Kerala Backwaters and the Maldives
Overview
- Duration: 12 days / 11 nights
- Departures: Private, any date
- Group size: Private, from 2 travellers
- Accommodation: Comfortable 4★ hotels and boutique stays in Kerala, a private houseboat and an island resort in the Maldives
- Countries: India, Maldives
A two-country honeymoon: Kochi, the tea hills of Munnar and a houseboat night on the Kerala backwaters in India, followed by five nights on an island in the Maldives.
This twelve-day trip pairs two very different kinds of water: the slow, green canals of the Kerala backwaters in southern India and the clear lagoons of the Maldives. It suits honeymooners and couples who want a little culture and nature before a properly restful finish.
You begin in Kochi, with its fishing nets, spice warehouses and Kathakali theatre, then climb to the tea estates of Munnar for two cool nights. Coming down, you stay by Vembanad Lake and spend a night on a private houseboat, drifting through villages and paddy fields. From Kochi it is a short flight to Malé and a transfer to your island resort for five nights of swimming, snorkelling and doing very little.
The pace in Kerala is gentle, with drives of about four to five hours between the coast and the hills. In the Maldives, the days are yours. We choose resorts to suit your taste, whether you want a small, quiet island or one with more facilities.
A few honest notes. Flight connections between Kochi and Malé vary by season and day, and we confirm them in your quote. Seaplane transfers fly only in daylight, which can mean a night near the airport. The houseboat night is simple but comfortable, with a private cabin and bathroom.
November to March is the best time for both Kerala and the Maldives, with dry weather and calm seas. The south-west monsoon brings heavy rain to Kerala from about June to September.
Day-by-day itinerary
Your driver meets you at Kochi airport for the drive of about an hour and a half to Fort Kochi, the old harbour quarter on the edge of the sea. Settle in, then wander to the waterfront at dusk, where the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets rise and dip against the sunset and fishermen sell the day’s catch from the shore.
Overnight: Kochi
Explore Fort Kochi and Mattancherry with a local guide: St Francis Church, the murals of the Mattancherry Palace, the old spice warehouses and the lanes of Jew Town around the Paradesi Synagogue. In the evening, watch a Kathakali performance, arriving early to see the actors apply their elaborate make-up before the classical dance-drama begins.
Overnight: Kochi · Meals: Breakfast
Leave the coast and climb into the Western Ghats to Munnar, about four hours by road, passing spice gardens and waterfalls as the air grows cooler. The hills here are covered with neatly clipped tea estates. Arrive in the afternoon and enjoy a cup of locally grown tea on the veranda as mist gathers over the valleys.
Overnight: Munnar · Meals: Breakfast
Spend the morning walking through tea gardens with a local guide, on paths between the bushes and past pickers at work. Visit a tea museum or factory to see how the leaves are processed. The afternoon is free to rest, read or take a short drive to a viewpoint over the ranges of the Western Ghats.
Overnight: Munnar · Meals: Breakfast
Descend from the hills to the lowlands, about four and a half to five hours by road, to Kumarakom on the shore of Vembanad Lake. Stay in a lakeside hotel, often in traditional Kerala-style cottages. Take a sunset boat ride on the lake, or relax with an Ayurvedic massage after the drive.
Overnight: Kumarakom · Meals: Breakfast
Board your private houseboat, a converted rice barge with a thatched roof, and drift slowly along the canals and lagoons. Watch village life go by: children going to school by boat, women washing clothes, ducks herded along the banks. Your crew cooks Kerala meals on board, and the boat moors in a quiet spot for the night.
Overnight: Houseboat, Kerala backwaters · Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
After breakfast on board, disembark and drive to Kochi airport, about two hours. Take a short flight to Malé, direct or with a connection depending on the day’s schedule. On arrival, transfer to your island resort by speedboat or seaplane. Seaplanes fly only in daylight, so if your flight lands late, you might stay a night near the airport first.
Overnight: Maldives (island resort) · Meals: Breakfast
Wake to the sound of the sea and spend the day exactly as you like. Swim in the lagoon, snorkel along the house reef, read in the shade or simply sit on the sand. Many island resorts offer spa treatments, kayaks and paddleboards. Your meal plan on the island is confirmed in your quote.
Overnight: Maldives (island resort) · Meals: Breakfast
Join an optional excursion today: a snorkelling trip to a nearby reef, a visit to a sandbank in the middle of the lagoon, or a dolphin cruise at sunset. Experienced divers can arrange dives with the resort’s dive centre. Marine life varies with the season and is never guaranteed, but the reefs here are known for turtles and colourful fish.
Overnight: Maldives (island resort) · Meals: Breakfast
If you are curious about everyday life in the Maldives, ask about an optional trip to a nearby inhabited island to see the mosque, school and fishing harbour. Local islands follow more conservative customs than resorts: dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and note that alcohol is not available. Spend the afternoon back on your own beach.
Overnight: Maldives (island resort) · Meals: Breakfast
Your last full day is free. Take a final swim, book a massage or enjoy a quiet dinner by the water. Make the most of the sunset, which is often the best of the day from a western-facing beach or a jetty, then pack slowly for the journey home.
Overnight: Maldives (island resort) · Meals: Breakfast
Return by speedboat or seaplane to Malé airport in time for your international flight home. If you have a few hours, you can visit Malé itself, the capital, with its gold-domed mosque, fish market and narrow streets, before your departure.
Overnight: — · Meals: Breakfast
What’s included
- Accommodation for 11 nights with breakfast (island meal plans confirmed in your quote)
- One night on a private houseboat with lunch, dinner and breakfast
- Private airport and hotel transfers in Kerala
- Private car and driver throughout Kerala
- Local English-speaking guide in Kochi
- A Kathakali performance in Kochi
- The flight from Kochi to Malé named in the itinerary
- Speedboat or seaplane transfers between Malé and your island
- Entrance fees to sights in the itinerary and 24/7 support during your trip
Not included
- International flights, including your flight home from Malé
- Visas
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed
- Tips for guides, drivers, houseboat crew and island staff
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities such as diving, spa treatments and island excursions
Good to know
Sample itinerary: we adapt the route, hotels and dates to you and confirm everything in your written quote. Best November–March.
In Kerala, a private car and driver take you from Kochi to Munnar, about four hours, and from Munnar to Kumarakom, about four and a half to five hours. The houseboat cruise is on the backwaters, and Kochi airport is about two hours from the boat. The flight to Malé is short, and island transfers are by speedboat or seaplane depending on the resort.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. It combines culture, tea hills and a private houseboat in Kerala with an island stay in the Maldives, giving you both variety and rest. We can add special touches like private dinners on request.
The houseboat on the Kerala backwaters is a converted rice barge with a private cabin, bathroom and an open deck. A small crew cooks your meals and steers the boat, and it moors for the night.
You fly from Kochi to Malé, a short journey; depending on the day, the flight may be direct or need a connection. We confirm the best option in your quote.
Yes. Many travellers start in the north with Delhi, Agra and Jaipur before flying south to Kerala. We can plan the route to fit your time.
