Kerala Budget Travel under INR 2000 a day

Surprised as you may be, let me give you a couple of analogies which equate my daily budget

 INR 2000 a day is approximately

Equal to 4 drinks at a decently priced bar in your city (sans the cost of getting drunk and the shameless banter)

Equal to buying 1 lipstick from Mac or maybe 3 from Lakme Absolute

Equal to ½ the cost of buying original Ray Ban

Equal to 1 bottle of Jim Bean

These are just approximate references so please don’t kill me if I go wrong on any. So yes, it is quite an unbelievable budget but trust me, we dint pay a penny more! Some disclaimers before I start writing…

• Took this trip during the Dusshera of 2014
• Spent INR 13500 per head
• 7 days of travel ( if you do the math it’s  INR 1928 per person per day)
• Gang of 5 girls ( which helped us split costs)
• Does not include the cost of flights and personal shopping, but includes stay, food and intercity travel

 Let the journey begin…

There is something different about travelling with your childhood friends. It is a trip you can’t forget for years. It has been over a year since we took this holiday and I can still remember the chaos, the fights, the laughter and the fun.

Sometimes silence does all the talking. Surreal sunset at Mararikulam

Travelling with 5 is not a joke as you have to ensure everyone’s requests like “ I really want to trek” v/s “ I really want to go to the spa”  have to be dealt with.  What made things easier is putting down a wish list of what everyone wanted to do and then eliminating things that were not possible in the budget or the time we had.  We zeroed in on locations mentioned below

• Munnar – for its hilly mountains and tea plantations  – 2 days
• Periyar – for its spice plantations and adventure – 2 days
• Alleppey – for its backwaters – 2 days
• Transit from Alleppey to Cochin > Cochin to Mumbai – 1 day

The route goes like this

Cochin : We did not get to explore this location as we immediately headed out from the airport to take our rented Innova and head to Munnar.

As the map suggests it is only a 133 km drive from Cochin and takes an estimated 4 hours to get to. However this took us almost 6-7 hours due to the terrain, rains and amazingly scenic waterfalls for which we took pit stops.

Destination 1 Munnar

Surrounded by tea plantations and lovely waterfalls this place is truly for the romantics at heart. We stayed at Rainforest Munnar, far away from the humdrum of the city and tourists.  The hotel was a private bungalow which can easily accommodate 6 -7 people. Click below to check the place out.

http://www.rainforestmunnar.com/

Here is a list of things we did in Munnar and how much it cost us.

1)Waterfall Crawling: COST: FREE. Just like the pub crawl you will see many at glaringly close distance to each other and the beauty will intoxicate you.

Cheeyappara Falls – en-route Munnar

 

2) Relish the taste of Munnar Tea : Visit to KDHP – The Kanan Devan Hills Plantations in Munnar. It has an exotic tea museum and a wide variety of teas at factory prices to choose from.

COST: MINIMAL entry fee INR 150 per head

Fresh tea leaves

Tea estate telephone exchange machine on display in the museum

Projectors used in the British bungalows of KDHP

3) Visit to Matupatti Dam and Echo point  : COST : FREE

Somewhere near Echo point. No filter. Nature at its best

4) Chocolate Shopping : House to the delicious home-made chocolates,these are available at as cheap as INR 450 a kg, so INR 50 for about 90g of chocolate.

5) Munnar Flower Garden : flower valley comes together here.

COST : Minimal 100 per head + photography charge

6) Become a Plantation Picture Junky : this is open and free for visit to all

What it cost me : INR 3550

Stay at Rainforest cost for 2 days (inclusive of taxes and breakfast) – INR 12900/5 ( people) = INR 2500 for 2 days per person . Food : 200 per meal = 200*2 meals * 2 days = 800 rupees. Tea Museum = INR 150. Flower Garden = 100 per head.

                                             

 Destination 2 Thekkady/ Kumily/ Periyar

Call this what you may, this place is for the adventure seekers.  From trekking to jungle jeep safari to plantation visits to elephant rides to Periyar lake ride, to Kallaripayattu, this place never stops to amaze you.

We stayed in the Bamboo Grove Eco Lodge owned by the Forest department. Staying in a rustic bamboo hut, listening to the sound of the crickets and rustling of the leaves in the night was an unusual experience.

Twin Bamboo Cottages you never want to leave

Name of our cottage

 

To book, visit the site here:   http://www.exploreperiyar.com/periyar-homestay.html

Here is a look at what we did in Thekkady

1) Kathakali cultural show in Kumily town : You can choose from various shows as per your liking, we missed the Kallaripayattu by the time we arrived. COST : INR 200 per head    (Mavasara Kathakali Centre, Kumily)

2)Jungle Jeep Safari and Trekking at Gavi : Jungle jeep safari starting at 5am in the morning for elephant sighting followed by trekking. This is a part of the Periyar tiger reserve sprawling over an area of 777 Sq .km. As the area is so expansive, it is really difficult to sight a tiger. However our jungle guide tells us that sighting is possible in the summers if we stay put to a water body. A host of jungle explorations are detailed in the site below. Explore the site extensively to choose what you like. COST ( part of package cost detailed below)

Periyar Tiger Trail –http://www.exploreperiyar.com/periyar-tiger-trail.html

Bamboo Rafting – http://www.exploreperiyar.com/bamboo-rafting.html

Jungle Patrol(night trekking)-http://www.exploreperiyar.com/periyar-night-trekking.htm

Stay in a Tree House http://www.exploreperiyar.com/periyar-nature-walk.htm

 

 

3)Become the LIRIL GIRL : COST: FREE. Bathing in the amazing waterfall at Gavi.

 

4)Go for an elephant safari : COST ( part of package cost detailed below)

5) Spice Up:  Plantation tour . COST ( part of package cost detailed below)

Fresh Coco plant in our spice plantation at Thekkady

What it cost me : INR 5300.Package cost for 2 days – INR 22000 /5 people = 4500 approx per head. Package includes

• Cost of stay at Bamboo Groove
• Cost of Jungle Safari and Trekking + Food breakfast and Meal for the day
• Cost of Elephant Safari
• Cost of plantation visit
• Cost of Ayurvedic massage.

  Hell ya!

Destination 3 Alleppey/ Alappuzha

It’s the Venice of India with its languid backwaters, and lush green rice plantations. The village of Kuttunad is called the rice bowl of Kerala where one can find the Kerala brown rice.

My heart skips a beat .. @ Kuttunad Alleppey

This was the least expensive location as we stayed in a Homestay. Hosted by Tony Malayali and his wife, we stayed in the 100 yr old ancestral property – called the Malayali House. With the smell of cardamom plantations around us, lashing rains and home like experience; we thoroughly enjoyed our stay there.

Peekaboo – the traditional Kerala architecture.  Door splits in 4. The top half is for sunlight and ventilation and the bottom is to be the house safe and locked.

Malayali Family showing us around the Malayali House

 

Yumm Avial ( curry) – cooked on an earthen furnance

A cot -but a 100 years old

Lazy boy – but a 2 generations old

 

To book your stay write to Tony at dazzledewresort@gmail.com.

Image credits –  www.hostelworld.com

 

Here is a look of what we did in Alleppey

1) Visit the beautiful Alleppey Beach :  COST FREE

2)Lazy nothings in a Shikara across the backwaters COST : INR  1200 for 3 hours = 1200/ 5 = INR 240 per head

3) Made a new friend  : COST : PRICELESS

4) Breathtaking sunsets at Mararikulam Beach . COST FREE

What it cost me : INR 1700

Stay Malayali House for 2 nights. AC room  –  INR 5200/- ( incl. of taxes) / 5 people = INR 1040 per head . Breakfast : INR 60/- per head* 2 = INR 120. Lunch/ Dinner : INR 75/- per head * 4 meals = 300 . Shikara ride : INR 240.

TOTAL : 1700

GRAND TOTAL FOR 7 days per head : INR 13500

Alleppey ( INR 1700) + Thekkady ( INR 5300) + Munnar ( INR 3550)  + Driver cost (INR 2620)  + Mscl. expenses (INR 300)

Cool isn’t it?

Comment below if you like the post. Also tell me if there is another location you want me to make a budget visit to or chart out a budget itinerary for you 🙂