9-Day Kerala Backwaters & Spice Country
The spice gardens, the tea estates, the tiger reserve and a night on a backwater houseboat — India's quietest corner
From
£2,495pp
About this tour
Kerala is entirely different from the rest of India — greener, quieter, less frenetic, with a literacy rate of nearly 100% and a political culture that prizes education above everything. The landscape is one of the most beautiful in the subcontinent: tropical forests cascading down the Western Ghats, tea gardens on every hillside, and the vast palm-fringed backwater network where 44 rivers meet the sea. This nine-day tour covers the essential Kerala: the magnificent Portuguese and Dutch colonial fort of Kochi, the cool tea country of Munnar, the wildlife of the Periyar Tiger Reserve and the extraordinary peace of the backwaters. A night on a traditional kettuvallam houseboat — converted rice barge with a private bedroom and chef — is the tour's centrepiece. Priya describes Kerala as "the India you need when India becomes too much." It is the most accessible and the most restorative corner of the country.
Priya Sharma
India Specialist, 14 years, Delhi-born
Why this works for travellers over 50
- The backwater houseboat has a private bedroom, en-suite bathroom and a chef — the most peaceful night of the tour
- Periyar wildlife reserve viewed from a boat on the lake — no walking required
- Kochi's Fort Kochi area is completely flat and walkable — one of the most pleasant old quarters in India
- Tea estate walks are gentle and completely optional — the scenery is extraordinary from the vehicle
- Kerala has the highest standard of living in India — the best food, the cleanest streets, the most accessible visitor infrastructure
- Single supplement waived on November and January departures
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Price per person — based on two travelling together.
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Your journey
Day-by-day itinerary
1Arrive Kochi — Fort Kochi Evening Walk
Kochi
lightBrunton Boatyard
Arrive Kochi — Fort Kochi Evening Walk
Kochi
Arrival at Cochin International Airport. Transfer to Fort Kochi — the extraordinary Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial quarter on a promontory in Kochi Harbour. This evening, Priya leads a walk through the Fort Kochi streets — the Chinese fishing nets on the harbour front, the 500-year-old church of St Francis (where Vasco da Gama was originally buried), the Dutch Palace. Dinner at a garden restaurant.
2Kochi — Jewish Quarter, Spice Market & Kathakali
Kochi
lightBrunton Boatyard
Kochi — Jewish Quarter, Spice Market & Kathakali
Kochi
Morning in Mattancherry — the Jewish quarter (16th-century synagogue with spectacular hand-painted Chinese floor tiles), the Dutch Palace (extraordinary Ramayana murals) and the spice wholesale market where pepper, cardamom and cinnamon fill the air. Afternoon free. This evening, a Kathakali classical dance performance — the ancient Kerala art form with its extraordinary facial expressions and elaborate costumes.
3Drive to Munnar — Tea Country
Munnar
lightWindermere Estate
Drive to Munnar — Tea Country
Munnar
A scenic 3.5-hour drive up into the Western Ghats to Munnar — a hill station at 1,600 metres, surrounded by 50,000 acres of tea gardens. The temperature drops pleasantly and the landscape changes dramatically from tropical coast to manicured green slopes. Check in to a tea estate bungalow. Afternoon walk through the tea gardens.
4Munnar — Tea Factory & Eravikulam National Park
Munnar
lightWindermere Estate
Munnar — Tea Factory & Eravikulam National Park
Munnar
Morning visit to a working tea factory — from leaf to cup, the full process explained. Eravikulam National Park (home to the critically endangered Nilgiri Tahr mountain goat) in the afternoon. The misty mountain scenery is extraordinary. Afternoon free.
5Drive to Periyar — Wildlife Reserve Arrival
Thekkady
lightSpice Village
Drive to Periyar — Wildlife Reserve Arrival
Thekkady
A beautiful 3-hour drive through the cardamom and pepper hills to Thekkady — gateway to the Periyar Tiger Reserve. Afternoon boat trip on Periyar Lake — the reserve's central body of water, where elephants, deer, wild boar and occasionally bison come to drink on the shore. Dinner at the lodge.
6Periyar — Morning Wildlife Boat & Spice Garden
Thekkady
lightKettuvallam Houseboat
Periyar — Morning Wildlife Boat & Spice Garden
Thekkady
Early morning boat trip for the best wildlife sightings. Return for breakfast. Morning visit to a spice garden — the most aromatic experience of the tour, with pepper vines, cardamom plants, cinnamon bark, nutmeg trees and vanilla orchids explained and tasted. Drive to the backwater embarkation point at Alappuzha.
7Kerala Backwaters — Houseboat Day
Alleppey Backwaters
restKettuvallam Houseboat
Kerala Backwaters — Houseboat Day
Alleppey Backwaters
A full day and night on a traditional kettuvallam — a beautifully converted rice barge with a private bedroom, en-suite bathroom and a dedicated chef who cooks every meal from fresh local ingredients. The boat moves slowly through 900km of interconnected canals, rivers and lakes lined with coconut palms and banana groves. Village life passes at the pace of the water. A day of extraordinary and restorative peace.
8Return to Kochi — Farewell Dinner
Kochi
lightBrunton Boatyard
Return to Kochi — Farewell Dinner
Kochi
Disembarkation and drive back to Kochi. Free afternoon — the Fort Kochi galleries, the antique shops of Jew Town, or the extraordinary new Kochi Biennale art installations. This evening, Priya's farewell dinner at a restaurant in a converted colonial mansion.
9Depart Kochi
Kochi
rest
Depart Kochi
Kochi
Transfer to Cochin International Airport. Nine days in India's most beautiful state.
Like what you see?
Our specialists can tailor every day to your preferences.
Fitness & mobility
Pacing & accessibility
Gentle throughout — Kerala is not a destination for rushing. The tea estates are walked slowly, the wildlife reserve is viewed from a boat, and the houseboat moves at the pace of the canal water.
Walking
Transport
Altitude
Heat / Climate
Accommodation
Your hotels
Brunton Boatyard
★★★★★Fort Kochi Harbour · 3 nights
A beautifully designed heritage hotel in Fort Kochi, set directly on the harbour front with views of the Chinese fishing nets. Built in the style of an old Dutch-Portuguese boatyard with extraordinary architectural attention to detail. The finest hotel in Kochi.
- Harbour front position in Fort Kochi
- Views of Chinese fishing nets
- Heritage Portuguese/Dutch architecture
- Outstanding Kerala cuisine restaurant
Windermere Estate
★★★★Munnar Tea Country · 2 nights
A restored tea estate bungalow at 1,600 metres surrounded by tea gardens and cloud forest. The view from the veranda over the rolling tea slopes is one of the most beautiful in South India. Exceptionally comfortable with superb home-cooked Indian food.
- On a working tea estate
- 360-degree tea garden views
- Cool mountain air
- Exceptional home-cooked meals
Spice Village
★★★★Thekkady, Periyar · 1 night
An eco-resort built in the style of a tribal village near the Periyar Tiger Reserve — thatched cottages in a spice garden. Excellent wildlife and nature programmes. The best lodge for Periyar Lake boat trips.
- Eco-resort in tribal village style
- Adjacent to Periyar Reserve
- Spice garden grounds
- Best position for wildlife boat trips
Luxury Kettuvallam Houseboat
★★★★★Kerala Backwaters · 1 night
A traditional converted rice barge — the original Kerala houseboat. One bedroom, one bathroom, a dining area and a sun deck on a hand-crafted wooden boat moving through the palm-lined backwater canals with a private crew of two and a dedicated chef.
- Private bedroom and bathroom
- Personal chef cooking fresh Kerala cuisine
- Silent movement through backwater canals
- A completely unique night in India
Enhance your trip
Ayurvedic massage treatment, Kochi (half-day)
+£From £75 pp
Second night on the backwater houseboat
+£From £195 pp
Kerala Ayurveda retreat extension (3 nights)
+£From £395 pp
Pricing
Holiday pricing
All prices are per person, based on two people sharing. We arrange departures throughout the year to suit your preferred dates.
Starting from
£2,495
per person · 2 sharing
Solo traveller supplement: +£445 pp
Travelling solo?
Single supplement: +£445 pp · Single supplement waived on November and January departures.
Full details
What’s included & not included
Included in your price
- International flights from the UK (return to Kochi)
- Private air-conditioned vehicle throughout
- 7 nights in selected hotels plus 1 night on a private luxury houseboat
- Priya Sharma as dedicated specialist guide throughout
- All meals as specified (8 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners)
- Tea factory visit, Munnar
- Periyar Lake wildlife boat trips (2 trips)
- Kathakali dance performance with backstage preparation visit
- Kerala backwater full day and night on private houseboat
- Spice garden visit
- All entrance fees
- ATOL protection on all monies paid
- 24/7 emergency support line
Not included
- Travel insurance (required)
- India e-visa (approx. £25)
- Personal spending and gratuities
- Alcoholic drinks unless specified
Your specialist
Who will plan your holiday
Priya Sharma
Priya recommends Kerala to guests who are drawn to India but nervous about the intensity of Delhi or Mumbai. She describes it as "India with the volume turned down — still unmistakably itself, still extraordinary, but at a pace that allows you to actually look at it." The houseboat night is her favourite element of any tour — she has stayed on the backwaters dozens of times and never found it anything other than magical.
Tailor-made
Like this tour but want it adapted?
Extra nights, alternative hotels, private transfers — our specialists will build your perfect itinerary from scratch.
What our guests say
Guest reviews
The houseboat night was the most peaceful experience of our travelling lives
“We have been on many holidays and many tours. The night on the houseboat in Kerala — drifting through the backwaters as the sun set behind the coconut palms, the chef bringing us Kerala fish curry, absolute silence — was the most peaceful thing either of us has experienced in forty years of travel. Priya was superb. Kerala is extraordinary.”
Anthony & Rosemary Prescott
Hampshire · 2025-01-08
The India for people who love India but need a gentle version
“I had done the Golden Triangle three years ago and loved it but found parts of Delhi and Agra challenging. Kerala was completely different — beautiful, calm, extraordinarily green. Priya knows it very well and it shows. Fort Kochi is one of the most beautiful colonial quarters I have visited anywhere. The Kathakali performance was extraordinary.”
Judith Mackenzie
Edinburgh · 2025-02-25
Completely different from every other India holiday we have seen
“We told friends we were going to Kerala and they all said "why not see the Taj Mahal?" We will do that another time. Kerala was the right first India — manageable, beautiful and deeply rewarding. The tea estate bungalow at Munnar was extraordinary. Priya was thoughtful, knowledgeable and genuinely good company across nine days.”
Geoffrey & Pamela Wells
Wiltshire · 2024-11-22
Before you go
Practical information
Visa requirements
Currency
Indian Rupee (INR). 1 GBP ≈ 108 INR. ATMs in Kochi and Munnar. Carry some cash for small purchases in backwater areas.
Tipping
Electricity
Health & vaccinations
Excellent hospitals in Kochi (Aster Medcity is among India's best). Munnar has a government hospital — serious cases to Kochi. Medical evacuation insurance recommended.
Flights
Local transport
Travel with like-minded people
Join a Small Group Departure
Prefer to travel with a small group of fellow over-50s rather than as a couple or solo? Our fixed-departure group tours put you alongside eight to twelve like-minded travellers with a dedicated tour manager for the entire journey.
- Maximum 12 travellers — intimate by design
- Dedicated tour manager throughout
- Social dinners and shared discoveries
- Single supplement waived on selected departures
- Like-minded over-50s travellers
- No single friends needed — just arrive and enjoy
Register Your Interest
Tell us your preferred dates and travel companions — we’ll match you with the right departure and send full details.
Our team will respond within 1 working day.
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Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Is the houseboat comfortable for older travellers?
Very comfortable — the luxury kettuvallam is a spacious wooden boat with a proper double bed, an en-suite bathroom with hot water, and a sun deck with reclining chairs. The motion is minimal — the backwaters are calm and the boat moves slowly. The main consideration is stepping on and off the boat, which involves a step of about 40cm from a jetty. Priya arranges assistance for all embarkations and disembarkations.
What wildlife can we expect to see at Periyar?
The Periyar Lake boat trip most commonly yields sightings of wild elephants (frequently), spotted deer (almost always), sambar deer (frequently) and wild boar (very common). Tiger sightings are rare from the lake — Periyar is primarily known for its elephant population. Priya books the early morning trip for the best conditions. We typically see four or five species.
What makes Kerala food different from north Indian food?
Kerala cuisine uses coconut in almost every dish (the state produces 45% of India's coconuts), tempers everything with curry leaves and mustard seeds, and has a much stronger seafood tradition than the north. The combination of tamarind, coconut milk and black pepper creates a completely distinctive flavour profile. The houseboat chef's Kerala fish curry is consistently described as the best meal of the tour.
Is Kathakali suitable for guests with no background in classical dance?
Completely — Priya provides a brief introduction to the narrative and symbols before the performance. Kathakali tells stories from the Mahabharata and Ramayana through a highly stylised vocabulary of facial expressions, hand gestures and body movements. The backstage preparation visit (watching the three-hour face painting) gives enough context to understand and enjoy the performance fully.
Can we visit both Munnar and the Periyar reserve in nine days without rushing?
Yes — the tour is specifically designed around a two-night stay in Munnar and a one-night stay at Periyar, allowing genuine time in each place. The drives between them (3–3.5 hours) are through some of Kerala's most beautiful scenery. Priya uses drive time to explain the spice trade history and the Western Ghats ecology.
Is Kerala suitable as a first India experience?
Yes — this is the primary reason many of our guests choose Kerala first. It has the best infrastructure, the highest literacy rate, the cleanest streets and the most relaxed atmosphere in India. The food hygiene standards are among India's best. The sensory intensity is significantly lower than Delhi or Varanasi. Priya says: "If you are worried about India, start in Kerala. It will make you want to see everything else."
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