MALDIVES plus INDIA Combination Holiday
Houseboat cruise through the backwaters of Kerala
Introduction to Kerala | Accommodation | Travel Information | Prices |
Why not combine a week's diving from one of our liveaboards in the Maldives with a relaxing cruise through the palm-fringed backwaters of Kerala in your own luxury houseboat. The combination of experiencing superb diving in the Maldives with the wildlife and cultural extravagance of Kerala makes for a truly unforgettable holiday.
Introduction to Kerala
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes along the Malabar Coast of Kerala in southern India. Innumerable lagoons, lakes, canals and estuaries, and the deltas of forty-four rivers, make up the 900 km backwater network of Kerala. The largest backwater body - the Vembanad Lake - flows through the districts of Alappuzha and Kottayam and out into the open sea at the Kochi port. Ashtamudi is the second largest lake and considered to be the gateway to the backwaters.
A cruise through the Kerala backwaters is a feast on the senses as you pass through beautiful lands of paddy fields and coconut groves, past coir villages, rustic homes and temples, on waters adorned with water lillies, and where ancient Chinese fishing nets are still widely used.
Accommodation
Your holiday home in this tranquil world is the comfortably furnished houseboat. Traditionally called a Kettuvallam, the houseboats are hand-built by binding together jackwood planks with coir rope and coated with a black resin made from boiled cashew nut shells. Not a single nail is used during the process!
Today, these giant 80 foot long boats have been adapted into luxuriously furnished houseboats. A kettuvallam usually has one or two en-suite bedrooms, an open lounge, outdoor sundeck area, a kitchenette, and a crew comprising oarsmen, a cook and guide.
Travel Information
Sri Lankan Airlines offer a superb service from London Heathrow that easily links a trip to the Maldives with a stay in Kerala. It is possible to do the Kerala add-on after the Maldives but this requires flight with longer connections that travel through the night. It is more convenient if you do Kerala first and the following is a sample 14nt round-trip itinerary travelling from London Heathrow:
Sample 14nts Itinerary for a Maldives and Kerala Combination Holiday:
Sat Depart Heathrow at 1020hrs for direct overnight flight to Colombo
Sun Arrive Colombo at 0225hrs and connect with the 0745hrs flight to Trivandrum, arriving 0845hrs.
Enjoy a scenic four hour transfer by car to Alappuzha to board your private house boat for 6 nights
cruising the backwaters & small canals of Kerala. Cruise through Vembanadu
Lake to reach
Kumarakam late afternoon for your overnight stay.
Mon After breakfast visit the Bird Sanctuary. The Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is an Ornithologist's
paradise with the chance of spotting Siberian Cranes, Larks, Flycatchers, Eagles and Brahminy
Kites. After lunch enjoy a visit to the beautiful little island of Pathiramanal, a favorite haunt of
migrating birds and cormorants. Over night stay at Thanneermukkom.
Tue Scenic day cruising through the network of canals en route to Tharishu for your overnight stay.
Wed Cruise through Rajapuram Kayal, Mangalam, Liziu, Kavalam, Puthenthodu and reach Pulincunnu.
Visit the Pulinkunnu Church and the local market. Proceed to Mancompu to visit the Mancompu
temple. Over night stay at Moonnattumugham.
Thu Cruise to Champakulam. Visit Champakulam church, which is more than 200 years old and the
famous snake boat, Champakulam chundan. Proceed to Pullangady and then to Karumady to visit
Karumady Kuttan(believed to be a 11th century statue of Buddha ). Cruise towards Thottappally.
Over night stay at Thottappally.
Fri Cruise towards Kumarakody and Pallana. Visit the local coir manufacturing unit at Thrikunnapuzha
and reach Kayamkulam Lake. Over night stay at Kayamkulam Lake.
Sat Cruise through Kayamkulam Lake and Ayiramthengu and Vallikkavu to reach Alumkadavu.
After breakfast check out at Alumkadavu and enjoy a scenic
transfer by car to Trivandrum and check in to the Muthoot Plaza Hotel.
Sun Depart Trivandrum at 0945hrs flight to Colombo, arriving 1045hrs, and connect with 1135hrs flight
to Male. Arrive Male at 1235hrs and transfer to liveaboard for 7nts fabulous diving
Sun Depart Male at 1345hrs for direct non-stop flight to Heathrow, arriving 1945hrs.
Guide Prices
The above combination holiday costs from £2315 per person plus departure taxes of £110 per person.
In the Maldives this includes 7 nights onboard Sea Queen / Sea Spirit, airport to Liveaboard transfers, full board accommodation in a twin or double en-suite, air-conditioned cabin, canned soft drinks, drinking water, teas, coffees and snacks, all diving, use of tanks and weights and various excursions and economy class flights with Sri Lankan Airlines from London Heathrow to Male and India.
In India this includes 6 nights onboard your own Deluxe air conditioned Houseboat, full board, all transfers and tours as described above, and 1 night in a 4* Hotel in Trivandrum in twin/double share room breakfast and airport transfer. Please note that entrance fees and guide charges at places of interest are not included in this price.
With flights operating most days of the week you can be very flexible with your itinerary. Please contact our experienced sales team for the latest and most up to date prices and advice and for a detailed itinerary to suit your requirements. Just choose your ideal dates from our liveaboard schedules and we will take care of the rest to combine the two for the perfect escape.
Tel:+ 44 (0)1284 748010
Fax: + 44 (0)1284 748011
Email us here: sales@scubascuba.com
