Holidays in Kerala

Welcome to Kochi, India. You will be greeted and received by our representative who would transfer you to your hotel for check-in. Kochi was earlier known as Cochin and is nicknamed as the Queen of the Arabian Sea. The name of the city comes from Malayalam term “Kochazhi” that actually means small lagoon.

Kochi was put on the world map by Vasco-de-Gama. The Arabs, Portuguese, British, Dutch, all have left their impression on the history of Kochi.Kochi was an important spice trading centre on the west coast of India from the 14th century onward, and maintained a trade network with Arab merchants from the pre-Islamic era.

Kochi is known as the financial, commercial and industrial capital of Kerala. Kochi is the second most important city on the west coast of India, right next to Mumbai. It is the most popular tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors to Kerala and is among the most visited tourist destinations in India.

This afternoon is at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Kochi.

Start off for your morning city tour of Kochi to explore some of the famous places in the city. You will be exploring the Portuguese churches, mosques and temples and also the Jewish synagogues. You will be taken to watch something that is amusing and most widely seen across Kerala – the Chinese style fishing nets. It has a height of 10m and holds a cantilever along with an outstretched net that is suspended in the sea and the other end has a huge stone tied to balance the counterweight. A group of six fishermen does the installation and operation of each fishing nets.

Come back to the hotel visiting these places. This afternoon is at leisure. Overnight stay at hotel in Kochi.

This day, get driven to Alleppey, also named as Alappuzha that gets its name from two words, Ala (broad) and Puzha (river). Alleppey is a town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, it was described as the one of the places known as the "Venice of the East" by Lord Curzon. History traded ancient Greece and Romans even before Christ and also during the middle Ages. Different religions mingled and built their churches, mosques and temples.

It is an experience to explore Kerala backwaters, which are a huge network of large lakes linked by canals and fed by rivers. The backwaters are formed because of the waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands. The backwaters would be explored in a houseboat (known as kettuvallam) which you would board for overnight stay that is by itself a lifetime experience.

These houseboats were first introduced to ferry the grain. The boats are like floating cottages with a sleeping area, toilets, dining area and a sit out on the deck. The food is cooked on board by staff.

Overnight in the houseboat in Alleppey.

Get driven to Kumarakom right after finishing your breakfast. Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam and is famous for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala.

Kumarakom is famous for its wide range of flora and fauna. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a noted bird sanctuary where many species of migratory birds visit. The Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater in Kerala, is habitat for many marine and freshwater fish species and it teems with Karimeen shrimp. The bird sanctuary extends over 14 acres and came into existence following preservation efforts from the government. It is a major tourist attraction.

Fruit like banana, mango, jackfruit pineapple, etc. grow here in abundance and the place is a lush green covered with paddy fields and coconut groves.

Spend overnight at the hotel in Kumarakom.

Get transferred to Cochin for boarding flight for your return or outbound journey from Cochin airport.