[bhargav_dave]

Hi all,

Planning a trip to Kerala for 10 days starting this week. I have never been there before. Is it a good idea to go for a self drive option or a car with driver? Will be a family of 3 travelling.

Also, we are planning this route, please let me know if you have suggestions. I haven't booked anything yet so this is completely flexible for now.

Day 1. Kochi arrival PM.
Day 2. Kochi sightseeing.
Day 3. Alleppy
Day 4. Thekkady.
Day 5. Thekkady.
Day 6. Munnar.
Day 7. Munnar.
Day 8. Kumarakom.
Day 9. Kumarakom.
Day 10. Return.

Thanks in advance.

[thirugata]

Originally Posted by bhargav_dave

Planning a trip to Kerala for 10 days starting this week. I have never been there before. Is it a good idea to go for a self drive option or a car with driver? Will be a family of 3 travelling.

Alleppy and Kumarakom are opposite banks of same back water. So not sure if you need 3 days there.
Summer is good time for wildlife safari, if that interests you, you may consider couple of days of stay in Wayanad and try and spot some wildlife.
Athirappilly falls is another attraction, but since it is summer, probably there will be very little water there.

[bhargav_dave]

Thanks. So perhaps I will remove one of them and spend couple of nights in Wayanad. Alternatively might spread those two nights in Thekkady and Munnar. Is the route ok or I should do the other way? i.e. Kochi -> Munnar -> Thekkady -> Alleppy and back?

[rt363]

Kochi to munnar route is crowded during weekends and road widening is also going on. Likewise, across kerala the road widening is happening so take a note of that if youre travelling to wayanad. (Would suggest you to take trains like vandenharat to calicut and then proceed to wayanad if planning to visit).

Like Thirugata pointed out, kumarakom and allepy will offer you similar experience. If you are in the mood, 5 star properties in kumarkom for 2 nights will be good enough. You can explore local fishes and today.

While in Munnar, Explore gap road during sunrise. Club Mahindra offers the best view over tea plantations in my experience. Don't stay inside the town. Again, if you want to explore, Vattavada ( couple of hours from munnar) is a great option.
Thekkady has the periyar reserve, a quick search in YT will give you an idea of what all could be done there.

In addition, if time and energy permits (would be a little stretch if done togethere) checkout;
Varkala is a great option if you like cliff beaches.
Check out some good bnbs in vagamon area. They offer best of both worlds, luxury and the local experience.

[Kosfactor]

One suggest from my side is to skip Kochi in the beginning - From the airport you should start your journey with a driver for the next few days straight to Kumarakom, relax for a few days and then to Thekkady, followed by Munnar and then back to Kochi.

You can spend the last evening in Fort Kochi / Mattanchery , have a nice dinner by the sea side, do some street shopping in jew street etc.

It's hot and humid, make sure to have a good car around. I do not recommended self drive because the roads are narrow, slow progress on road due to so many towns, parking can be a challenge.

[naveen.raju]

Suggest what BHPian Kosfactor pointed out.

1. Skip Kochi, hire a driver and head to Kumarakom.
2. Hire an houseboat and spend atleast a day with overnight stay.
3. Head to Varkala if you fancy seafood and continental food. Recommending this since this got a clean beach, cliff and many eateries (if you are a foodie). It will be really hot and humid, especially south of Kerala.
4. If you prefer some quiet time just to laze around with your family, I would recommend Vagamon over Munnar/Thekkaday. If you some really nice home stays/resorts.
5. Spend a day in Fort Kochi. Explore the cafes and shops in and around Jew Street. Recommend you to stay in Fort Kochi as you can walk/hire a rickshaw to explore Fort Kochi.

Totally skip Kochi CBD and don't even plan Lulu Mall during weekend .

[bhargav_dave]

Thanks for amazing suggestions guys. Unfortunately I’d already booked two nights in Kochi as we land in the evening. But I can head to Alleppey after that to avoid Munnar in the weekend. Do I need to book the boat in advance or just turn up?

[naveen.raju]

Originally Posted by bhargav_dave

Thanks for amazing suggestions guys. Unfortunately I’d already booked two nights in Kochi as we land in the evening. But I can head to Alleppey after that to avoid Munnar in the weekend. Do I need to book the boat in advance or just turn up?

If it's an houseboat, I would recommend booking in advance as you can check the reviews/ratings and select the right boat for your needs.