Kerala Backwaters Houseboat

Night departure from Chennai/Bangalore. Arrive Kochi early morning. Morning: Check-in to Fort Kochi guesthouse. Breakfast. Forenoon: Fort Kochi Heritage Walk — St. Francis Church (India's oldest European church), Dutch Palace (Mattancherry Palace), Jewish Synagogue, Jew Town. Afternoon: Chinese Fishing Nets at the Kochi harbour — the iconic cantilever nets first introduced by Kublai Khan's traders. Watch the sunset light up the harbour. Evening: Fresh seafood dinner at Fort Kochi. Overnight Fort Kochi.

Morning: Breakfast. Drive to Alleppey (Alappuzha) — 85 km, 2 hrs. Late morning: Board your traditional Kerala houseboat (kettuvallam). Cast off into the emerald waterways of the backwaters. Afternoon: Cruise through narrow canals past paddy fields, coconut groves and fishing villages. Watch village life unfold — women washing clothes, children playing, fishermen at work. Fresh Kerala lunch prepared on the houseboat. Evening: Anchor on Vembanad Lake as the sun sets over the water. Sundowner on the deck. Night: Sleep on the houseboat under a canopy of stars — the gentle rocking of the water is the world's best lullaby. Overnight houseboat.

Activities : House Boat , Boat Safari , Boat Cruise , Beaches Sightseeing

Early morning: Wake up on the backwaters as the mist rises. Morning chai on deck. Sunrise cruise through the quietest canals when birdlife is most active. Breakfast on houseboat. Forenoon: Disembark and visit Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary — home to migratory birds including Siberian storks, egrets, darters, teals and herons . Afternoon: Village walk through Kumarakom — visit a coir-making unit, see toddy tappers at work. Canoe ride through narrow mangrove channels. Optional Ayurvedic massage session (extra). Evening: Kerala cultural performance (Kalaripayattu or Bharatanatyam). Dinner. Overnight hotel Kumarakom/Alleppey.

Activities : Bird Watching , Food and Drink , House Boat , Boat Cruise

Morning: Breakfast. Visit Kuttanad — the Rice Bowl of Kerala, famous for paddy cultivation below sea level. See the unique below-sea-level paddy fields and traditional irrigation methods. Late morning: Visit Ambalappuzha Sri Krishna Temple — famous for palpayasam (rice pudding) distributed as prasadam for centuries. Noon: Return to Kochi. Check-out. Begin return journey. Arrive home city by late night.

Activities : Museums