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Trivandrum Holiday Reviews.
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Let our holiday reviews of holidays in Trivandrum help you choose the right holiday. If you find our holiday reviews helpful, please help others by adding a holiday review of your own.
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Expertly reviewed by scotsgirl on 19th Apr 2008. |
| Date of Holiday: Mar 2008 |
Overall Score: 5/5
 
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Review: We took a cheap package deal, flying into Trivandrum with accommodation in Kovalam.
Kovalam - we spent 2 nights here. It is a pleasant beach resort, with many hotels, restaurants (including Western food), a lighthouse, a fairly nice beach, and the pleasant option of watching fishermen reel in their catches using a 10-man tug of war technique! If the weather isn't great, you won't find much to entertain you here, but it's a nice way to spend a few days, and much nicer than beach resorts on the Costas etc.
Alleppey: We caught the train from Kovalam to Alleppey without booking in advance and almost didn't get a seat! Luckily the conductor was very helpful. We headed straight for the government tourist office and they helped us commission a lovely rice barge which cruised around the Kerala Backwaters for 22 hours. This is quite expensive, but beautifully romantic and relaxing with only yourselves, plus the staff of chef and captain, drifting slowly past backwater villages and gorgeous scenery. There is something quite lovely about sitting down to your own private dinner by starlight on your own boat. Some people say rice boats are overrated and too expensive. It comes to about $40 for 2 people, which frankly is not disasterous for such a unique and perfect experience.
Fort Cochin: We caught a standard-class train to Cochin which was lovely, then walked from the station to the port (15 minutes) and caught a ferry to Fort Cochin, a lovely island with a slow pace and beautiful views across the water. We particularly enjoyed walking by the Chinese fishing nets, watching a Kathkali performance in the dedicated theatre near the nets (quite mad, but a traditional Indian must-see!), dinner at the Hotel Royal on a little pontoon near Customs Jetty, stretching into the water, watching a wonderful sunset and eating delicious food under the stars. The chocolate cake at the art gallery cafe was amazing. The little tea shop (The Tea Pot) was very cool. We hired bikes and cycled to Jew Town, which was great. We caught the ferry to Willingdon Island with our bikes - not so great: the island is essentially a giant motorway. And yet many fancy hotels are located here: I wouldn't recommend it! We were glad to return to Fort Cochin island and cycle home. The Paddikal Homestay was very pleasant. We went on a trip to help bathe elephants in a river at an elephant training camp, which required an early rise, but was great. The travel agencies on Princess Street will help you arrange it: we used New York Travel as they were the cheapest we found.
Munnar: The guidebooks say Munnar is unattractive, but this is untrue. The bus ride there is beautiful with spectacular scenery. Check out the times the buses leave, as they are less frequent than you might imagine! We ended up taking one to Adimaly and catching another bus to Munnar, which was a good choice. Munnar is a traditional little mountain town and it is nice to see people going about their business with few tourists. We had booked into Kappilallil Homestay but when we arrived they had no rooms - we were very annoyed! On our Lonely Planet guide and rickshaw driver's suggestion we booked into Green View Hostel who were friendly, with the best shower we found in India, cheap rooms, a lovely view from their roof terrace, and organised treks in the mountains. Which we went on, and which was excellent. Note that it tends to rain in the afternoons. We took a rowing boat out on the lake in Munnar at about 2pm and there was a sudden downpour: we were drenched! But it was beautiful to row in the deserted lake with tea plantations surrounding us.
The bus ride to Periyar is the most scenic bus ride I have ever seen. Kumily is not a very attractive town. We stayed in the 5* Taj Garden Retreat, which was very nice, though the meals and drinks were London prices! We went on the Ecotourism Centre hike "Border Patrol", were the only two tourists on it, and had a fantastic time: one of my best India experiences, and highly recommended, despite the leeches (they give you leech socks!) Also lovely was the early morning boat ride around Periyar: beautiful scenery. We had an Ayuverdic massage from a place between the Ecotourism Centre and Kumily centre. It was great fun, especially the "steam bath". Make sure you get "ladies for ladies" and "men for men", as this is the case in reputable massage parlours. We also rode an elephant at elephant Junction, which was a good 20 minute drive out of Kumily, and very enjoyable, though tourist-focussed. Our favourite restaurant was Jungle Cafe, next door to Coffee Inn, which was great for lunch and had lovely views into the wildlife sanctuary.
Kottayam: To get to Kottayam we took another bus. On the way there, we caught a bus straight to Kumarakom. On the way back, we stopped off at an authentic thali restaurant near the main square. The traffic was dreadful, but the thali delicious. The train station is a bit out of town, but walkable from the bus station.
Kumarakom: We stayed in another Taj Garden Retreat for our final nights in Kerala. This one was superior and we enjoyed a beautiful room, outdoor shower, swimming pool, kayaking, and complimentary private cruises on the lake. It is next door to the bird sanctuary and an early morning walk and country boat ride was perfect. Again, the food was expensive, and note there are few other local food options! |
Ratings
| Value For Money: |
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5 |
| Review Score: |
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5 |
| Operator | |
Thomas Cook |
| Length of holiday | |
2 weeks |
| Number of Adults | |
2 |
| Type of Holiday | |
Package |
| Accommodation Features: | |
Summer Sun, Winter Sun, Lakes & Mountains, By The Sea, Beach, Cycling, Trekking, Walking, Quiet, Tranquil, Relaxing, |
| Recommended for: | |
Families (Young Children), Singles, Couples, Groups, |
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India
