Kochi / Munnar and Alleppey

Hills then backwaters, five days

The standard Kerala loop, done without rushing it. Car and driver for the whole thing.

Anand

Day by day

1
Fort Kochi
Chinese nets, the Jew Town lanes, and a Kathakali show in the evening.
2
Kochi to Munnar
Four hours climbing through tea. The drive is half the day and none of it is wasted.
Worth knowing
Stop at Cheeyappara falls. It is right on the road and takes ten minutes.
3
Tea estates and Eravikulam
Estate walk in the morning, park in the afternoon. Book Eravikulam online, entry is capped.
4
Munnar to Alleppey
Long drive down to the coast. Houseboat boarding is around noon so leave early.
Watch out
Houseboats stop moving at sunset by law. A late boarding means you barely move at all.
5
Backwaters, then Kochi
Off the boat by 9am, back to Kochi for an evening flight.

One night on the houseboat, not two. Everyone who does two says the same thing.
A driver for the whole trip costs less than separate taxis and removes every logistics problem.

Night train to NJP, shared jeep up, and a lot of sitting with a view.

Same route, half the pace. Volvo up, a car for the local days, and nothing scheduled before 9am.

Gatimaan down, back the same night. Possible, and much better than the bus tours.

This page exists because Anand took twenty minutes to write it down. The next person is looking for yours.