Kerala homestay tours
| country: | India |
| location: | Kerala |
| departures: | Departures can be tailor made to suit your requirements |
| price: | From £1330 (10 days) excluding flights. Price based on 2 people. Includes: all accommodation & meals, airport pick up/drop off, A/C car with English speaking driver & all internal taxes |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Kerala has in recent times become the most enchanting holiday destination for families, tourists and individual travelers. Holidaymakers arrive from all over the world to this destination every year.
The state offers luxury as well as budget accommodation all over but a new dimension in Kerala tourism has emerged in recent times. The concept of homestay accommodation allows the traveller to experience Kerala from a different perspective. Kerala homestays let you mingle with the host and the family leading a close cultural interaction and provides a learning process for better understanding of the society, local tradition, cuisine, and community.
Apart from being economical the homestay accommodation is an experience of the hospitality and warmth of people of Kerala. It is far removed from the monotonous dwelling and seclusion of the closed four walls of a hotel room. Thus Kerala homestays are not akin to bed and breakfast accommodation, but on the contrary offer the comfort of Malayalee hospitality and warmth.
Kerala homestay accommodation is available at many different levels of service. It definitely does not offer upscale amenities of five star hotels but the rich experience a traveller gets is much more than the comfort of the luxury accommodation.
Featured activities: This tour is the best way to explore Kerala as your host will be the local family in the entire destination, You will get home cooked food. It's the first tour where we have included lot of activities from trekking to bamboo rafting, Kathkali dance to fishing and your, not to be missed, cooking classes.
Kathakali at Cochin Trekking at Munnar Plantation visit at Thekkady Boating at Thekkady Bamboo rafting at Thekkady Cooking class at Kottayam Fishing Boating at Alleppey Day trip to Cape by A/C car
Best time to go: September to April.
The state offers luxury as well as budget accommodation all over but a new dimension in Kerala tourism has emerged in recent times. The concept of homestay accommodation allows the traveller to experience Kerala from a different perspective. Kerala homestays let you mingle with the host and the family leading a close cultural interaction and provides a learning process for better understanding of the society, local tradition, cuisine, and community.
Apart from being economical the homestay accommodation is an experience of the hospitality and warmth of people of Kerala. It is far removed from the monotonous dwelling and seclusion of the closed four walls of a hotel room. Thus Kerala homestays are not akin to bed and breakfast accommodation, but on the contrary offer the comfort of Malayalee hospitality and warmth.
Kerala homestay accommodation is available at many different levels of service. It definitely does not offer upscale amenities of five star hotels but the rich experience a traveller gets is much more than the comfort of the luxury accommodation.
Featured activities: This tour is the best way to explore Kerala as your host will be the local family in the entire destination, You will get home cooked food. It's the first tour where we have included lot of activities from trekking to bamboo rafting, Kathkali dance to fishing and your, not to be missed, cooking classes.
Best time to go: September to April.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Cochin. Pick up from Cochin. On arrival check in to homestay. Local sight seeing includes: Dutch Palace, Synagogue, Chinese fishing net. Activities: Kathakali Dance. Kochi (colonial name Cochin) is a vibrant city situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula in the breathtakingly scenic and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as 'God's Own Country'. Its strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the sobriquet Queen of the Arabian Sea. Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala. Overnight at homestay. |
| Day 2-3: | Munnar. After breakfast check out from Cochin and proceed to Munnar. The homestay has modern amenities and is nestled in Kerala's finest summer resort in the hills. Altitude: 1600 Mts to 1800 Mts above sea level. Temperature: Min. 0c - Max. 25c. Clothing: Warm clothes and rain gear. Tourist season: August - March. Places of interest: Mattupetty Dam, Kundala Dam, Echo Point, top station, Blossom park, Eravikulam National park (Closed during breeding season), Pothamedu View Point and Attukadu Waterfalls. Activities: Trekking & walking. Munnar is a town located in Kerala state in the southern Western Ghats in South India. The name is often used to refer to the whole tourist area of Idukki District of which the town forms a part. The name of Munnar is believed to be derived from the Tamil words Munu (three) and aaru (river), referring to the town's strategic location at the confluence of the Muthirappuzha, Chandavurai and Kundaly rivers. The area is surrounded by vast jungles and remains wet and cold during most of the year. The Mattupetty Dam is nearby. The people of Munnar share the culture and traditions of Kerala and their Tamil neighbours. Overnight at homestay. |
| Day 4-5: | Thekkady. After breakfast check out from Munnar and proceed to Thekkady. On arrival at Thekkady check into homestay and proceed for local sight seeing. Places of interest: Challarkovil View point. Activities: Plantation tour, boating, trekking & Bamboo rafting. Thekkady is the location of the Periyar National Park, situated close to the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border town of Kumily, located about 257 km (160 miles) from Trivandrum. The sanctuary is famous for its dense evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savanna grass lands. It is home to herds of elephants, sambar, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs. Overnight at homestay. |
| Day 6: | Kottayam. After breakfast check out from Thekkady and proceed to Kottayam. At Kottayam check in to homestay and proceed for local sight seeing. Places of Interest: Kumarakom bird sanctuary. Activities: Cooking class & fishing. Kottayam literally means the interior of a fort - Kotta + Akam. Rulers of Munjanad and Thekkumkur had their headquarters at Thazhathangadi in Kummanam near Kottayam town. Marthanda Varma of Travancore attacked Thekkumkur and destroyed the palace and the Thaliyil Fort. The remnants of the palaces and forts are still seen here, the present Kottayam district was previously a part of the erstwhile princely state of Travancore. Being a mountainous region with scenic landscapes, backwaters, bird sanctuaries, temples and churches make this a place of tourist attraction. Lying below the sea level, some of its nearby places are also a treat to the eyes. Overnight at homestay. |
| Day 7: | Alleppey. After breakfast check out from Kottayam and proceed to Alleppey. At Alleppey check in to homestay and proceed for local sight seeing. Places of Interest: Beach & back waters. Activities: Boating. Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, is a town in Alappuzha District of Kerala state of southern India. A town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, it was described as the list of places known as Venice of the East by Lord Curzon. It is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha District. Alleppey has a wonderful past. Though the present town owes its existence to the sagacious Diwan Raja Kesavadas in the second half of 18th century, district of Alappuzha figures in classical Literature. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala with the unending stretch of paddy fields, small streams and canals with lush green coconut palms, was well known even from the early periods of the Sangam age. History says Alappuzha had trade relations with ancient Greece and Rome in B.C and in the Middle Ages, as well as with other parts of India. Alappuzha has a lighthouse, which is a major tourist attraction. Overnight at homestay. |
| Day 8: | Trivandrum. After breakfast check out from Alleppey and proceed to Kovalam. At Kovalam check in to homestay and proceed for local sight seeing. Places of Interest: Kovalam Beach, Padmanabha swami temple, zoo, museum and art gallery. Activities: Day trip to Cape. The Kumari Amman or the Kanyakumari Temple, located on the shore, is a Shakti Peetha (centre of power) devoted to a manifestation of Parvati, the virgin goddess. The temple overlooks the shore and attracts tourists from all over the world. The Panchappathi, five primary sacred places of Ayyavazhi is also a visiting spot on the tour to Cape Comori. Overnight at homestay. |
| Day 9-10: | Trivandrum. Transfer to International airport at Trivandrum for journey home. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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This particular trip is unique as the homestays which we have selected are all owned by the local Kerelan families who are doing excellent work by maintaining some of the old buildings. They are kept in very good condition and generate revenue for the families livelihood. For the last few years this region is fast gaining popularity all over the globe and now a lot of revenue is generated by way of jobs in homestays, local guides, transport etc. We only use those home stays which are fully owned by the local community.
These old/new houses have now been converted into homestays and are helping the locals get good jobs. All the accommodation which we are using has a local staff. All our accommodations are eco friendly and have used local materials & handicrafts. Our accommodations are equipped with energy saving lights. With the passage of time many have totally vanished but thanks to tourism serious efforts are now being made to preserve these magnificent old houses which not only help the local economy but also generate a huge amount of jobs. We not only help the local people to keep their properties in good condition by generating business for them but we also make a point that they should give employment to the local people so that the local economy can benefit from tourism. We will be using local guides throughout this trip who are trained in their field and will certainly make a difference. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |