Kerala and the Maldives

Best time to go: October - March
Best for: Honeymoons, Culture & Beach, Cultural & Immersive

It only takes an hour to fly from Kerala to the Maldives, and together they make for a perfect combination of culture, adventure and beach. Nothing is better than arriving in the Maldives with stories to tell about the adventures you have had, and Kerala is perfect for giving you a wide range of experiences. Cochin is where you start, and you’ll stay in the fort area with Dutch, Portuguese and British colonial influences as it was a focal point of the spice trade. Wander through the narrow streets with a private guide, past crumbling Dutch mansions and seeing the traditional Chinese fishing nets in the harbour. Hop on rickshaws and to Mattancherry Palace, featuring amazing Hindu murals.

Continue to Jew Town and the bustling markets where you see spices traded. You will be driven to the hill country, and witness the wonderful rolling tea plantations around Munnar. Spend a few nights in a former colonial tea bungalow. Next up, work your way to Alleppey and head out on a private houseboat on the Keralan backwaters and Lake Vembanad. Watch the world drift by, and you are served up the freshest of Keralan fish curry and a glass of wine. Dock up overnight in a remote village, just feeling absolutely away from it all. For your final two nights in Kerala, stay on the banks of Lake Vembanad, sitting by the pool, or walking into local villages with a private guide. Drive back to Cochin and fly to the Maldives where your speedboat will whisk you to your island. Kick-back and let the calming luxury of a Maldivian resort let you relax!

 

Guide Pricing

Starting At

  • LOCATION:
  • £2295
    Price per person including all accommodation, private transfers, unique experiences and excluding international flights. We can arrange international flights should you wish.

    Highlights

    • Perfect combination of an element of soft-adventure, culture and some world-class beaches to end your trip
    • Stay in boutique accommodation throughout, with private drivers and guides
    • Immerse yourself in bustling Cochin, explore rural Keralan villages on bikes and cruise through the backwaters on a private houseboat
    Days Location Hotel
    Day 1-2 Cochin Old Harbour Old Harbour
    Day 2-3 Munnar Serenity Talayar Valley Bungalow
    Day 4-5 Lake Vembenad Purity Purity
    Day 6 Backwaters Houseboat Houseboat
    Day 7-12 Maldives Velassaru Velassaru

    Suggested Hotels

    Day 1-2

    Old Harbour

    $ $ $ $ $  

    The Old Harbour is a stunning boutique heritage hotel located in the heart of Fort Cochin in Kerala, India.

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    Day 1-2

    Old Harbour

    $ $ $ $ $  

    The Old Harbour is a stunning boutique heritage hotel located in the heart of Fort Cochin in Kerala, India.

    View hotel
    Day 2-3

    Serenity

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Serenity is a lovely boutique plantation house set within a rubber plantation located midway between the backwaters and Lake Vembenad and the hills of Thekkady.

    View hotel
    Day 2-3

    Talayar Valley Bungalow

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Set in Kerala’s hill country near Munnar, Talayar Bungalow is a charming plantation estate, offering peace, comfort and immersive tea country experiences.

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    Day 4-5

    Purity

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Purity is a luxury boutique located on the banks of Lake Vembenad in Kerala, India featuring just 14 rooms.

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    Day 4-5

    Purity

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Purity is a luxury boutique located on the banks of Lake Vembenad in Kerala, India featuring just 14 rooms.

    View hotel
    Day 6
    Houseboat on Lake Vembenad, India

    Houseboat

    $ $ $ $ $  

    A night on a houseboat in the Kerala backwaters is one of South India’s unmissable experiences, and offer a fabulous glimpse into the rhythms of rural life.

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    Day 6
    Houseboat on Lake Vembenad, India

    Houseboat

    $ $ $ $ $  

    A night on a houseboat in the Kerala backwaters is one of South India’s unmissable experiences, and offer a fabulous glimpse into the rhythms of rural life.

    View hotel
    Day 7-12
    Velassaru, Maldives | Luxury Resort | Millis Potter Travel

    Velassaru

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Velassaru is a luxury Maldives resort located in the South Male Atoll, just a speedboat ride away from the airport and has a contemporary and elegant style. From £1,570 per person based on 7 nights on a B&B basis including flights.

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    Day 7-12
    Velassaru, Maldives | Luxury Resort | Millis Potter Travel

    Velassaru

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Velassaru is a luxury Maldives resort located in the South Male Atoll, just a speedboat ride away from the airport and has a contemporary and elegant style. From £1,570 per person based on 7 nights on a B&B basis including flights.

    View hotel

    Customise Your Itinerary

    We can tweak and change any element of this itinerary and you can depart on any day you want, add nights here and there, and we can fully customise your day-to-day experiences depending on your interests. Here are just a few ideas of many that we can look at and discuss when we come to plan your tailor-made itinerary.

    Idea 1

    You can opt for a range of Maldivian Resort, whether you want to be in an over-water villa in stilts or in a beach villa. You might like to be a little further away from it all by taking a seaplane to a more remote island.

    Idea 2

    You can of course stay longer in Kerala, maybe head up to the tea hills of Munnar

    Idea 3

    If you like jumping about a bit, maybe start in Delhi, see the Taj Mahal and the Golden Triangle, before seeing a little of Kerala and then hopping across to the Maldives to end?

    Tamil Nadu & Kerala, Hugh and Vivien Thompson, April 2017

    We recently did a three week five-stop trip from Tamil Nadu's Pondicherry to Kerala's Fort Cochin. We had visited India several times before and had decided that we just couldn't be hassled with the often tedious details of organising the visas, booking stays, drivers and the rest. We had some good ideas of home stays and Millis Potter came up with some suggestions. The organization was superb, from meeting us at  Chennai to checking us in at Cochin, not a foot wrong. Regular phone calls from their people on the spot made us feel more than secure. So we got the best of both worlds, although we were "doing our own thing" in the background we knew there was a pretty experienced hand ready if anything went wrong, which it didn't!

    Further Itinerary Suggestions

    Classic Kerala

    Cochin - Munnar - Periyar - Lake Vembenad - Backwaters - Marari Beach  

    Kerala is exceptionally laid-back, and a leisurely private tour allows you to see the markets and history of Cochin, tea estates, wildlife, spice plantations, backwaters and end on the Indian Ocean.

    13 days from £1595 p. p.

    Sri Lanka and the Maldives

    Negombo - Cultural Triangle - Hill Country - Maldives  

    Sri Lanka and the Maldives is one of the best twin-centre holidays you can experience, a blend of culture, adventure and beach that makes for such a wonderful journey.

    13 days from £2705 p. p.

    A journey through Northern Kerala & Karnataka

    Mysore - Wyanad - Nagarhole National Park - Coorg - Kasaragod - Bangalore  

    Northern Kerala and southern Karnataka are fast becoming the destinations to visit, a blend of history, culture, coffee hills, wildlife and fantastic beaches.

    13 days from £2470 p. p.

    Southern Trader: a tour of Kerala and Tamil Nadu

    Chennai - Pondicherry - Tanjore - Madurai - Rajakkad - Munnar - Backwaters - Cochin  

    This classic route takes you from Chennai (Madras) in Tamil Nadu, through the hills and into the Kerala to see the tea estates, backwaters and ending on the beach.

    16 days from £2270 p. p.

    Slow Kerala

    Cochin - Munnar - Dewalokam - Lake Vembenad - Marari Beach  

    Take a leisurely private tour through Kerala, exploring the Cochin, the tea plantations and sleepy villages in the rural heartlands, Lake Vembenad and the backwaters before ending on the beach.

    15 days from £1895 p. p.