Kovalam Tours and Trips

The trip had just the right mix of cultural experiences & free time. Our guide, Biju, made the trip. His knowledge, story telling, help & advice meant we felt safe & supported, and could concentrate on just enjoying the tour. Without him it wouldn't have been as good.

Overall a great experience. Some of the days involved long travel distance and long days of travel in the van. Our tour guide did his best to break up the long drives but it might be good to evaluate the itinerary a bit to reduce the long drives. Loved the varied itinerary. Our tour guide and van driver were terrific, very polite, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. The small group of 10 was a nice size. Good variety of locations and experiences (loved the backwater houseboat!). Nice variety of site seeing and experiences such as meals with local hosts.

This was a wonderful journey through beautiful Kerala and Tamil Nadu…so bright, so colourful, so vibrant. We had such amazing experiences, from strolling through the streets of Fort Kochi, to trekking through the beautiful tea plantations of Munnar and seeing elephants in the mist of an early morning walk at Periyar. We learnt so much about Hindu culture from our lovely guide Biju, and visited some beautiful temples along the way…a real highlight of the trip. I loved the contrasts between vibrant buzzy cities, with thrilling tuk tuk rides, and the peaceful backwaters of Alleppey…drifting along the tranquil waters watching Kingfishers and Egrets. Just lovely. I would thoroughly recommend this tour of the Tropical South.

This was an absolutely incredible trip and two weeks away felt like a month due to the immersive nature of the holiday and the fullness and variety of the itinerary and accommodation. India is an amazing country and to cycle through it with Explore is the best and most fun way to see it. The weather was perfect, as was the food-lovely to have so much choice as a vegetarian! Local people were very friendly and it felt safe. Our guide Sam worked hard to spot extra adventures for us, and one of the most special was stopping the coach to see an elephant being washed, dressed and paraded as part of a Hindu festival. This trip was graded as leisurely to moderate, but was definitely more on the leisurely side with some painfully slow cycling days and some very short cycles. So if you’re a seasoned cyclist, do manage your expectations. Nonetheless, we did still get a better pace and some good hills in on some days. This holiday wouldn’t be suitable for anyone who is nervous cycling around potholes or busy traffic and roads.

This was my first time to India and I decided I wanted to start in the south because I heard it was a bit more beginner friendly and I was traveling with my daughter in her late teens for our first time just the two of us. I was blown away by the warm hospitality, the scenery, the food and how well organized this trip was. The itinerary is varied and really includes a bit of everything you need to see in Kerala and Tamil Nadu: verdant tea plantations, historical architecture and incredible access to temples, welcoming and warm connection with local people and guides, spice gardens, wildlife preserves, drifting down the backwaters in a houseboat with your own cook and captain, I still can't believe we did and saw so much. We ate a huge meal one night with a local family and then toured a village and learned about traditional crafts with another family, we got beach and pool time and watched thunderstorms out over the Arabian Sea as we enjoyed dinner as a group. Just truly an unforgettable experience every step of the way.

It was my first trip to India and it gave a great down to earth feel of what India is all about, chaotic traffic but safe even on a bike, with the guidance of the tour leader. The people who were extremely welcoming and helpful all of the time with no pushy sales techniques.