2 Nights 3 Days Munnar Alleppey Tour Package with Houseboat Stay

About This Tour:

This Munnar Alleppey 2 nights 3 days package is designed for those who want to visit Alleppey Backwater and Munnar on a weekend trip. Since the distance from Alleppey to Munnar is around 200 kms and it takes approximately 5 hrs by road, this package can’t be considered as a relaxing trip. This trip is starting from Houseboat and ending at Munnar due to below reasons.

1. In case the houseboat is on the last day, the check out is at 09:00 am and the whole day is nothing to do except a few sightseeing places at Kochi.
2. There are more good sightseeing options available in Munnar than Kochi.
3. In case we consider Munnar as the first day, you only get a half-day since you need to travel to Alleppey the next day morning.
4. The present package gives two half-day sightseeing in Munnar.

About Alleppey Houseboat:

Houseboat in Alleppey is an experience beyond imagination. The main attraction of Alleppey is crisscrossed canals, lagoons, villages and paddy fields on the banks of these canals. All these make Alleppey a much sought after destination among tourists.  During the stay in a houseboat, you will be provided veg and non-veg dishes. These are prepared exclusively for the occupants of the houseboat.

Munnar – Best Hill station in Kerala

Munnar is a hill station located in the Western Ghats at a heights that varies from 1,450 m to 2,750 m. The main attraction is the tea plantation, cool climate, forest and greenery, fog and mist. This attraction gives a tourist much more than what he wanted.

2 Nights 3 Days Munnar & Alleppey Itinerary:

Day 1: Alleppey Houseboat:

Today you are going to experience overnight stay in a Houseboat. On arrival at Alleppey, our representative will meet and transfer to houseboat boarding point. Our representative will help to board the houseboat. Check in Houseboat at 12:00 pm or when you reach boarding point. Once check in, Houseboat start cruise through the best possible canals in Alleppey from 12:00 pm to 5:30 pm with an hour lunch break. Below are the possible cruise route.

• Punnamada kayal – river famous where annual Nehru trophy boat race is conducted.
• SNDP canal – One of the small canal in this trip.
• Pamba river – Almost 150 ft width river.
• Irumbanam Thod – Another small canal.
• Munnattumugam – Where three canals joints together making very attractive and beautiful place.
• 1:30 pm Lunch at Meenappalli Kayal – small lake in the middle of Alleppey backwaters.

Post lunch trip start at 2:30 pm and continue till 5:30 pm. Houseboat makes a trip through some of the beautiful villages in Alleppey called Kainakari Village, R Block, C Block canals.
Between 5:30-6:00 pm, houseboat finally halt at docking point for overnight stay. Once the houseboat halted, guest can walk around till the sunset.

Evening Options and Activities:

Fishing in the lake and backwaters. (most of the houseboats is always having a fishing roads and you will surely get small fishes).
Houseboat is having a tv and music system to enjoy some pictures. You can also bring your own to make your stay more comfortable.

Overnight stay in Houseboat.

Day 2: Alleppey Houseboat to Munnar – 200 kms / 5 hrs

Get up early morning by 06:00 am – if you are lucky, you can see a good sunrise. The boat starts at 07:30 am and drops at 08:30 am. During this time, the boat cruise through the famous Vembanad Lake, the biggest freshwater lake in Kerala. Check out at 08:30 am and proceed to Munnar. On the way to Munnar, you can have your lunch at Onnukal, where veg and non-veg restaurants. Post lunch moves to Munnar, on the way you can see sightseeing and activities.

• Cheeyappara Waterfalls: This is located on the Kochi – Munnar highway. This is a good place to have photos, but no bathing is allowed as rocks used to slippery. There is no entry fee or parking fee needs to be given. There are couples of small shops selling local food items. 15-20 mins halt is recommended.
• Valera Waterfalls: After Cheeyappara you can see another waterfall on the right side. You cannot see this nearby.

Note: These waterfalls are not available from Feb to May due to summer season.

• Plantation Tour: A plantation tour is to familiarize with different ayurvedic herbs, cardamom, cinnamon, tea and coffee plantations. You need to pay an entry fee of minimum Rs 150 per person. These are owned and operated by private parties where they explain about each herb and its importance how this is being used as medicine. After the plantation tour, they used to take the tourist to their shop where different ayurvedic medicines are displayed.
• Elephant Safari: Those who like to see or like to have a ride on an elephant, you can visit a center located on the way to Munnar. It may take up to 1 hour for this activity. Minimum price is Rs 800 per person.
• Kathakali and Kalaripayattu: Kathakali is a famous art form and Kalaripayattu is a martial art of Kerala both are famous and if you like art and culture, you should not miss this. There are two performance centers in Munnar. Punarjani which is located little bit outside is the best one. Both these performance is of an hour each which start at 5:00 pm and ending at 7:00 pm. Entry fee is Rs 300 per person for each show.

Check in hotel and overnight stay in Munnar hotel.

Day 3: Munnar

After breakfast, half day sightseeing of Munnar. We have planned two Options. Option 1 – Eravikulam national park, Lakkam waterfalls and Tea Museum. Option 2 – Mattupetty dam, Echo point, Kundala Lake, Rose Garden. Below are the details and you can choose which option better suits you.

Rajamali National Park:

Eravikulam is part of Rajamalai mountain ranges where one can spot rare species of mountain goat called – Nilgiri Tahr.

You can also experience Anamudi Peak, beautiful valley from the top, grass land, flora and fauna. Since this involve approx. 700-900 mtrs hike, those who have breathing problems should avoid this. Also those who are not interested in this Nilgiri Tahr, valley and mountains, this trip can be avoided. Eravikulam national park is closed from 01 Feb to 31 Mar every year due to calving season. Entry is chargeable and permit can be obtained from the main entrance or through online booking.

Note: All Munnar waterfalls are dependent upon rain and when the rain stops, the waterfall may or may not have water.

Option 2:

Mattupetty Dam – Mattupetty dam and its park gives you some time to relax. If you are interested, here speed boat trip with full security is available. There is a small play ground for children is also available.
Echo Point – This is a place near Mattupetty dam. Nice photo stop.
Kundala Lake – Nice lake near to Mattupetty.
Flower Garden or Rose Garden – Nice place to visit, lots of variety of flowers.

Shopping in Munnar – Best place to buy Coffee / Tea, Ayurvedic products and all type of species.

Check out from Hotel and proceed to Ernakulam Rly stn or Kochi airport. Those who are going by interstate bus from Munnar, we will drop them at a convenient time. Tour ends.

Important Travel Tips:

1. Rajamali National park is closed for breeding from 1st week of Feb till 31 Mar every year.
2. Since this is a short trip, it is advisable to avoid resorts located too far off from Munnar.
3. Since all the waterfalls are connected with raining in the Western Ghats, most of them may dry during summer time i.e. from Jan till May.
4. In Munnar, specialty stays like a tree house, camp stay and activity like hiking or trekking are available. In case you are interested, these need to be booked in advance.
5. You can also start the trip from Munnar. Then it’s recommended to reach Munnar first by Volvo bus. The advantage of starting from Munnar that you have a chance to visit Fort Kochi also.
6. Your sightseeing is arranged in such ways that if any delay in starting definitely affects the program given.
7. Beware!! There are many tours operate in Munnar to canvas those coming without any booking. They used to get into these Volvo buses 2-3 kms before reaching Munnar and inform that they will arrange rooms at a discounted price. These touts work in connivance with bus drivers and hotels and earn a commission. Its always better not to respond for their calls and you book everything in advance for a comfortable weekend trip.
8. Munnar also offers lots of activities or programs for couples as well as families. This includes off-road jeep safari, Kathakali, and Kalaripayattu – Kerala art forms, cooking classes, etc. Green Land and wonder valley is a mini amusement park with lots of activities. But if you want to enjoy nature and sightseeing, this type of amusement park should be avoided.
9. If you are a budget customer, its always recommended staying any hotel in Old Munnar as most of the restaurants are located in the city from where you can get good and cheap food.
10. We have given certain hotels we generally offer for guests. In case you do not want these and like to customize the hotel options by yourself, this is also possible and we will try to give maximum reduced cost.
11. It’s not necessary to stay in a houseboat. Instead, you can stay in a resort and enjoy a 5-6 hrs houseboat day trip. This will be more expensive as you are paying a resort as well as a houseboat.
12. In case you choose a day trip in a houseboat or shikhara or country boat, you need to have hotel accommodation at Alleppey. This will cost you more. But in the evening, you can visit Alleppey beach also.

Shopping in Kerala During this Trip:

Kerala is basically a consumer state; therefore, we recommend not buying clothes, electronic items, etc. Below are the recommended simple items you can buy. The main shopping items are Ayurvedic products, coffee/ tea, etc. We will surely recommend not to buy spices from Munnar as its cheaper than Ernakulam city.

• All types of species, Coffee & Tea.
• Banana Chips – You can get fresh banana chips from Near Kochi airport, Alleppey or Trivandrum.
• Kerala Traditional Saree – this is available in all textile shops.
• Best Gift items are artifacts of Kathakali, houseboats, etc. These are available to buy from Munnar and Kochi.

Tips for Budget Traveler:

1. If you are a backpacker or In case if you are not choosing this package due to unbearable cost, below are some of the tips.
2. you can also travel by bus from the Alleppey bus stand to Munnar bus stand. Below are more travel tips for such kind of tourist.
3. Upon arrival at Alleppey, you can hire a three-wheeler auto to Houseboat.
4. Look for a sharing houseboat. Go here for more details of sharing boats and their problems.
5. Alleppey bus stand is very close to Punnamada or Finishing point – both are houseboat boarding points.
6. There are many buses available direct to Munnar from Alleppey.
7. There are three-wheeler autos (tuk-tuk) available easily for local travel.
8. While considering travel by bus, one should know that the taxi charges are approximately Rs 6000 included in the above package prices mentioned above. When you are choosing a bus, you may lose the timing, sightseeing places, etc. A bus normally takes almost 5 hrs to reach the Aluva bus stand.

Important Points:

• Strike in Kerala. Due to strikes called by political parties, safe driving of car and driver is difficult. In that case, alternative arrangements with the permission of guest will be made and expenses incurred due to the same is not included and will be charged additionally.
• The Hotels you selected according to your budget.
• We recommend you to check reviews and location of hotels in the Trip advisor to make sure it is as per your preference and on arrival in case you want to change the hotel, retention charges or additional charges for the new hotels needs to be paid.
• Taxi used to revisit the same place already visited will be charged extra.
• No portion of the tour will be refunded in case of any sightseeing place not visited due to any particular reason.
• Accommodation in Munnar is Non-ac due to cool climate. In case you required ac accommodation, please mention this separately as this will cost extra.