Kerala – God’s Own Country
26 Feb – 12 Mar 2027
Special Interest
A Small Group Tour Led by Emma Judd
Kerala - God’s Own Country 26 Feb - 12 Mar 2027 Led by Emma Judd Special Interest
Mrs Emma Judd – Tour Leader
Emma travels with curiosity, warmth, and a deep appreciation for learning through cultural exchange. Following a rewarding career in nursing, she brings a calm, attentive approach to hosting, ensuring guests feel comfortable, supported and able to relax into the experience.
Joing this wonderful journey of discovery travelling through God’s Own Country, as the Keralans fondly call their eclectic state. Travel with like-minded guest and explore the vibrant city of Cochin, linger in the verdant green hill country, delight in cruising the fabled Backwaters before relaxing on the stunning beaches washed by the sparkling waters of the Arabian Sea.
15 days from £4,960.00 per person
Day 1 : To Cochin
Friday 26 February
Depart London Heathrow on Emirates Airlines flight to Cochin via Dubai. Depart London Heathrow 14:25.
Departures from regional UK airports are available on request. If you are travelling from outside the UK please contact us for details.
Day 2 : Cochin Sightseeing
Saturday 27 February
Arrive Dubai at 00:25. Connect to your onward flight to Cochin depart Dubai 03:20, arrive Cochin at 08:55.
Assistance on arrival and transfer to your hotel by a private chauffeur-driven air-conditioned vehicle. Check-in at Brunton Boatyard, Cochin for 02 nights (Sea Facing Room).
Cochin has a history stretching back to the time of King Solomon, when it was known as ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. Arabian, Phoenician, and Chinese traders all stopped here in search of spices, silks and sandalwood. Marco Polo and Vasco da Gama followed, as did the Dutch East India Company and later the British. Today, Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus still live side by side, and Chinese fishing nets, introduced by merchants from the court of Kublai Khan, continue to haul in fish.
Evening - enjoy a sunset harbour cruise.
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Day 3 : Fishing Village & Kathakali Dance Perfromance
Sunday 28 February
Morning - enjoy visiting the fishing village of Kumbalangi, India’s first designated ecotourism village and the first rural tourism village of the state.
Afternoon - visit the Jewish Town & Synagogue, the Dutch Palace, St Francis Church and the Chinese fishing nets.
Evening - enjoy Kathakali dance performance.
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Day 4 : To Munnar
Monday 1 March
Morning drive to Munnar (approximately 4 hours). On arrival in Munnar check in at Windermere Estate for 03 nights stay (Garden/ Estate Rooms). Rest of the day at leisure.
A lush carpet of rolling green, interrupted by low rises of mountains of the gorgeous Western Ghats, Munnar is dotted with huge emerald plantations and pristine waterfalls. No matter where you go in Munnar, a mixed scent of tea, coffee and cardamom will follow you everywhere. With a bounty of natural treasures, Munnar leaves one rapt with its spectacular and awe-inspiring views. Such is the beauty of the myriad shades of green of the landscape that Munnar is often called the Kashmir of South India.
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Day 5 : Munnar
Tuesday 2 March
Morning - enjoy a guided plantation walking tour through tea plantations, including a visit to a tea museum, to learn about the history of the traditional “cuppa”.
Evening - as the sun begins its descent, proceed for a guided walk through the Windermere plantation. The 4 km trail winds through undulating and uneven paths, taking roughly 2 hours, and is one of the highlights of visiting Windermere. You will see cardamom, which grows only in restrained sunlight. The grounds are permanently covered in evergreen trees and foliage, many of which are grown specifically to attract butterflies and birds. You can expect to see giant squirrels, tall trees, babbling streams and hidden paths.
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Day 6 : Munnar
Wednesday 3 March
After breakfast depart for the Laxmi Hills Ridge Trek.
This trek will start at the height of approximately 1450 metres above sea level with a gentle walk through the tea plantations for about 30 to 40 minutes. On reaching the summit, the trek will continue for a couple of hours on the ridge through stunningly beautiful grasslands with rocky mountain slope on one side and the tea plantations on the other with interspersed patches of Shola forest. On a clear day, the highest peak in South India - Anaimudi - is visible. We will also pass through a private coffee and cardamom plantation in the Shola Forest where there is a high chance to spot few of the endemic birds, including the Kerala Laughingthrush, White Bellied Shortwing, Black & Orange Flycatcher, Nilgiri Flycatcher & Nilgiri Pipit. We will have picnic lunch at a suitable place during the trek. Similar to the start, the trek will finish with a walk through a tea plantation to meet our cab waiting to transfer us back to the hotel. The highest point of this trek will be about 1950 metres above seal level.
Return to the hotel, rest of the afternoon at leisure.
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Day 7 : To Periyar
Thursday 4 March
Morning - drive to Periyar (approximately 4 hours). Check-in at Spice Village, Periyar for 02 nights (Spice Garden Cottage).
Evening – from about 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm enjoy an introduction to spices session. Spice Village's master chefs share some of their skills with you at the evening cookery classes. Here you will learn the secrets of traditional Kerala cooking. And of course, you will enter the magical world of Indian spices. What they are, how to use them, combine them, and savour the special magic they bring to even the most commonplace foods. Best of all, your friends at home will be cardamom green with envy once you return with your new-found secrets.
Periyar National Park is situated in the hills of the Western Ghats. The centrepiece of the park is the 5500-hectare Periyar Lake. Periyar has one of the richest habitats for large mammals as it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses. Here it is possible to see large herds of Indian Elephant as well as Nilgiri Langur. There are more than 30 species of mammals including Tiger, Gaur (Indian Bison), Sloth Bear etc, and also a very rich birdlife, including the Great Indian Hornbill. To maintain the sanctity of the park, game viewing is only allowed by boat rides on the lake.
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Day 8 : Plantation Walk & Boat Ride
Friday 5 March
Morning - enjoy a spice plantation walking tour.
Afternoon - enjoy a boat ride on the lake Periyar to watch the wildlife come to the shore to drink.
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Day 9 : Kumarakom - Sunset Cruise
Saturday 6 March
After breakfast drive to Kumarakom (approximately 4 hours). Check-in at Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom for 02 nights (Heritage Bungalow).
Evening - enjoy the hotel’s courtesy sunset cruise.
The waterways are the lifeblood of the area; local commerce revolves around it with boats gliding by, laden with everything from fish to today’s papers! The backwaters are a maze of bridges and canals set in a labyrinth of channels laced with endless stretches of lakes and lagoons. Over 900 km of this intricate network is navigable. This is the best place to explore the unspoilt countryside of Kerala.
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Day 10 : Day On Houseboat
Sunday 7 March
Midday - board the Kettuvalam (Houseboat) for cruising on the backwaters of Kerala.
Lunch will be served on the houseboat.
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Day 11 : Drive to Marari Beach Resort
Monday 8 March
Late morning - drive to Mararikulam (approximately 1 hour). Check-in at Marari Beach Resort for 04 nights (Garden Villa).
Marari Beach sprawls across 55 acres of lawns, far-flung lotus ponds and whispering coconut groves, all threaded through with stone-flagged pathways. A windbreak of palms runs the length of the property, a protective cover that reduces even the gustiest sea winds to mere caresses. And beyond is a milky azure ocean, fringed by a beach more ochre than yellow, a sand-meets-sea combination you are not likely to find anywhere else.
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Day 12 -14 : Marari Beach Resort
Tuesday 9 - Thursday 11 March
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Day 15 : To London
Friday 12 March
Morning - transfer to Cochin airport (approximately 1 hour drive) for flight back to London, via Dubai.
Depart Cochin 09:40, arrival Dubai 12:10. Connect to onward flight at 14:30, arrival into London Heathrow at 18:20.
Tailor-made holiday extensions are available within India and Dubai, please contact us.
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Itinerary map
Dates & Prices
| Dates | Price per person (Double/Twin share) | Single room supplement |
|---|---|---|
| 26 Feb - 12 Mar 2027 | £4,960.00 | £1,750.00 |
- International flights with Emirates Airlines in economy class
- Accommodation as per the itinerary in sharing double / twin room (Check-in is 1400 hrs and checkout 12 noon. Early check-in and late checkout are subject to availability).
- Halfboard throughout (Breakfast & Dinner). Lunch on the Houseboat on Day 11, and picnic lunch in Munnar on Day 6.
- Services of our English-speaking representative for all arrival and departure transfers to assist you at the airports.
- Services of English-speaking guide during sightseeing as specified in the itinerary.
- Services of Emma Judd as Tour Manager.
- Services of English-speaking guide during sightseeing as specified in the itinerary.
- All transfers and sightseeing by a chauffeur driven private coach.
- Entrance fees to all monuments during sightseeing as specified in your itinerary.
- Complimentary mineral water whilst driving.
- Full ATOL and ABTA bonding
- India Visa Fee. We will send a step by step guide how to apply for your visa. We provide free telephone assistance if needed.
- Camera fees at monuments and other places of interest.
- Any expenses of a personal nature like laundry, telephone calls, and beverages.
- Tips and gratuities.
- Travel Insurance.
We plan to follow this detailed itinerary, but events beyond our control – unpredictable weather, blocked roads, cancelled flights, mechanical breakdown – or unscheduled closure of any monument / museum may require last minute changes to the itinerary. We will ensure that these changes are kept to a minimum if required.
*Travel Insurance
It is essential to have adequate insurance in place before your departure. This should be appropriate for your age, health and destination you are visiting.
• Make sure it includes comprehensive medical and repatriation cover.
• Make sure it provides cover for your whole trip (whether one day or over a year).
• Make sure it covers you for all activities.
• Disclose pre-existing medical conditions.
• Take your policy number and the 24-hour emergency contact numbers with you.
What our clients say
G Ashworth - India HolidayI write to say what a brilliant holiday we had in India through Indus Tours and Travel. The hotels were excellent, we never had to wait at any time for our representative, transport or guide, Everything went like clockwork !! Well done. Even my wife says 100%!! Thank you for such wonderful service. We’ll certainly recommend Indus to our friends.
