Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Udaipur", "tiger", "honeymoon", "Ladakh in July"
A short, slow journey on water: two nights in Fort Kochi, three on the shore of Vembanad Lake at Coconut Lagoon with canoe trips, birds and island picnics, and a final night on a single-party premium kettuvallam through the canals of Kuttanad. No drive is longer than 2.5 hours.
Not every Kerala journey needs the hills. This six-night plan is for travellers with limited time, or those who simply want to slow down, and it stays almost entirely at sea level, on or beside the water. After two nights in Fort Kochi for the old port's history and food, you move to Kumarakom for three nights at Coconut Lagoon, a resort reached only by boat, built from reassembled Kerala houses.
From there, the days are spent in small boats: a canoe through village canals, a dawn walk in the bird sanctuary, a picnic on Pathiramanal island and lunch at a canal-side toddy shop. On the last full day, your own kettuvallam collects you from the jetty for a night in Kuttanad, mooring at sunset among the paddy fields. It is short, but very complete.
Highlights
Day by day
We meet you at Cochin International Airport and drive about 1.5 hours to Brunton Boatyard on the Fort Kochi waterfront, where every room faces the harbour. After a rest, walk to the Chinese fishing nets in the late afternoon and watch the crews lower them as ships pass close by in the channel. Dinner is at the hotel, where the kitchen is known for Anglo-Indian and Kochi Jewish recipes.
Walk Fort Kochi at first light with a local historian, from the nets to St. Francis Church, then visit Mattancherry's Dutch Palace murals, the Paradesi Synagogue and the spice warehouses of Bazaar Road. After lunch with a Syrian Christian family, if you wish, rest at the hotel. At about 4.30 pm, board a private launch for a sunset trip around the harbour islands, returning to the fishing nets for the last light.
Drive about two hours south-east to Kumarakom on the shore of Vembanad Lake, where a boat carries you across to Coconut Lagoon. The resort is built from traditional Kerala houses, some more than a century old, taken down elsewhere and rebuilt among canals and coconut palms. After lunch, settle in by the pool. In the evening, watch the sun set across the lake from the jetty.
Walk the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary at 6 am with a naturalist, looking for herons, darters, kingfishers and, in winter, migrants. After breakfast, a boatman poles a slim canoe into canals too narrow for houseboats, with stops to watch coir rope being spun and toddy tapped from the palms. Lunch is at a family-run toddy shop on the water, with karimeen grilled in banana leaf, duck roast and tapioca.
Cross Vembanad by private boat to Pathiramanal, a small wooded island in the middle of the lake, for a picnic breakfast and a slow walk under the trees, where cormorants and egrets roost. Return to the resort by late morning. The afternoon is free for the pool, the spa or an Ayurvedic massage at the resort's centre. In the evening, a short performance of Kerala music or dance may be held.
At about noon, your private kettuvallam collects you from the jetty. The boat crosses the lake and heads south into Kuttanad, where rice grows below the level of the canals. Lunch is cooked on board by your own chef. In the afternoon, stop for a walk on the bund and a visit to an old church at Champakulam. The boat moors at sunset in a quiet spot, and dinner is served on deck.
Wake to mist and fishermen in dugouts. After breakfast on deck, the boat cruises for an hour and lands near Alappuzha at about 9 am. From there, we drive you to Cochin International Airport, about 2 to 2.5 hours away, or to Marari or Fort Kochi if you wish to extend your stay. Our team in India stays in touch until you are through check-in.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A heritage hotel on the Fort Kochi waterfront, rebuilt on the site of a Victorian boatyard, where every room faces the harbour channel and ships pass …
A CGH Earth resort on the shore of Vembanad Lake, reached only by boat, built from old Kerala wooden houses dismantled and reassembled on the site, …
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Questions travellers ask
For Kochi and the backwaters, yes. Six nights lets you see Fort Kochi properly and spend real time on the water without rushing. It does not include the tea hills or Periyar; for those, our 10-night spice hills to backwaters journey is a better fit.
Because the backwaters reward slowness. Three nights gives time for the bird sanctuary, a canoe through village canals, an island picnic and a quiet afternoon, all without hurry. Many guests find this the part of Kerala they remember most. It is also good for rest.
A premium single-party kettuvallam with one or two air-conditioned bedrooms, private bathrooms, a sitting deck and an upper deck, with a crew of three including a cook. We inspect boats ourselves, and we name the boat and crew in advance.
Yes. It is calm and romantic, with harbour sunsets in Kochi, a pool villa at Coconut Lagoon if you choose, and a private houseboat night. We can add candlelit dinners and spa treatments. Add two nights at Marari for a beach finish.
November to February is best, with dry weather and comfortable evenings on the water. August and September are green and festive, with Onam and the boat races, but expect showers. March to May is hot and humid. Book Christmas dates early.
Yes. Marari Beach is 30 minutes from Alappuzha, so you can land from the houseboat and spend two or three nights on the beach before flying home from Kochi. This turns the trip into an 8 or 9-night journey. Pool villas suit honeymooners.
From about ₹1,85,000 per person, twin sharing, at Brunton Boatyard, Coconut Lagoon and a premium houseboat, with car, guides and the activities listed. Pool villas and Christmas dates cost more. Flights are extra. We send a detailed quote with room options once you share your dates.
Yes, with supervision. The boats we use carry life jackets in all sizes and have trained crews, but deck rails are low, so young children must be watched. Families with two children usually take a two-bedroom boat. Swimming in the backwaters is not recommended.
Yes, if you travel in August. The race is usually held on the second Saturday of August on Punnamada Lake in Alappuzha, though the date has moved in some years. We can reshape the journey around it and book pavilion seats. Check current status before you travel.
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