Kerala Grand Tour: Hills, Backwaters and Beaches

A seven step waterfall seen from the roadside. Fullest after the rains, thinner in the dry months. Keep your bags with the driver.

A tall waterfall a few minutes further up the road. Good for a quick photo stop and a cup of tea.

A short drive from town with wide views over tea slopes and cardamom hills. Wear a jacket, the air cools fast from 4 PM.

A forest bus takes you up the hill and you walk a paved path among grassy slopes and Nilgiri tahr. We book your slot. Closed in February and March.

See how tea goes from leaf to cup, with a short film and old machines. Closed on Mondays, and on a Monday we swap it for a tea estate stop.

A calm reservoir ringed by tea hills. Boating and speedboat rides are extra, paid there.

Shout across the valley and listen for the echo. Quiet, with pretty views.

A peaceful lake in the tea estates. Pedal boats are extra, paid there.

The highest point on the Munnar road, with views down to the plains of Tamil Nadu. If it is misty we skip ahead and come back to it. We start back by 4:30 PM so you reach the hotel before dark.

A guided walk among cardamom, pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg and coffee plants. Ticket included. Spices in the shop are optional.

A 90 minute cruise inside Periyar Tiger Reserve. You may see deer, wild boar, bison, birds and sometimes elephants, never guaranteed. We reach the gate by 2:45 PM for the bus to the jetty. Ticket included.

A quick look at the spice shops for cardamom, pepper, tea and homemade chocolate. Compare prices before you buy.

Welcome drink and lunch on board. The car and driver wait at the jetty overnight.

Paddy fields below water level, coconut groves and village churches. Cruising stops by about 5:30 PM as per Kerala rules.

A sacred beach below the red Varkala cliff, where people offer prayers for their ancestors. The sea can be rough, so stay near the shore.

Only Hindus can enter. Men wear a mundu or dhoti, women a saree, half saree or long skirt. Phones and cameras go in a locker. Entry is free. Guests who do not enter can spend this time at the museum and art gallery.

A red and white Indo-Saracenic building with bronzes, ivory carving and temple models. Closed on Mondays.

A short climb for a wide view of the coast and the new Vizhinjam port. Small ticket at the gate. Closed on Mondays, so on a Monday we swap in Poovar.

A calm curve of sand with the lighthouse at one end. Swim only between the flags.

A pastel Gothic church with a painted ceiling. Free entry. Shoulders and knees covered, and visits pause during Mass.

A flat walk through Princess Street and Vasco da Gama Square to the Dutch Cemetery, past old colonial buildings.

Watch the giant nets go up and down near sunset, then walk to the church where Vasco da Gama was first buried.

Dutch Palace murals, old spice warehouses and antique shops. The palace is closed on Fridays. The synagogue is closed on Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Jewish holidays.