Kerala Backwaters & Spice Country
Kochi to Munnar to Alleppey, Kerala
Apply by 27 December 2026
Overview
Trail Overview
Kerala is India's most literate, most green, and most quietly radical state - a place where communist politics coexist with temple festivals, where the backwaters are a living transport network rather than a tourist attraction, and where the Western Ghats rise from rice paddies to cloud forests in the space of an afternoon. This journey takes you from the cosmopolitan spice-port of Kochi through the tea plantations and cardamom hills of Munnar to the palm-fringed backwaters of Alleppey, with stays in plantation bungalows, a night on a traditional kettuvallam houseboat, and meals cooked in banana leaves by families who have been perfecting Kerala cuisine for generations. You will visit working spice gardens, watch Kathakali performances in village temples, and drift through canals where kingfishers dive and toddy tappers climb coconut palms at dawn.
Why this journey exists
Day by Day
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Kochi
Arrive in Fort Kochi. Walk through the old quarter - Chinese fishing nets, Dutch Palace, Jewish synagogue, spice warehouses. Evening Kathakali performance.
Day 2: Kochi to Munnar
Drive up through rubber and tea plantations to Munnar. Stop at a spice garden en route - pepper, cardamom, vanilla, clove. Arrive at a colonial-era plantation bungalow.
Day 3: Munnar Tea Country
Morning walk through tea estates with a planter. Visit the tea museum. Afternoon drive to Top Station for views of the Western Ghats. Evening cooking class - Kerala fish curry.
Day 4: Munnar to Alleppey
Drive down through the Ghats. Stop at Periyar spice plantations. Arrive in Alleppey (Alappuzha) by afternoon. Evening walk along the canal network.
Day 5: Backwater Houseboat
Board a traditional kettuvallam (rice barge) houseboat. Cruise through the backwater canals - rice paddies, toddy shops, village life. Lunch and dinner cooked onboard. Night on the houseboat.
Day 6: Alleppey & Departure
Disembark. Morning visit to Alleppey beach and market. Farewell Kerala sadya (feast on banana leaf). Transfer to Kochi airport.
Included
- All accommodation (heritage hotel, plantation stay, houseboat)
- All meals (Kerala cuisine)
- Private vehicle with driver
- Houseboat with crew and cook
- Spice garden tour
- Kathakali performance
- Cooking class
Not Included
- Flights to Kochi / from Kochi
- Personal expenses
- Travel insurance
- Tips & gratuities
- Ayurvedic treatments
Provenance & Pricing
About This Journey
Scouting Provenance
Every Before Maps journey is personally scouted by Uddip before it opens for applications. This journey's scouting history:
Pricing Tier
A well-established route that has been scouted multiple times and refined through feedback from past travelers.
Classic journeys offer:
- Proven, well-tested itineraries
- Reliable local partnerships built over multiple seasons
- Optimized logistics from repeated trips
- Most accessible pricing in our range
Ready to apply?
This is not a booking form. It's an application. We review every submission to ensure the right fit for the group.
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