers and media have not stopped waxing about this exciting discovery on the backwaters itinerary of Kerala. The truth is that Kumarakom lives up to its hype. Its spectacular scenery and the expansive vistas of Vembanad’s waters, the toast of tourists the world over, make Kumarakom one of the most happening destinations in Kerala today with all the leading national and international hospitality brands having set up shop here. In resort you can opt for traditional Ayurveda massage, it going to be very relaxing. Rest of the day is at leisure.

Till recently Kochi was Cochin, a name redolent of its British and colonial past. Today Kochi is at the crossroads of history and modernity. Made up of the twin towns of Fort Kochi and Ernakulam, it still wears a thin veil of historical threads – English, Dutch, Portuguese and Chinees. Kochi, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, is the most important stop for a true feel of Kochi’s colonial past. With its quaint, old-world charm, and eclectic architectural mix of Dutch, Portuguese, British, Gothic, Renaissance, Indo-European, one is immediately transported to the colonial era. Kochi, in short, is a delightful cocktail of experiences that offers all the flavors of a dream holiday.