The short answer
A Kerala honeymoon works best at a slow pace: a night or two in Fort Kochi, a few nights in the tea hills, a private houseboat or lakeside villa, and four or more nights on the beach. Ten to fourteen nights between October and March is ideal.
A relaxed honeymoon route
| Stop | Nights |
|---|---|
| Fort Kochi | 2 |
| Munnar tea estate | 2 to 3 |
| Private houseboat or Kumarakom | 1 to 2 |
| Marari, Kovalam or Varkala | 4 or more |
Making it special
Choose a private houseboat rather than a shared one, a room with a view in the hills and a quiet beach at the end. A couples Ayurveda massage and a candlelit dinner are easy to arrange.
Local tipFewer, longer stays make a better honeymoon than a busy route.
Where to stay on a Kerala honeymoon
Fort Kochi
Heritage hotels in old merchant houses and warehouses suit the first nights well. You can walk to the harbour, the cafes and the Chinese fishing nets, and get over the flight without long drives.
The tea hills
In Munnar, ask for a room or cottage with a valley view. Some of the best stays are on working estates outside town, which are quieter than the hotels in the centre. Mornings are cool, so a fireplace or a warm terrace makes a difference.
The backwaters
A private houseboat gives you a crew of your own, meals cooked on board and a night moored on the water. If you prefer a fixed bed and a pool, a lakeside villa in Kumarakom gives the same scenery with more comfort.
The beach
Marari is the quietest choice and closest to the backwaters. Kovalam has clifftop resorts and Ayurveda. Varkala has more cafes and evening life on the cliff. We match the beach to the kind of couple you are.
A monsoon honeymoon
Weddings in the UK summer often mean a honeymoon in the Kerala monsoon. It can work well. The hills are green and misty, hotels are quieter and prices are often lower. The sea is too rough for swimming, so we lean the trip towards the hills, the backwaters and Ayurveda rather than the beach.
How we plan honeymoons
Our Kerala office has been planning trips from Cochin for 20 years, and honeymoons are a large part of that work. We usually start by asking how you like to spend a day: busy or slow, sightseeing or doing nothing. Then we choose fewer stops and better rooms rather than more places.
We also tell hotels you are on honeymoon, plan drives so you arrive in daylight, and keep a local contact available for the whole trip. Small things like that are much easier to arrange from Kochi than from a booking website.
From our Cochin officePut the beach at the end, not the start. After the hills and the backwaters, four or five nights by the sea is the part couples most often tell us they wish they had made longer.
Our Kerala expert
Based in Cochin
Our Kerala office has been planning trips from Cochin for 20 years. This guide reflects what we tell travellers who call us.
Ready to plan your Kerala trip?
Our honeymoon itinerary is a good place to start.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. It combines scenery, privacy, good food and beaches.
October to March. The monsoon can also be romantic if you want quiet.
Ten to fourteen nights lets you slow down.
Yes, if you book a private one. We only book private houseboats for honeymoon couples, with one bedroom and your own crew.
Yes. There are flights between Kerala and the Maldives, and some couples add a few nights there at the end. Ask us about current routes.
Light cotton clothes, something that covers shoulders and knees for temples, a warm layer for the hills and a light rain jacket.
