Kerala budget holiday, tailor made
Valid from 1 Oct 2024 - 30 Sept 2025.
During peak season (approx Dec to Feb) the price will be higher.
Description of Kerala budget holiday, tailor made
Kerala’s calling – and you don’t need to break the bank to answer. One of the best ways to experience this relaxed part of India is using homestays. This trip uses a few handpicked homestays, as well as guest houses and a houseboat to give you a taste of the area.
And what a taste. Enjoy the home advantage of home-cooked meals. In a region that’s celebrated for its cuisine, gorge on gorgeous coconut-based pancakes, rice dishes and desserts, marinated fish, biriyanis, and vegetarian curries.
This trip is run by an operator with over two decades experience organising Kerala holidays and can be tailor made to you.
You could start with Cochin and Fort Cochin, Kerala’s colourful harbourside city, as an appetiser, before getting out into nature.
You’ll have your own driver taking you around for some of the trip – a little luxury that’s incredibly helpful when it comes to getting out of the city. This way you can be driven up inland to Munnar hill station and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in comfort – and then down towards the coast to explore the backwaters around Kollam and on to the beachy regions of southern Kerala.
No trip to this area is complete without a stay on a houseboat – the region is famous for the converted river barges on its backwaters that have been converted into idiosyncratic floating hotels.
It’s great to end your trip at a beach resort – and there’s no better place than Varkala beach – one of the best sandy stretches in Kerala. The beach has a spring that’s thought to have healing properties. Whether you find these or not, ending your trip here will have you feeling fully restored.
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Price information
Valid from 1 Oct 2024 - 30 Sept 2025.
During peak season (approx Dec to Feb) the price will be higher.
Departure information
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Holiday information
Reviews
12 Reviews of Kerala budget holiday, tailor made
Reviewed on 10 Feb 2023 by Zelie Dale-Harris
All wonderful, staying in a treehouse in Tranquil lodge, Wayunad was a definite highlight. Also the safaris that we did in Kabini. Read full reviewReviewed on 01 Nov 2022 by Dorothy Dalton
Most memorable was the Homestays and getting to know our hosts. An excellent driver who was also a very good guide. Delicious food provided at Homestays Read full reviewReviewed on 07 Apr 2018 by Rebecca Rosenberg
Awesome organic farm in Kerala was fantastic for kids- swimming in river, milking cows, home grown foods, fantastic service (dewakolam). A splurge yet incredibly memorable. Read full reviewReviewed on 11 Mar 2018 by Caroline Cobbing
The whole holiday was amazing - it would be difficult to select one bit. However the food was excellent. It was excellent! Our original plans were to book on a small group holiday but we found travelling on our own with a driver was a good experience that we would like to repeat. Read full reviewReviewed on 15 Mar 2017 by Chris Bush
Spotting so many exotic and sometimes rare, birds. The journey through the Western Ghats. Meeting so many friendly Indian people. Read full reviewReviewed on 02 Feb 2017 by Quentin Sharp
The variety of Kerala, the bird and wildlife, the friendly people, the wonderful fresh spices and delicious cooking, the houseboat, staying in homestays etc. One of the best holidays we have been on. Everything was very well organised. Read full reviewReviewed on 17 Jan 2017 by Sarah Pengilly
The most memorable moment was Dewalokom hotel & farm beautiful gardens, lovely family running it and fabulous food. Scenery and friendly people also memorable. Breath of fresh air. Wanted my children to appreciate how lucky they are to travel and to do this in a positive way for other people. Read full reviewReviewed on 22 Dec 2016 by David Watt
Excellent, without a doubt. Up there with the best, so though not reborn I'll nevertheless give it 5 stars. Read full reviewReviewed on 13 Jan 2015 by Ben Swift
Most memorable - Kayaking through the Keralan backwaters, meeting villagers and experiencing daily life first hand! Extraordinary and an experience to cherish. Read full reviewReviewed on 28 Jan 2015 by Roy Cope
I would like to thank the suppliers, who arranged everything, for a first class service. I couldn't fault them. Read full reviewResponsible Travel
Planet and people
By using homestays and small guesthouses on this tour, you are supporting the host families, their staff and the local community. The owners of the accommodation all have a commitment to environmental issues and as you travel between the properties you will find good practices, eg waste being recycled, low power light bulbs, water being heated by solar panels etc. With small numbers of individuals staying in small properties the impact on the environment is reduced, as waste, lighting etc will be minimal. This tour includes a visit to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Periyar is a protected area, is committed to conserving the numbers of tigers and elephants within the reserve and practices community based ecotourism. We support local charities and invite our customers to do so too (details are supplied with your travel documents).The ground handling of this tour is provided by our local agent and we supply him with 90% of his turnover. All of the drivers and staff are local people. Thus we have fifteen local families that are directly financially reliant upon us. Our drivers have a contract and are paid a monthly wage. This is very unusual in South India where most drivers are normally employed on a commission-only basis (not easy for such seasonal work).
All of our customers are supplied with detailed information about their holiday. We supply general advice relevant to all customers as well as more specific facts about your particular tour. These documents offer our customers lots of advice and guidance including how to obtain an Indian Visa, which immunisations are recommended, how much to tip people, how to dress appropriately and how to behave in National Parks.
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