Review of: 8 Days Kerala Private Tour with Munnar, Backwaters, Beaches & Houseboat We booked a 7 days 6 nights tour through Iris Holidays. The trip coordinator was Mr. George Joseph. He was very helpful from the beginning of the inquiry process up-to the end of the trip. Payment process was smooth and hassle free, which strengthened my trust in Iris Holidays.
The car provided to us was Toyota Etios and our driver, Mr. Lalan was extremely sweet and humble person who was also a huge help in the trip because he was very experienced about Kerala. On our next trip to the state, we plan to specifically request Iris Holidays to provide him as our driver/guide. We stayed for 2 nights in Munnar, 2 nights in Thekkady, 1 night at a beach resort at Marari beach and 1 night at Alleppey. Below is a brief summary of the various hotels we stayed in. 1. Dream Catcher Plantation Resort (Munnar) - We specifically requested a tree house which was provided at this resort.
The resort is amazingly beautiful with neat rows of tea plantations inside the property and tree houses tucked away deep inside to ensure complete privacy. The tree house itself was very neat and clean inside and out with all the amenities of a conventional room provided and glass windows all around. The only con here is that it might feel a little congested for families with children. 9/10 2. Cuckmere Resort (Munnar) - Good hotel with beautiful views from the balcony. The room was very spacious and neat all around. The food was average with room for improvement. 7/10 3. Hills and Hues (Thekkady) - Specifically requested this hotel after reviewing photos and testimonials from TripAdvisor. Must say we\'re not disappointed.
The hotel is located high on top of a hill with sweeping views of Tamil Nadu as it is located at the border of Kerala. The cottage provided to us was worth every penny. Amazing view of the plains had us mesmerized. Restaurant service was good, we had some of the best breakfast and dinner at this hotel. 10/10 would visit again. 4. Abad Turtle Beach Resort (Marari Beach) - Huge resort with a private beach. We were provided with a beach cottage which was halfway between the restaurant and the beach and therefore really convenient. Dinner was good, made even better by the live music being played by artists and ongoing barbecue. We really liked this hotel, spent some of our best times here at the beach and early morning at the swimming pool. 9/10 5.
Kondai Lip Backwater Resort (Alleppey) - The property is huge with their own backwater channels which you can use for boating with boats provided free of charge. On my request, Mr. George had arranged a flower decoration and cake as a honeymoon perk which was a welcome surprise to my wife. Dinner and breakfast were similar to other hotels. 8/10 Apart from this, we opted for day cruise in houseboat which was a blissful experience. On our last day we headed to Cochin and visited local landmarks and other sightseeing areas.
Overall the trip was super awesome and we would like to thank Mr. George for organizing this trip and especially thank our driver/guide Mr. Lalan for helping us make this experience even more memorable!
