we are spending 8 relaxing days in Kerala and are thinking of the following:
fly to Lakshadweep spend 2 nights
fly to Cochin spend 3 nights
Drive to Kumarkon spend 3 nights

Too much travel? Any other suggestions?

How much money do you want to spend?

http://www.malabarhouse.com/escapes/escapes.php

http://www.sawdays.co.uk/accommodation/india/

Houseboat

http://www.i-escape.com/

I am curious about the Lakshadweep trip. I have not been, my only knowledge is that they are basically the Maldives with the political distinction of belonging to India as the are just north of the Maldives proper. Saying that, to go all the way there for 2 days seems like a waste. If they are as beautiful as the Maldives, and the people are as lovely, then this may really a waste for only 2 nights. I also believe that they are even more remote than the Maldives, so you may spend a good bit of the 2 nights traveling to and from. Make sure that your flight there does not then involve a long boat trip or another flight to get to your hotel; while these transfers are pretty trips in themselves, they can really eat into a trip of only 2 nights. If your hotel is in Agatti, then make sure it is really going to be the island experience you want (I love the Maldives, but would not want to “vacation” in Male, where the main international airport is located.) I was also under the impression that you need a special permit to travel there, but perhaps I am wrong on this, I am sure you have looked into that. If you do, make sure of course you have obtained the permit or set aside time in Cochin to get it.

I think you could spend the 2 nights in a more relaxing way by staying in Kerala personally. Stay on a houseboat longer and get to backwaters. Stay at a beach resort. The Sawdays website and book mentioned above is a good source. Or plan a longer stay in Lakshadweep.

thanks for the tips. ok here's the reviesed itinerary 3 nights cochin, 1 night house boat, 3 nights kumarkon. want to stay nice/upscale, but nothing that will break the bank.
has anyone booked a houseboat through i-escape or can suggest a company to go through? sounds lovely, just concerned about the mosquitoes.
Thanks!

Better itinerary, I think.
I've done lot of searching on houseboats and remain just as confused as before. There are some very good ones - and some verrrry crappy ones. The smart travellers apparently wait till they get there and go look - but you mightn't choose to stay that loose.

My only thought is to decide on your Cochin hotel [or Kumarakom] then do it thru them...

Be warned - those houseboats don't come cheap.

I also would really suggest you wait until you get there and inspect the boats. There can be big differences. I know that you are going over New Years, which is a popular time, but you also don’t want a old tub. I have not used the source you mention, if others have and have good reccos, then that may be OK. Otherwise, if there is a way to reserve with the caveat that you get to inspect available boats, that IMO would be the way to go. I don’t think that Kerala is really yet so much on the tourist map that even in high season it is going to be that much of an issue. Maybe your hotel can help in this regard.

I did look in my Lonely Planet and they recco using one of the operators listed by the tourist board in Kollam, called the KTPC Information Centre, go to dtpckollam.com. If you Google houseboats Kerala a lot of info will come up...I also found a reference to a 2004 Conde Nast article that recommend an operator, they charged US$190 a day, that includes all meals, you might contact them for current prices. The article is at http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/...articleId=1084. The group which runs these boats also operates the Brunton Boatyard, which is a good hotel in the area, and some other hotels as well.

Personally, I would do 2 nights on the boat so you can get to more remote areas and really get into relax mode, but that is up to you. One night just seems like you are getting started and you will be done. As for mosquitoes, you are well outside of monsoon season in Dec/Jan. There will be mosquitoes, but you will have nets and with repellent IMO should not be an issue (I have to say that I am never ever bothered by mosquitoes so I may not be the best judge, but in Dec Jan you will have fewer of them numerically to begin with).

Thanks very much for your help/feedback. I just called and talked to our travel agent who said that by law the house boats must be docked at 6, as to avoid tangling up fishermen lines. So basically you get on the boat at noon and by 6 you are back at the dock and sleep while docked. Haven't heard anyone else say this...can anyone confirm/deny this?
She also said kumarkon is too expensive during that time and suggested Kovalum. Thoughts?

I hadn't realized you were travelling at that time of year.

I don't quite agree with Cicerone that Kerala isn't on the tourist map [on all other issues I bow to his amazing knowledge] - and over Christmas/New Year many places vastly increase their prices - precicely because it IS on the tourist map [remember, there are INDIAN tourists as well]

It would help a lot if you would share just where you are thinking of staying in these places. Or are you leaving that up to your agent?
Are you talking boutique - or are you talking chain hotels? Homestays?

I assume he/she's talking about the Taj in Kumarakom. You might care to wander over to Tripadvisor for the [not very complimentary] reviews. And she may well have a good point.

You can have a lousy cheap trip or a great expensive trip [or, of course, a great cheap trip and a lousy expensive one] entirely depending on your choice of hotels.

As for the houseboats - I've never heard that one either. Dunno.

I would really like it to be memorable trip so don't mind spending money but 600 usd seems obnoxious. that was at kumarkon lake resort and at brunton boat yard in cochin it was 300 euro a night. would like good quality but for under 250 a night.

Welcome to India.

As I think Cicerone has mentioned in another post: there are fewer hotel rooms in the WHOLE of India than there are in Florida. They can charge what to us seem OUTRAGEOUS amounts of money - and, what is worse, get away with it.

Nor do they care. Both those places will be full - at those prices.

But you gotta do some homework yourself. You need to go looking in Sawdays or I-escape - then double check on TripAdvisor. And definitely go boutique - not chain.

But for US$250 over the New Year holiday - hmmmm.. I dunno. Ain't gonna be easy... and it ain't gonna be luxury.

yep, got some work to do. will try to find something in the 300/nt range. will see what i find and then post back.
thanks

It will be too much to stay three nights in Cochin.
Since you told that you have 6 nights for Cochin and Komarkom si I want to suggest you to spend these nights as follows:-

Cochin - 2 night
House Boat Cruz in back waters of Kerala from Alleppey - 1 night
Komarkom with any lake view hotel- 2 Nights
Munnar - 1 night

Thanks.
Raju India

Hello,
You will get nice Homestays at a very affordable price starting from 50 USD to 100 USD in and around Kumarakam.The house boat can be booked through reliable agencies

"It will be too much to stay three nights in Cochin." Nonsense. I spent at least that long staying at the Malabar House hotel over Christmas 2001 (it was cheaper back then!). Service of Nine Lessons at the Anglican church, Christmas Eve mass at the Catholic cathedral, visit to the synagogue. Time at the Chinese nets. Evening watching Kathakali dancers. Massage and wonderful meals at the hotel. Time just wandering around.

I also spent two nights on a houseboat, again much less than $190/night, but I no longer have the contact info. We did not go back to the dock (actually, a river bank) at night. No problems with mosquitoes, and I'm usually a magnet for them. BYOB, and no AC on my boat as there was no electricity - fine during the day, but it got hot at night. Great experience!

We did a house stay in Cochin which was wonderful. Jenny the owner arranged for an overnight house boat for us which was lovely, but 1 night was enough. They do dock but not in Aleppi, we docked somewhere out on the water.

Thios is the contact for the home stay
Le Royale (Jenny)
Kalathiveetil,Vaduthala P.O
Cochin - 682 023,Kerala
Tel +91 (0)484 2394989, 91 484 2436280
Email : [email protected]
Website http://www.cochinkerala.com/accommodation.html

The ambience is very nice we had a huge room with our own bathroom. The food was excellent.

Jenny also arranged a driver to take us up to the tea plantations for a few days.

We went to Kovalum, which I liked a lot, it seems to be a popular destination for Brits on holiday.
Many package tours go there, but it doesn't have the feel of it.

It was so nice laying on a sandy beach by the Arabian Sea. Then at night eating the most delicious seafood. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Last year I was in Kerala and did the fllowing itinerary:

Cochin . 2 days at the Malabar House

Kumarakom - 2 days at Coconut Lagoon resort

Backwaters - 1 day/ 1 night in a luxury housboat

Varkala - 2 days

Kovalam - 3 days at the Leela Kovalam

I was able to relax and see many things and I loved this trip!

3 nights is bit too much for cochin, now kochi. i really wudn't give it more than a night, depending on your arrival and departure timings. if you can get 2 half days time there, its enough. no permits required for bangaram islands, but flying there is not cheap and is not totally reliable. don't want to add to your confusion but time permitting, i'd add a night at munnar and then drive to kumarakom. the tea plantations and walks are nice, altough it will be a 6 hours drive from cochin.