We decided to do a packaged tour of Kerala, “God’s own country.” The tour included round-trip flights from Delhi to Kochi, a taxi for the full journey, and all the hotel stays.
Day 1 - Kochi to Munnar
While going from Kochi to Munnar, a three-hour drive, we first stopped at Valara falls and then saw the Ayurvedic (herbal) medicinal and spice production at Greenland Spice Garden.
Day 2 - Munnar
We checked out the Mattupetty Dam and the nearby market. From there, we headed to Echo Point. While returning, we stopped at the Cowboy Adventure Park. I would highly recommend this park; your driver won’t probably want to take you here since the price is too low to give him a kickback. We had to skip Eravikulam national park since we spent too much time (~3 hours) at the Cowboy Adventure Park. Then, we headed back to Munnar and checked out the Tata Tea Museum. There isn’t much to see at the museum. In the evening, we ended up for a massage at an Ayurvedic Massage Centre. The center appears rustic, but the experience was excellent.
Day 3 - Thekaddy
We headed to Thekaddy, and reached in time for one of the last trips to Periyar Tiger Reserve. We didn’t see much wildlife. Later in the day, we saw Kathakali and Kalaripayattu shows. Both were great experiences, but Kalaripayattu was more fun. Thekaddy market is the best place to buy spices, better than Munnar.
Day 4 - Alleppey (Allapuzha)
After a long drive, we reached Alleppey. We did a one-hour boat ride through the backwaters, went to Alleppey beach, and checked out the local Mullakkal Raja Rajeswari Temple. I would recommend taking the government boat and going for a much longer trip in the backwaters.
Note:
- The driver would always try to take you to places where he is getting a kickback, so be careful. For example, he took us to overpriced Wonderland Park in Munnar.
- The best place to buy spices, oils, and other such products is Thekkady Market.