Keralam, the land of kera or coconut, is a never-ending array of coconut palms…sun blanched beaches…kettuvallams over enchanting backwaters… magical monsoon showers…silent valleys vibrant with flora and fauna…misty mountains of the Western Ghats…fragrance of spices…evenings reverberating with the rhythm of a thousand artforms...fairs and festivals... Welcome to Kerala benign and beautiful!

The Western Ghats, bordering the eastern boundary of the State, form an almost continuous mountain wall, except near Palakkad where there is a natural mountain pass known as the Palakkad Gap. The average elevation of the Ghats is about 1500 meters above sea level, occasionally soaring to peaks of 2000 to 2500 m. From the Ghats, the land slopes to the west on to the plains, into an unbroken coastline.

The strip of hills and valleys on the eastern edge, close to the Ghats, comprises of steep mountains and deep valleys, covered with dense forests. Almost all the rivers of the state originate here. There are 44 rivers in the state, of which 41 originate from the Western Ghats and flow towards west into the Arabian sea. Only three tributaries of the river Cauvery originate in Kerala and flow east into the neighbouring States. These rivers and streams flowing down from the Western Ghats either empty themselves in to the backwaters in the coastal area or directly into the Arabian Sea. As the Western Ghats are nowhere more than 120 kms from the sea, all these rivers are comparatively short.

In the Midland Plains of central region, the hills are not very steep and the valleys are wide. The valleys have been developed as paddy fields and the elevated lands and hill slopes are converted into estates of rubber, fruit trees and other cash crops like pepper , arecanut and tapioca. Tea and coffee estates have cropped up in the high ranges during the last two centuries.

The backwaters are a peculiar feature of the state. Canals link the lakes and backwaters to facilitate an uninterrupted inland water navigation system from Thiruvananthapuram to Vadakara, a distance of 450 kms. The Vembanad lake stretching from Alappuzha to Kochi is the biggest water body in the state and is over 200 sq.kms. in area. Kuttanad in Alappuzha district alone has more than 20 per cent of India's total length of waterways.

The important rivers from north to south are; Valapattanam river (110 kms.), Chaliar (69 kms.), Kadalundipuzha (130 kms.), Bharathapuzha (209 kms.), Chalakudy river (130 kms.), Periyar (244 kms), Pamba (176 kms), Achancoil (128 kms.) and Kalladayar (121 kms.). Other than these, there are 35 more small rivers and rivulets flowing down from the Ghats. Most of these rivers are navigable up to the midland region, in country crafts.


5 Nights, 6 Days

Day 01 : Arrival at Kochi:
Pick up from Kochi airport & transfer to kochi hotel.Evening free.Overnight at Kochi Hotel.
Day 02 : Kochi Local Sightseeing:
After breakfast Visit to  Fort cochin, Navy museum, St. Francis church, Chinese fishing net,Santa clause basilica, Mattanchery palace, Jewish synagogue, Marian drive Tripunitura hill palace.
Day 03 : Kochi - Munnar:
After break fast drive to Munnar.Visit to Kodanadu elephant care centre, Cheyyara waterfalls, Valara waterfalls, Attukadu waterfalls.
Day 04 : Munnar Local Sightseeing:
After breakfast Visit to Eravikulam National Park (Raja Malai), Mattupetty Dam, Tea estates, Eco point, spice plantation, rose garden, photo point, honey bee tree, tea museum, blossom park, kundale dam and top station.
Day 05 : Munnar – Thekkady:
After breakfast drive to Thekkady(110 km/3.5 hrs).Evening free. Overnight in Thekkady.
Day 06 : Thekkady Local Sightseeing:
Early morning visit to Periyar Tiger Reserve for a 2 hour boat safari (on join-in basis) on the Periyar Lake to spot birds and wildlife on the shores of the lake & later visit locally owned spice plantation.Overnight at Thekkady.
Day 07 : Thekkady – Alleppey:
After breakfast drive to Alleppey (170 km/4.5 hrs) via Alleppey. The Kerala backwaters consist of a complexnetwork of lagoons, lakes, & canals and are best experienced.Over night at Hotel.
Day 08 : Alleppey - Kovalam:
After breakfast drive to Kovalam,En-route visit to Trivandrum sightseeing. Check in to the hotel. Evening enjoy the beach .Overnight at hotel.
Day 09 : Kovalam – Kanyakumari- Kovalam:
After breakfast Drive to Kanyakumari (100 kms/ 2.5 hrs), Visit to sightseeing covering Vivekananda Rock & Gandhi Museum.Over night stay at Kanyakumari.
Day 10 : Trivandrum airport drop:
After breakfast departure transfers to Trivandrum airport for onward journey. Shopping and city tour according to the Departure time.