6-Day Luxury Kerala Backwaters & Hill Station Expedition

TravelAstu representative/driver will receive you on arrival at the Cochin Airport, then proceed to Fort Cochin,  Cochin is part town since many centuries, also a part of what used to be called 'The spice cost of India' attracted traders and invaders from the world over. Needless to say, Cochin offers you some fascinating snippets of history and culture, the after refreshments visiting St. Francis Church - the oldest European Church in India. The Santa Cruz Basilica built in 1557 by the Portuguese, the Dutch Palace, the spice Market, and the 15th century Chinese fishing net believed to have been brought by Chinese traders and a Jewish Synagogue in what is locally called the Jew Town. Spend the rest of the day free to relax.

Overnight at the hotel.

Note – If we miss sightseeing today than we cover in last day.

After breakfast and check out the hotel and proceed to Munnar where is unforgettable greenery waiting for you,  a town situated at the confluence of three mountain steams- Muthirapuzha Nallathanni & Kundala, with vast expanses of tea plantations, rivulets, waterfalls and cool weather and ideal for trekking and mountain biking . The Hill Station of Munnar once used to be the summer resort of the erstwhile British administration in South India and the town has many remnants of colonial architecture. Arrive and Check into the resort and unwind. After check in formalities and refreshment and proceed to visit Mattupeety Dam and Kundala Dam known for its storage masonry dam and a beautiful lake where you could go on pleasurable boat rides, enjoying the surrounding hill and landscape.  Spend the rest of your stay in Munnar, Walking through the enchanting tea estates enjoying the tranquility.

Overnight at the resort.

After breakfast proceed to visit Tea Museum, the Museum house curios, photographs and machinery, all of which have a story to tell on the origins and growth of tea plantations in Munnar, late you will visit the Eravikulam National park- located about 15 KM from Munnar, the park is famous for its endangered inhabitant – the Nilgiri Tahar (a Mountain Goat unique to the area). Spread over an area of 97 Sq.km, this park is also home to several species of rare butterflies, animals and birds. A Great place for trekking the park offers a magnificent view of the tea plantations and rolling hills caressed by blankets of mists. The Park become a popular destination when the hill slopes here are covered in a carpet of blue due to the flowering of Neelakurinji Plant endemic to this part of the Western Ghats, once every twelve years.

Night in Munnar.

After breakfast and check out the hotel and proceed to Thekkady & Periyar, one of the finest wildlife reserves in India, spread across the entire Periyar district are picturesque plantations and hill town that hold great opportunities for treks and mountain walks. One the of the 27 Tiger reserves in India, the Periyar valley in Thekkady is the oldest. On arrival check into your resort. Spend the rest of the day at leisure or go on a spice plantation tour where you will be enticed by not only the aroma of spices like cinnamon, cardamom, pepper and nutmeg but will also get to know how they are grown, harvested and proceed before the reach the supermarkets. Visit the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, which is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Thekkady. Take a boat ride on the Periyar Lake to spot various species of birds, reptiles, and animals in their natural habitat. If you're lucky, you might even spot a herd of elephants. After the boat ride, explore the spice plantations that are spread across Thekkady. Here, you can learn about the different spices grown in Kerala and their uses in Indian cooking. In the evening, attend a Martial Arts performance, which is a traditional form of Kerala. The performance usually lasts for an hour and provides a glimpse into the culture and heritage of the state.

Overnight stay at Thekkady.

After breakfast check out proceed to Alleppey for Houseboat Cruise, Present day houseboat,  huge, slow moving exotic barges used for leisure trips are in fact reworked version of the traditional  “Kettuvallams” that were used to carry rice and spices before the advent of alternative forms of transportation. The houseboat contains all the creature comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cosy living room, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling. Parts of the curved roof of wood or plaited palm open out provide shade and allow uninterrupted views. Meals would be cooked on-board and supplemented with freshly cooked fish from the backwaters. On this cruise you will enjoy vignettes of the ethnic life of rural Kerala beside the backwaters, you will encounter locals travelling in canoes and vegetable sellers, fishermen and other traders bringing house hold goods in small wooden boat. En route your captain will anchor the boat at nearby villages, paddy fields, temple and other palaces.

Overnight stay at Houseboat.

Relax breakfast at Houseboat and then check-out. Drive to Cochin. Enjoy on the way places with driver and if time available, we will also take you to market to have lunch and market visit. If we miss sightseeing from first day than today we will do it.

As per flight time, our driver will drop you to airport to fly back to Delhi. Back to home with sweet memories of Kerala Backwaters tour with Team Travel Astu.Tour Ends!!