Things to do

Feed elephants, bathing them in Paravoor's backwaters. Drift lazily on houseboat cruises along Alleppey's famous backwaters or on Ashtamudi Lake. See Trivandrum's wooden palace and ornate waterfront temple or Cochin's Jew Town, historic Portuguese architecture and Chinese fishing nets. Tour Kerala's hill stations, plantations and wildlife sanctuaries, or simply relax with yoga and Ayurveda.

·Backwaters & Elephant Antics (feed, bathe and ride elephants, followed by afternoon houseboat cruise) - approx. £67
·Trivandrum Sightseeing & Shopping - approx. £20
·Overnight Safari (meet a friendly elephant, stay in a forest lodge with bonfire dinner, travel by jeep and view elephants, deer and bison) - approx. £150
·Golden Hills Tea Plantations & Hill Station - approx. £20

Explore your destination

Golden Hills
A stunning hill station, you'll take a scenic drive from Trivandrum through lush surroundings, stopping en route for a short trek through the rainforest followed by a cooling dip. After lunch at a jungle resort, you'll head high to Ponmudi's peak for breathtaking views.
Prices from approx. £28pp (adult)

Cape Kumari

A journey to the most southern point in India where the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea meet. You'll have the chance to visit Mahatma Gandhi's memorial hall and see the beautiful Padmanabhapuram Palace, famous for its wooden architecture.

Prices from approx. £28pp (adult)


Houseboat Highlights

There's no better way to discover the backwaters of Alleppey than in a traditional houseboat. With your own chef and crew, you can sit back and relax and soak up the views of life on the riverbank and its beautiful unspoilt landscapes. This is definitely an unmissable experience in Kerala.

Prices from approx. £90 (adult)


Please note: for further details, please speak to your Representative in resort. This is an example guide only and excursions and prices will be subject to change according to season, availability and demand. Children's prices may be available on request.

Highlights

• Cruising down Kerala’s tropical backwaters in an authentic houseboat, passing paddy fields, villages and local life
• Riding friendly elephants at the Paravoor camp, before bathing them in the backwaters and scrubbing them with coconut husks
• Exploring the town of Cochin, taking in Fort Cochin’s history; Jew Street and MG Road’s shops; and Vasco de Gama Square’s fish stalls, rain trees and Chinese fishing nets
• Spotting elephants, bison and boar, and tigers if you’re lucky, at Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, as you walk through the reserve and sail across the lake
• Relaxing with Ayurvedic massages, using the ancient Indian art of herbal medicine and healing
• Visiting the capital, Trivandrum, for a spot of sightseeing at the incredible waterfront Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and wooden Padmanabhapumram Palace
• Watching the painted faces of Kerala’s Kathakali performers, who wear elaborate costumes and use facial expressions to tell stories
• Taking a romantic sunset cruise on a calm lake, listening to local musicians; an unforgettable way to spend holiday evenings in Kerala
• Tasting, smelling and seeing the glorious plantations of Munnar, a hill station which produces some of Kerala’s finest tea
• Stumbling across a colourful village parade, with beautifully dressed elephants the main attraction
• Seeing fishermen pulling in their morning catch from one of Kovalam’s beautiful beaches during your holiday in Kerala
• Spending the night in a rustic houseboat on one of Kerala’s beautiful lakes, dining on the open deck and watching the world pass by
• Joining an early morning yoga session, as the sun rises over your hotel’s gardens

Food and drink

Being India, it’s no surprise curries here are delicious, although they’re completely different from those back home, coming with a real kick. No Kerala holiday’s complete without trying a tasty Kerala curry; you can even eat them for breakfast.

Fish and prawns are also extremely popular in Kerala, often served, you’ve guessed it, in spicy curries.

If you’re a vegetarian, you’re in luck in Kerala, with plenty of fantastic meat-free dishes to try, normally much milder than the meaty alternatives.

Said to have 22 native banana varieties, traditional meals are sometimes served on banana leaves, with little helpings of rice and sauces to eat with your fingers.

Evening Flavour

Lighthouse Beach is the place to be on holiday nights in Kovalam. You can linger over meals on the promenade, watching little fishing boats with tiny lights heading out to sea, as the stripy lighthouse guides their way.

Like much of Kerala, evening entertainment in Chowara and Poover is hotel-based, although Poover also has a couple of restaurants on stilts above the water.

In some hotels, you can catch a colourful Kathakali show or see displays of Kerala’s graceful martial art, Kalaripayattu.

Shopping

For shopping you can’t beat Cochin and Trivandrum, both have an ‘MG Road’, well stocked with handicrafts, clothing, home wares and silk.

Cochin’s also home to Jew Street’s antique and curio shops, a massive market, The Broadway’s spice stalls and plenty of department stores.

If you’re not much of a shopper, you can always do your souvenir hunting at the stalls along Lighthouse Beach in Kovalam, taking a break from your sunbathing to buy beautiful patchwork wall hangings.

Dates for the Diary

Featuring countless elephants in beautiful costumes, January’s Elephant March sees parades in Cochin, Alleppey and Trivandrum, with rides, feeding time, boat trips and a spectacular finale show.

For the Family

• Take a walk on the wild side and bathe, feed and ride an elephant in Paravoor and then cruise Alleppey’s famous backwaters known as ‘’Venice of the East’’.

• Learn about Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy on a visit to Cape Kumari where you can visit the leader’s memorial hall.

• Go on a mini-safari at Perivar Wildlife Sanctuary and watch out for elephants, wild boar and, if you’re really lucky, a tiger.

Information

Language: Malayalam and English. Currency: Indian Rupee. Standard GMT: +5.5 hrs. Indian Tourist Office: 7 Cork Street, London W1S 3LH. Tel: 020 7437 3677. www.indiatouristoffice.org

A visa must be applied for prior to departure. Departure and tourist taxes of 500 rupees and $5 per person are included in the price.

Please note: the first day of each month is a 'dry day', with no alcohol available.

Travel money

Rupee

You can get commission-free foreign exchange on currency notes and travellers cheques at most First Choice Travel Shops and Holiday Hypermarkets.