Kerala Forum: New to Kerala

There are options for flying to Kerala with kids; one is to fly Emirates/Qatar and transfer in Dubai/Qatar to fly to Cochin. The other option is to fly Gulf Air direct to Mumbai and transfer for a short hop to Cochin. There is advantages to both; the first option divides the flight into portions of 7 hours then 4 hours, so the kids don't get so bored. The second option is good because Mumbai airport is so much more efficient at sorting out immigration than Cochin, so you can whizz through immigration in Mumbai, fly internally to Cochin, disembark at Cochin domestic terminal and avoid the dreadful queues at Cochin International terminal (queueing for one hour at the immigration desk is normal, unfortunately). Cochin is better to fly into than Trivandrum as Cochin is much more interesting to start your tour than Trivandrum, which as a city holds very little interest at all.

Spend the first day in Fort Cochin; lots of cafes, a little beach, tourists to talk to and a gentle introduction to Kerala. Then branch out; do the backwaters first round Alleppey/Kumarakom, maybe hire a houseboat for an overnight cruise or a day cruise. Stay at a riverside homestay where you can swim and fish and go boating on country boats, laze about or explore the backwater village life.

Then progress upwards to plantation land; stay at an organic plantation where they can give you a tour of their plantation and show you the local sights. They will feed you organic local produce and show you how to cook it yourself.

Go upwards again and stay in a hill station; visit one of the wildlife reserves and go trekking or rafting and maybe spot wild elephant or buffalo. Periyar tiger sanctuary, Thekkady, is where all the tourists head for, but there are other alternatives, such as Wayanad in the north. There is one very interesting and beautiful place to stay called Vagamon Heights, sort of between Thekkady and Munnar, which is ideal for active families; it is a 400 acre estate high in the hills, where they have a small number of traditional cottages for tourists. The rate they charge includes rent, all meals (vegetarian - non-veg they charge a little extra) - and activities, such as boating on their lake, horse-riding, trekking, plantations tours and jeep safaris (this one is extra). The rate is roughly 2500 - 3000 rs per night, depending on time of year and what accommodation you stay in.

For familes, you'll probably find homestay accommodation more suitable than hotels, where you have to squeeze everybody in a hotel room. Homestays tend to be very child-friendly and obliging to the needs of families, and the kids can charge about outside without disapproving hotel managers looking at them.