A thatched kettuvallam houseboat on a palm-lined canal in Alappuzha

Kerala · 8 days

Kerala at River Pace

Kochi, Munnar, a private houseboat and Marari

Duration
8 days, 7 nights
Pace
Easy
Best months
September – March
From, per person
₹72,000

(01)The journey

Tea hills, spice gardens and a single-cabin houseboat that takes the narrow canals the big boats can't. Designed to slow you down and very good at it.

Kerala is not a place to rush, so this journey doesn't. It moves from the old port of Fort Kochi up into the tea hills of Munnar, through the spice gardens of Thekkady, onto the backwaters in a houseboat with a single cabin, and ends on the quiet beach at Marari.

The houseboat is the heart of it. Ours are small kettuvallams that can take the narrow canals the big boats can't — past toddy shops, duck farmers and children swimming off the steps of their houses.

Highlights

  • Private one-cabin houseboat
  • Tea estate walk with a planter
  • Kathakali backstage in Kochi
  • Two quiet days on Marari beach

The route

  1. Kochi
  2. Munnar
  3. Thekkady
  4. Kumarakom
  5. Marari

Private, 2–8 travellers

(02)Day by day

Arrive in Kochi and check into a colonial-era hotel. Evening walk past the Chinese fishing nets, then backstage at a Kathakali performance to watch the make-up being applied.

Overnight
Heritage hotel, Fort Kochi
Meals
Dinner

(03)What's included

Included

  • 7 nights including one night on a private single-cabin houseboat
  • Private air-conditioned car and driver throughout
  • Kathakali performance, planter-led estate walk, spice garden and Periyar boat trip
  • All meals on the houseboat; breakfast and dinner elsewhere
  • One Ayurvedic massage per person in Marari
  • 24×7 planner support on WhatsApp

Not included

  • Flights and train fares unless listed
  • Travel insurance (strongly recommended — we can arrange it)
  • Lunches and drinks unless listed
  • Camera fees at monuments, personal shopping and laundry

(04)Pricing

Prices for Kerala at River Pace, in Indian rupees
OptionPrice
Per person, 2 travellers sharing₹72,000
Honeymoon upgrade (suites, candlelit dinners)Per person, added to the base price₹18,000
Child 5–11, sharing parents' room₹31,000

Prices include GST. Final quotes depend on dates and hotel availability — your planner confirms everything before you pay a deposit.

(05)Good to know

  • 01Houseboats moor at dusk by law; you'll spend the evening tied up beside a village.
  • 02June to August is monsoon: lush, quiet and ideal for Ayurveda, less so for the beach.
  • 03Dress modestly in Fort Kochi's churches, synagogue and temples.

Questions travellers ask

More questions? See the travel FAQ or ask your planner.

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From, per person

₹72,000