My Trip to Kerala
Kerala is a southwestern Indian state on the Malabar Coast. Natural beauty, historical legacy, and distinctive cultural manifestations such as Kathakali and Kuchipudi dancing make the state notable. Kerala has everything to enchant you, from its scenic backwaters to its beautiful green tea estates. This is a comprehensive tour of God’s own country which we booked through Tripfriday, an online travel company that has an on-ground team in Kerala too.
Day 1) Kerala has good flight and train connectivity to other major Indian cities. We reached Kochi airport in the afternoon and as soon as we landed we were connected by a local Tripfriday representative who was very professional. Immediately, we got into a cab (Dzire) which was well maintained as well as sanitized and the driver was very informative and professional. Our first destination was Munnar. From Kochi airport to Munnar it was roughly a 4 hrs journey. Once entered Munnar we enroute to sightseeings:
Rose Gardens — Our first stop was Rose Garden, surrounded by cardamom plantations, in a perfectly calm and cool environment surrounded by hills, rivers, and waterfalls. We spent about an hour checking out different species of flowers and clicking pictures. We continued towards Blossom Park. It is just 2 km from the city center and it overlooks a waterbody and hills. We spent about 30 mins here. We ended our tour at Mattupetty Dam — This is a must-visit place while you are in Munnar. The water is clear and is surrounded by tea plantations. We spent an hour in Mattupetty Dam sitting at the shore and admiring nature, later we went boating. Later we checked into Spice Jungle Resort. This resort was suggested by one of the dedicated travel consultants from Tripfriday. It was an amazing property not centrally located but was nestled among the cardamom plantations.
Day 2) As planned by Tripfriday, we had our local Munnar sightseeings the next day. Tea Museum — We started our day by visiting the Tea Museum. They start your visit with a short video about the history and processing of the tea plantation and a short talk that shows how to brew good tea. Nearby the Tea Museum we found a factory outlet which sells a variety of tea. The next stop was Echo Point — It is Munnar’s highest point and provides a view of the valley that is beneath it. By the time we reached, there were no tourists around, and it was a perfect chance for us to shout things and listen to resound of our voices. We continued to Pothamedu View Point- This viewpoint offers fantastic views of the valley nearby. When we reached this viewpoint it was afternoon but still, the weather gods were kind to us thus we also got a view of clouds beneath us. And we ended our Munnar trip at Kundala stopover. It was a refreshing experience. It is a small village where the main attractions are a tea plantation, a lake, and a dam. We hired a paddleboat and admired the nature around us. Later, we had lunch and dinner at the local restaurant which was suggested by the driver and the food was unique, tasty, and traditional Kerala style.
Day 3) On Day 3, we checked out from Munnar and were transferred to Thekkady, the drive was 3 hours. We only planned a day at Thekkady, but as soon as we reached, we planned to go for a half-day bamboo rafting experience at Periyar National Park. It was quite a good experience, drifting along the river, spotted a few birds, and rafting was at the right length for us to experience calmness surrounded by forest. This activity was not charged by Tripfriday and we had to pay 1800 per person at the counter, which was already communicated to us by the travel consultant. Later, we checked into KTDC Aranya Nivas, which was located inside the Periyar National Park. Staying here brought a rich experience to us as it is located in a National Park. We were drawn by the beautiful sound of the birds around us.
Day 4) On Day 4, we checked out from Thekkady and were transferred to an amazing backwater location “Alleppey”. We planned to stay a night in a premium boathouse since we were not planning to visit any places in Alleppey. We checked into the Premium boathouse and as soon as we checked in, we were offered a welcome drink and were suggested by Tripfriday to opt for full board meals which were (Lunch, dinner, and next day breakfast). The rooms were very good. My partner was surprised that our bed was decorated with roses and we were quite happy with the arrangement made for us. All in all, it was a rejuvenating experience in Alleppey.
Day 5) On Day 5, we checked out from Alleppey and we were picked up by the driver around 9 o’clock. Then we were transferred to Kovalam. It took us roughly 5 hours to reach. We were transferred to Abad Harmonia Ayurveda Beach Resort. This property was a peaceful retreat. The rooms were tastefully designed. Today, we just planned to spend time at Kovalam Beach and LightHouse. We visited this beach just before sunset. It was quite windy, waves and the colorful sky gave a good view that was quite relaxing. And came back and spent the remaining time at the hotel
Day 6) On Day 6, we planned to visit Sri Padmanabhaswamy temple — The Temple is an important landmark of the city. It has amazing stone carving and historical scripts written all over it. Pls, note: While entering the temple proper dress etiquette should be followed. And next stop was at Sri Chitra Art Gallery- Which is a must-visit place to know about the ancient culture and artworks of Kerala. Later we stopped at Shangumugham Beach. Since we were at a beach destination, we wanted to spend another day at a different place. It was a peaceful day with not many tourists around. And as usual, our driver suggested a good budget-friendly local restaurant which was good.
Day 7) On Day 7, We were supposed to check out and had to catch our flight at 1 O’clock. Suddenly out of nowhere, the previous night I received a notification from airlines saying our flights were rescheduled to later in the evening, and as the services booked by us was until 1 O’clock, I was furious because I did not know how to plan, spend the rest of the time. I called the travel consultant at Tripfriday and explained to him my situation. He informed me he will help with the situation. Surprisingly in the short space of time, the travel consultant spoke to the staff at Abad Harmonia Ayurveda Beach Resort and requested them for a late check out by an hour and he also arranged cab service until our flight timings. The driver was generous and recommended we spend some time shopping. He took us to a few local shops where we did our shopping and killed the remaining time. At last, we transferred to Trivandrum airport at the right time.
Tripfriday was right on the mark with their services and we never felt uneasy during our entire trip. Our entire plan was executed as planned and it was a hassle-free trip. This was the first time we used their services and it was excellent. I chose https://www.tripfriday.com/package/glorious-kerala package which is priced at Rs 48000 for a couple. We also did research online and also compared the quote with other agents, surprisingly we found a hidden gem in both price and services offered by them.