India · India
Kerala
Backwaters, ayurveda and the slow south
Overview
Overview
Kerala is best understood as three landscapes stitched together: the tea hills of Munnar and Wayanad, the backwaters around Alleppey and Kumarakom, and the Arabian Sea coast at Marari and Kovalam. Between them sits Kochi, which is one of India's most interesting small cities.
This is also India's serious wellness destination. We work with physician-led ayurveda centres that prescribe properly rather than offering spa massages under an ayurvedic name.
Plan your Kerala journey
Use our private backwaters cruise as a starting point, explore signature journeys, or speak to a travel designer about a route tailored to your dates and interests.
When to go
Best time to visit
September to March is ideal — dry, comfortable and green after the monsoon. June to August is the classic monsoon window, and the traditionally correct season for ayurvedic treatment.
Peak season
Oct – Mar
Dry, warm days, ideal for backwaters and beaches.
PeakMonsoon
Jun – Aug
Dramatic, green, and the authentic ayurveda season.
GoodShoulder
Apr – May
Hot and humid on the coast; the hills stay pleasant.
ShoulderOnam and festivals
Aug – Sep
Snake-boat races and Onam feasts — book early.
PeakPractical
Visa, currency, weather and flights
Visa
Domestic for Indian nationals. Foreign visitors can use India's e-Visa, issued online in three to five working days. Kochi is a designated e-Visa entry port.
Full visa guide →Currency
Indian Rupee (INR). Cards and UPI are widely accepted. Carry cash for houseboat staff, toddy shops and village markets.
Weather
Tropical and humid at sea level; Munnar and Wayanad are 10–12°C cooler and can be genuinely cold at night.
Flights
Kochi, Trivandrum and Kozhikode all take direct flights from every Indian metro and from the Gulf. Kochi is the natural start for a backwaters-and-hills routing.
| Period | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Oct – Feb | 22–32°C | Best window — dry and comfortable |
| Mar – May | 26–36°C | Hot and humid; head to the hills |
| Jun – Aug | 23–30°C | South-west monsoon, lush and dramatic |
| Sep | 24–31°C | Monsoon retreating, everything green |
| Delhi → Kochi | 3h 15m non-stop | IndiGo, Air India, Vistara |
| Mumbai → Kochi | 2h 05m non-stop | IndiGo, Air India, Akasa |
| Bengaluru → Kochi | 1h 15m non-stop | IndiGo, Air India Express |
Where to stay
Hotels we recommend
Fort Kochi · CGH heritage
Brunton Boatyard
A restored boatyard facing the harbour, with rooms open to the sea breeze.
Kumarakom · Backwater heritage
Kumarakom Lake Resort
Transplanted heritage homes and meandering pool villas on Vembanad lake.
Mararikulam · Beach village
Marari Beach
Palm-thatched cottages in a coconut grove on one of India's best beaches.
Wayanad · Physician-led wellness
Ayurveda Yoga Villa
Genuine panchakarma with resident doctors and a 21-day protocol.
Munnar · Hill retreat
Spice Tree Munnar
Cottages in a cardamom plantation, above the cloud line.
Highlights
Things to do
Private houseboat overnight on Vembanad
A two-bedroom kettuvallam with a personal chef, moored in a quiet canal, not the Alleppey traffic.
Physician-led ayurveda consultation
A proper prakriti assessment and prescribed programme, not a generic oil massage.
Fort Kochi walking and Kathakali
Jew Town, the Chinese nets, St. Francis church, then a backstage make-up demonstration.
Munnar tea estate morning
Plucking, factory processing and a tasting with an estate manager.
Toddy shop and fish-market lunch
Karimeen pollichathu and kappa at a genuine kallu shappu with a food guide.
Bookable now
Experiences here
Suggested route
Our suggested Kerala journey
- 1
Arrive Kochi
Brunton Boatyard. Fort Kochi sunset walk, Kathakali performance.
- 2
Kochi
Mattancherry, Jew Town, spice market, toddy-shop lunch.
- 3
Munnar
Drive up through the ghats, tea estate visit, Spice Tree.
- 4
Munnar
Kolukkumalai sunrise, tea factory, cardamom plantation walk.
- 5
Backwaters
Descend to Kumarakom, board a private houseboat, overnight on the lake.
- 6
Marari beach
Disembark and transfer to the coast. Nothing scheduled.
- 7
Ayurveda or beach
Consultation and treatment, or simply the beach.
- 8
Depart
Transfer to Kochi airport.
Gallery
Kerala in pictures
Questions
Frequently asked
Guest stories
What our travellers say
The private houseboat in the small Kumarakom canals was the opposite of what we feared. Total silence, and the chef cooked the karimeen we chose that morning.
Deepa & Ravi Krishnan
Chennai · Kerala, 7 nights
Fourteen days of panchakarma with a real physician. I came for wellness marketing and found actual medicine.
Helga Brandt
Munich · Kerala wellness, 14 nights
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