Characterised by winding emerald rivers, exotic wildlife, spice plantations and lush landscapes, the south Indian state of Kerala exudes tranquillity and beauty. Explore the region on this tour discovering the most captivating areas including an overnight boat cruise on the rural backwaters, tea plantations in Munnar and wildlife spotting in Periyar National Park.
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Depart on your overnight flight to Kochi.
Dinner
On arrival at Kochi International airport, you will be met by your guide and transferred to your hotel for the rest of the day at leisure before dinner
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, you begin your tour of Kochi, the historic centre of India's spice trade. See the ancient Chinese influence in the impressive fishing nets, still used daily by locals, and take a ride through the village road in a tuk-tuk. You will also see the Mattanchery Dutch Palace and the oldest European church in India, St. Francis before returning to your hotel in Kochi. Rest of the day leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, journey to the Athirapally Waterfalls, which plunge from a height of 80 feet and are among the highest in the state. Then continue to Thrissur, known for its rich cultural, religious, and spiritual heritage. Visit historical landmarks such as the Vadakkumnathan Temple and the Paramekkavu Devi Temple. Finally, proceed to your hotel in Cheruthuruthy (Thrissur District), where you will spend the next two nights.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
After breakfast, you will have a 45-minute Ayuervedic massage (timing will be fixed by the Ayurveda consultant). After a relaxing morning, you will head out with a chance to gain insight into the local culture with an introduction to the world of Kerala’s traditional performing arts. Learn about traditional Sanskrit theatre, percussion music and the training of each art form, as well as the life of an artist. Retire to your hotel in the evening for dinner and your overnight stay.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The tour will depart Thrissur in the morning and travel to Munnar, known for its expanse of tea plantations, rolling valleys and mountains. Stopping en route for lunch, the rest of the day will be free time where you may choose explore Munnar's beautiful paths, or simply relax with a good book at your hotel.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Today you will have a tour of Munnar, a nature lover's paradise. Visit Mattupetty Lake, Echo Point, and Gundala Lake. You will then continue to see tea plantation fields and Rajamalai National Park, famous for its largest surviving population of Nilgiri Tahr (wild goat).
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
The tour will then journey to Thekkady, a stunning area located high in the Cardamom hills containing tea gardens, rubber, coffee and pepper plantations. Following lunch, a visit to a spice market awaits you.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
A highlight of Thekkady is the Periyar National Park, India's largest wildlife sanctuary. Board a boat at Periyar Lake where you will have the chance to spot some elephants, or one of the park's 25 Bengal tigers amongst other birds, reptiles and mammals. Board a traditional houseboat which will be your transport and accommodation. This leisurely cruise takes you through the winding backwaters of Kerala, enjoying the local food and stunning rural scenery of the surrounding Kerala villages and waters. Meandering through the beautiful lagoons, rivers and canals is truly an amazing experience like no other.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Following breakfast travel to Trivandrum with stop at the Jatayupara Earth Centre, home to the worlds largest bird sculpture. Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant before continuing to Trivandrum. Enjoy the evening at leisure.
Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Depart in the morning for a half day city tour. Witness the magnificent Kanakakunnu Palace, one of the last architectural relics of the colonial era, then see the famous Sri Padmanabha Swami Temple, one of the principle places of worship of the deity of Vaishnavism. You will then return to your hotel to enjoy another Ayurvedic massage before your farewell dinner.
Breakfast
Transfer to the airport for your flight to Dubai. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. The rest of your time here will be at leisure.
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Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK.
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There were many highlights - our guide Alex Thomas was excellent - informative, knowledgeable, kind and patient. Our driver Rajesh and his assistant Rajesh were also great. The driving was very challenging at times and we always felt safe. The Tea County resort in Munnar was fabulous, as was the houseboat, with its excellent staff.
Andrew & Rosie Doughty Doughty
21 Oct 25Another fantastic Mercury trip. Our guide, Shyam, was patient, interesting and entertaining. He did an amazing job of getting us all to the right place at the right time and went out of his way to accommodate our needs and requests.
Kimberley Henderson
18 Oct 24The houseboat experience was excellent. The tour guide team - Alex, Praveen, and Dev were exceptional. The houseboat could and should be a bigger part of the package - it is an amazing experience! All hotels were very good, clean, and provided quality food.
Joe & Tony Mckenna Nelson
15 May 24All hotels were of excellent quality and gave a taste of the different areas in which we stayed. A small group of like-minded travellers and a full and interesting itinerary.
Norman Blenkhorn
04 Apr 24The order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions or for operational purposes. The schedules of the domestic airlines in country are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, we have indicated approximate times only. Your local guide will inform you of any schedule changes as they are informed of them. The driving times listed are point to point and do not include the duration of excursions or stops en route. Some road construction and/or weather conditions may lengthen the driving times. Our intention is to adhere to the day-to-day itinerary as printed; however, order of events and sightseeing may vary according to local conditions.
If booking more than 12 weeks before departure a deposit of £295.00pp will need to be paid at the time of booking with the full amount payable at 12 weeks prior to departure. The deposit applies to adults and children. If you are within 12 weeks of travel then the full balance of the holiday will be payable.
A visa is required for entry into India. British Citizen Passport Holders will need to obtain a tourist visa. You can apply for an E-visa no more than 30 days in advance. Your E-visa must be valid for your whole trip so please ensure the expiry date is for the whole duration of your stay. Alternatively you can visit The Indian Visa Application Centre in London: 142-148 Goswell Road, London, EC1B 7DU. We also work closely with The Travel Visa Company who will be able to arrange your visa on your behalf. Please call them on 01270 250 590 and quote 'Mercury Holidays'. Additionally, you will need to complete an e-Arrival Card within 72 hours before your arrival. This can be done on the Indian visa website: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in . Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months before you enter India. Visa requirements are subject to change and obtaining a visa is the responsibility of the traveller and not Mercury Holidays. We recommend you check with your destinations' Tourist Board or Embassy prior to departure for the most up to date guidelines regarding visas and passport validity.
Dubai/United Arab Emirates visa requirements
You can get a visitor or tourist visa issued free of charge when you arrive in the UAE. You do not need to apply in advance of travel. Your passport will be stamped with the visa as you go through immigration. It will be valid for up to 40 days.
Please note your final documentation will be sent to you approximately 21 days before departure. Check in baggage is included with your flight. Weight restrictions will be finalized on your final documentation. Should you wish to take additional luggage you will need to pay extra at check-in. Check-in should be at least 3 hours before departure. If you wish to arrange Airport car parking or accommodation at preferential rates, we recommend you book this in advance with Holiday Extras on 0333 188 0407, quoting HX313.
IMPORTANT: A printed e-ticket or boarding pass, along with your passport, is required for entry into Indian airports. Ensure you print your tickets before travelling, as digital copies on mobile devices are not accepted. It's also recommended to carry your invoice with flight details for reference.
Please note we will require your APIS/Passport information at least 2 months in advance to pre purchase your Safari passes, this can be uploaded via our website on "Manage My Booking".
We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party are suitably insured as soon as you book your holiday. It is a condition of booking that you must have suitable travel insurance. It is important that you purchase travel insurance that suitably covers your participation in whatever activities you may undertake at the time that you make your booking. To assist you with this, we have arranged travel insurance in partnership with Holiday Extras, including up to a 20% discount, which is given to all Mercury Holidays customers. To arrange your insurance with Holiday Extras, please visit https://www.mercuryholidays.co.uk/info/insurance for more details. Please ensure you provide us with the name of your insurer, policy number and their 24 hour emergency contact number as soon as possible. Mercury Holidays will not be liable for any costs incurred by you due to your failure to take out suitable travel insurance from the date of booking.
It is your responsibility to check any health and vaccination requirements applicable to your booked arrangements. We can only provide general information about this. Health and hygiene facilities and disease risks vary from country to country. You should take health advice about your own needs as early as possible and in good time before your departure. Sources of information include; www.fco.gov.uk, http://travelhealthpro.org.uk/, www.hpa.org.uk, your General Practitioner or a specialist clinic.
All our tours feature a “Tour Pace” to help find the right holiday for you. To travel on any of our tours requires unaided mobility and the ability to stroll around the sights, climb stairs and get on and off coaches and boats. The tour pace of Kerala Explorer is rated Intermediate. A good level of fitness is required as you may be on your feet for approximately four hours in a day, though this will be interspersed with regular breaks and will vary from day to day. You will be walking around the sights, and you will be getting on and off coaches, trains and boats and climbing steps which may be irregular. You will stay in variety of hotels throughout the tour. Our guides will always endeavour to provide the highest level of service and assistance; however, they cannot be expected to cater for customers who are unfit to complete the itinerary. Early morning trains and flights depending upon the schedule and some early morning sightseeing are also in this tour.
The currency in India is the Rupee or Rs. The Rupee is a closed currency and officially you are not allowed to take any cash out of India. US Dollars and GBP are also widely accepted in India should you wish to keep an alternative currency on you. There are restrictions on taking Indian rupees into India. Visitors, including tourists, are not permitted to take any amount of Indian currency into the country. You can take cash or travellers' cheques (in pounds sterling or another foreign currency) and/or a bank card with you and exchange or withdraw rupees once in India. Cash machines will also be available throughout the tour in order to withdraw money in your local currency. It is important that you budget carefully and ensure you have the right form of currency before you arrive in the country.
The currency in Dubai is the UAE Dirham.
As normal practice you may be asked for your credit card details on check-in at the hotel in order to cover any extras incurred during your stay. If you do not have a credit card, you may be asked for a cash deposit. MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted in hotels as well as American Express.
You will need to take some extra money with you to cover any personal purchases, such as souvenirs, laundry and extra drinks and snacks. Approximately £100 - £200 will be sufficient for the duration of the tour, depending on how much of a bargain-hunter you are!
Tipping
It is customary to tip your guide and driver. This is at your discretion, but we recommend you allow approximately £4-£5 for each guide and £2-£3 for each driver per person per day. It is asked that you tip in pounds and not local currency, please do not give coins as these are difficult to exchange. Your guide will also ask you for £1 or £2 a day to add to a kitty this is for the porters, waiters etc throughout your tour.
The minimum number of travellers in your group will be 10 and the maximum will be 35. If in the unlikely event there are less than 10 people booked on your tour date, we will endeavour to reduce any disruption to your holiday and try to operate your tour with lower passenger numbers. If we are not able to operate your departure date then you may be asked to change to a different date and a full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
There is no minimum number of travellers for this extension however the main tour passenger numbers will apply for the main part of the tour. If in the unlikely event there are less than the required number of people booked on your main tour date then you may be asked to change to a different date. A full refund will be made available to you should this alternative not be suitable.
This is an escorted tour, meaning you will have the services of an English-speaking guide during each excursion ensuring that you have first-hand knowledge at all times. Local monument guides (may) be provided in some cases, subject to the monument’s rules.
Private Tour: If you have booked a private tour then you will be accompanied by a Driver Guide or a Driver and Local Guides. These will be available to you during all scheduled sightseeing. Private Tours can depart on any day of the week depending on flight and train schedules and the opening days of the attractions. They will follow the itinerary as described in the brochure unless you have been advised otherwise and you will still have all of the same meals, sightseeing and local excursions included.
Your stay in Dubai is not escorted by a tour guide. All internal transfers are included.
Safari Vehicles
Your safari will be taken in a canter, this is a large open roofed truck that seats up to 8 people. Safari drivers take you to areas of the park where wildlife are more likely to be seen but as with all wildlife experiences nothing can be guaranteed. Please note that many paths inside the park are bumpy and dusty.
Your accommodation is selected for convenience, location, comfort or character. Hotel accommodation is generally rated as local three to four-star standard, but please note there is no international classification system for hotels, and differences in facilities and quality do exist between the UK and India. All group tours hotels have private bathroom facilities and air-conditioning, where needed. Rest assured that all accommodation used by Mercury Holidays is regularly inspected by our staff and partners to ensure that standards meet your needs.
A triple room is available but please note that this will be a twin room with a fold away bed for the 3rd passenger.
House Boats
During this tour you will have a night’s stay on board a traditional houseboat as the best way to experience the backwaters of Kerala. The houseboats are built using traditional methods and there is no standardised design or layout. Your group will be split across a range of houseboats each one with between one and six bedrooms. Some will have a single deck consisting of bedrooms and a seated dining area, others may have an upper deck as well. The simple bedrooms feature en-suite and air conditioning but of necessity do not have the same comfort/facilities of a hotel room.
The crew on the ship will prepare your meals in a traditional Keralan style and are employed from the local villages so their English is basic. The guide will be available but as the group is split he will not be on your houseboat at all times.
Breakfast is always a combination of Indian and western style and served in the hotel each morning (sometimes a packed breakfast depending on train journey). Lunch and dinner where applicable will be taken in hotel/wayside restaurants. A variety of restaurants are visited giving you the chance to experience a range of dishes and flavours.
Please contact Customer Experience for questions about other dietary requirements or allergy information. Vegan, vegetarian and non-spicy meal options are available, all meal requests need to be sent over to our suppliers before travel.
It is not recommended to drink the tap water, even in developed countries water may contain unfamiliar elements that can cause upset stomachs. In less developed countries water is not filtered in the same way. 2 bottles of water are supplied per person per day on your tour.
Alcoholic Drinks
There are some dry hotels in India, and some hotels where alcohol can be consumed on the premise but must be brought in from outside. Your guide will pre-warn you of this and if anyone in the group would like to purchase drinks before getting to the hotel then we will arrange for you to visit a local shop and get what you need wherever possible.
Dry days are when the sale of alcohol is not allowed. Most of the Indian states observe these days on major national festivals/occasions such as Republic Day in January, Independence Day in August and Gandhi Jayanti in October. Dry days are also observed during elections in India. In Kerala the liquor shops are closed on the 1st of every month and public holidays.
Ramadan is the most important month in the Muslim Calendar, and it is a time for people to be with their loved ones, self-reflect and renew their faith. During this time Muslims fast from dawn until dusk and abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and chewing gum. If you are a tourist visiting Oman, you will not be expected to fast. While eating, drinking and smoking is strictly prohibited in public places, hotels will offer meals and nonalcoholic drinks at many of their restaurants and bars. If you wish to consume alcohol during your trip, you may do so in your hotel room during the day, and some bars will be open as normal after sunset. Your guide during your tour will be on hand to give you any additional information that you require. When packing for your trip, it’s important you include a couple of different outfit options, so you’re prepared for all the activities you wish to take part in. When you’re relaxing by the hotel pool or sunbathing on the resort beach it’s fine to wear swim wear and beach clothes. However, when out in public during the day, it is advisable to be more covered up to show respect to the local customs. We would recommend that women cover their shoulders and knees and men should wear knee length shorts or trousers when out in public areas.
During visits to Churches/Temples please note long trousers or skirts should be worn to cover knees, long sleeved tops should be worn to cover shoulders and ladies should bring a scarf to cover your head.
On your arrival in Cochin you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Jayasree Travels & Tours, holding a sign displaying: “Mercury Holidays”. The Mercury Holidays/Jayasree Travels & Tours representative will show you to your transfer vehicle. Your guide will be able to answer any queries.
On your arrival in Dubai you will be met by a representative from our local agent, Desert Gate.
Once you have passed through customs you must make your way to the arrivals area where your airport representative will be waiting for you holding a Mercury Holidays sign.
If you arrive into terminal 3, you will locate your transfer in front of Carrefour in the Arrivals Hall. Please note that our partners will not have a Mercury Holidays Sign but a Desert Gate Sign.
Jayasree Travels and Tours Contact Number: +0091 9526188860 Email Address: biju@jayasreetravels.com
Telephone number 24 hr: Biju Unnikrishnan +0091 952 618 8860, Ms Jayasree Vikraman +0091 974 700 5888, Mrs Samitha Azhar +0091 974 471 3380, Mrs Rekha Anil 0091 9744813380 , Mr Amit Bhardwaj +0091 995 898 8719
E-mail: biju@jayasreetravels.com
If you need to contact Desert Gate during your stay the details are:
Desert Gate Tourism: Address: 16E1, IRise Tower, Tecom, P O Box19271, Dubai Office number: 009714 442 1155 Email: premium@desertgate.ae
Emergency Contact details: Tel (24hr): 00971 52 750 2173 Jiri (Representative): 00971 52 332 4356 Romina (Representative): 00971 52 614 7659 Airport Representative (24hr): 00971 52 7502173
