[mirfarali]

Hello all fellow travellers,

I am planning for my honeymoon in July 09 so have been looking around for some nice destinations. Kerala seems to be a very nice prospect. We are ideally looking for a trip to Munnar and Kumarakom and a sort of ideal itinerary for it would look something like this:

Day 1 - Arrive in cochin and drive to Munnar
Day 2 - Spend in Munnar
Day 3 - Spend in Munnar
Day 4 - Drive from Munnar to Kumarakom (Spend overnite on the houseboat)
Day 5 - Drive from Kumarakom to Cochin and leave

During our Munnar stay we would really like to spend atleast one night in a treehouse because of the views available from it in the mornings. I have tried to look around and the information has not been very encouraging. To start off with the reviews for treehouses in Munnar have varied from very bad to excellent. Secondly, a keralite friend of mine told me that hotels do not book treehouses during that period coz it is unsafe with the rains and all. So can I have any suggestions about this? Are the treehouses really that unstable? If not any suggestions for decent hotels that have treehouses?

We also would like to spend an additional day somewhere but are clueless as to where. Munnar I think would be covered easily in 2 days and Kumarakom in 1 day. I am a lil reluctant on Thekkady as it is a fair distance from Munnar and quite a lot of time will be lost in travelling from Munnar to Thekkady and Thekkady to Kumarakom. Would it be worthwhile to spend a day in Cochin instead? Any suggestions regarding this?

Finally any suggestions regarding a reliable travel agent who could arrange this whole package. We are looking for a standard package but do not want to deal with bad service and lousy hotel accomodations.

I think this post has gone on long enough. Looking forward to your suggestions.

Ciao,
Farooq.

[vandy]

[quote name='mirfarali' date='Jun 25 2008, 10:04 AM' post='40312']

Finally any suggestions regarding a reliable travel agent who could arrange this whole package. We are looking for a standard package but do not want to deal with bad service and lousy hotel accomodations.


Hi there,have a look at Fourens Travel or www.cochinkerala.com   Jenny is sure to help you out.

Personally I Haven't heard of any Tree House accom in Munnar, that doesn't mean there is none.


vandy  

BTW, Welcome to The India Tree.

[mirfarali]

vandy, on Jun 25 2008, 01:53 PM, said:

Hi there,have a look at Fourens Travel or www.cochinkerala.com   Jenny is sure to help you out.

Personally I Haven't heard of any Tree House accom in Munnar, that doesn't mean there is none.


vandy  

BTW, Welcome to The India Tree.

Thanks man, both for the advice and welcome.

[cyberhippie]

Welcome mirfarali I can't help out with specific but I can say you're well on your way with this itinerary. Munnar is a beautiful place to spend your honeymoon. Great climate and a nice peacful ambience. Looks a lot like my home country of Scotland. Minus the tea of course. The drive up there is pretty too, you can smell the spices from the car and watch the trees and shrubs change as you gain altitude. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time there. Stay a little out of town for those really peaceful nights. Can't help on hotels much as I' a budget bum myself, the places I stay in are not suitable for honeymoons. Though the setting for the cottage I stayed in was nice.

There were gorgeous cottages in teak forest past the Abad Copper Castle Resort, the road continues up the hill and veers to the left (great views) about a 1/2 KM down the road. Maybe Vandy knows where I am. Very nice places. Individual cottages in the jungle.

[jyotirmoy]

A friend of mine had stayed at Siena Village hotel near Munnar which has nice cottages.
What is your budget?
I think Mahindra and Sterling groups have luxury resorts there.

[mirfarali]

jyotirmoy, on Jun 25 2008, 02:26 PM, said:

A friend of mine had stayed at Siena Village hotel near Munnar which has nice cottages.
What is your budget?
I think Mahindra and Sterling groups have luxury resorts there.

Thank you for the advice. I am pretty much looking at a normal package which I guess would mean 2 - 3 star rating hotels. But most importantly the missus has set her heart on a treehouse. And well what the lady wants, the lady gets.   So any suggestions in that area? Anyone actually stayed in a treehouse?

Regards

[jyotirmoy]

A little googling gave me:

www.travelmadeeasy.in/munnar-treehouse.htm

www.indianholiday.com/kerala/hotels/munnar-hotels/b-six-holiday-resort.html

www.treehouse.co.in/tree-house.htm

www.paradisekerala.com/munnar-tourism.htm

Tarrifs around Rs2000/- to 3000/-

[kullukid]

Here you go!

http://www.hotelsker.../BSIX/Index.htm

http://www.hotelsker..._treehouses.htm

Not something i'd recommend during monsoon though!   KK

[jyotirmoy]

Yes bhai KK I was also wondering whether staying in a treehouse is ok during the monsoons.

[john.sw]

It's a shame to be in Cochin without spending a few hours in Fort Cochin.

Why not:

Day 1 - Arrive in Cochin and drive to Fort Cochin
Day 2 - Drive to Munnar
Day 3 - Spend in Munnar
Day 4 - Drive from Munnar to Kumarakom (Spend overnite on the houseboat)
Day 5 - Drive from Kumarakom to Cochin and leave

If anyone can get you a tree house in July '09 it will be Jenny.

Jenny and her husband Jose live in Cochin and have a small travel company called Fourens Travel.  Her web site is at www.cochinkerala.com and I can recommend her highly on quality and price.

If you have Google Earth you can get a file of Cochin/Munnar/Kumarakom here

I don't know about a tree house in the monsoon, but a houseboat in the monsoon is great fun!

[mirfarali]

john.sw, on Jun 25 2008, 03:13 PM, said:

It's a shame to be in Cochin without spending a few hours in Fort Cochin.

Why not:

Day 1 - Arrive in Cochin and drive to Fort Cochin
Day 2 - Drive to Munnar
Day 3 - Spend in Munnar
Day 4 - Drive from Munnar to Kumarakom (Spend overnite on the houseboat)
Day 5 - Drive from Kumarakom to Cochin and leave

If anyone can get you a tree house in July '09 it will be Jenny.

Jenny and her husband Jose live in Cochin and have a small travel company called Fourens Travel.  Her web site is at www.cochinkerala.com and I can recommend her highly on quality and price.

If you have Google Earth you can get a file of Cochin/Munnar/Kumarakom here

I don't know about a tree house in the monsoon, but a houseboat in the monsoon is great fun!

Thanks for your advice. I did contact Jenny & Jose regarding this, waiting for their response. I guess since it rains very heavily in Kerala during July, the treehouse idea will have to be cancelled. Instead I think a honeymoon cottage would be great.

You are right about cochin, I guess I will think about spending a day in Cochin.

Thanks again.

[vandy]

Hello mirfarali,

I am not 100% sure,But I think Jenny goes away during the Monsoon for a Break.

However I can assure you that she WILL get back to you.

vandy  

[Sudheer Poppa]

Monsoon in Kerala has been very mild this year, and the state electricity board has even recommended power cuts (scheduled daily blackouts) for the first time in monsoon season which was something unheard of!

So from a safety perspective, I would expect it to be rather safe as the rains are very mild.

As for tour operators, I can add another recommendation - operations@gitctour.com .. No personal experience yet, but they have been one of the big names in the industry when I used to work about a decade back for tourism dept in Kerala..

[mirfarali]

Thanks for all ur advice people. In case the treehouse idea is dropped any suggestions for some decent honeymoon cottages??? Would prefer certain level of privacy.

[vandy]

Hi there,

In Munnar you could consider Tall Trees Resort, I did not stay there,but had a good look around,very nice.

According to their website,they do have Honeymoon packages. www.talltreesresort.com or www.ttr.com

vandy  

[mirfarali]

Thanks a lot vandy, what about the places you have stayed in Munnar?? anything you wanna recommend from them?

[vandy]

Hi mirfarali,

I stayed in a little homestay overlooking the town, called Kaippallil, I really wouldn't Reccomend it as far as Honeymoon Accomadation.

There's another one called Windermere Estate, I think its called. I thought I saw somewhere that said they have cottages spread around Munnar Area.

Olive Brook also Recieves good Reviews.

vandy  

[john.sw]

Coconut Lagoon near Kumarakom has some lovely cottages.

Mrs. SW and I love the place!

On my first stay, Paul McCartney and Heather Mills had just checked out - I doubt that this had anything to do with their acrimonious divorce some years later!

http://www.cghearth....agoon/index.htm

[mirfarali]

Thanks for the suggestion, any other nice resorts in Kumarakom. For some reason in general, I have found the reviews for hotels in Kerala move from one extreme to another. Either people praise a lot or just condemn like anything. Any idea why??

[vandy]

There's the Taj Garden Retreat, Nice cottages on Banks of their private lake.

Also Coco Bay Resort, I think it is called. Or maybe Lake Village ?

vandy