5 Nights Private Tour-Cochin/Munnar/Thekkady/Houseboat/Cochin

Brilliant itinerary, guide and hotels. Took the stress out of solo travelling. Thanks again Nimisha and Sumesh.

Thank you to Sanguine Holidays, Nimisha and Sumesh for a fantastic trip around Kerala during August monsoon! I booked through Sanguine Holidays while visiting Bangalore for work and only had 5 days available, travelling solo. Nimisha organised everything very efficiently, including transport, hotels and excursions, and provided a clear itinerary, pricing and information pack. I paid 50% deposit up front and 50% on arrival which I was happy with. The hotel choices were given upfront, which I appreciated. I stayed at The Valle Munnar and Greenwoods Thekkady, both of which were beautiful and excellent. As a first-time visitor to India from the UK, I particularly appreciated how organised and reliable everything was. Sumesh was an excellent driver - friendly, punctual, safe and very knowledgeable about Kerala and the roads. The car was a big comfortable Toyota with proper seats in the back, more like front seats but also in the rear - very nice for long journeys. He was more of a driver than a formal guide, but we had some great conversations and he told me a lot about Kerala. A particular highlight was stopping at his village, where I was treated to fruit and homemade jackfruit cake made by his mother. A genuinely memorable experience! The itinerary covered Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey Houseboats, Kochi and worked very well. Munnar was beautiful and the Lockhart tea factory visit was interesting. Unfortunately, Eravikulam National Park was closed, so I did a jeep safari instead. I wouldn't recommend this excursion: much of the time was spent stuck in an off-road traffic jam with other jeeps. The Ayurvedic full-body massage, however, was a great experience and something I'd recommend, although visitors from Britain should be aware that it is considerably more nude than a typical UK massage! Thekkady was excellent. I enjoyed the Periyar Tiger Reserve boat trip, saw deer, wild boar and monkeys, and loved the traditional martial arts show at Mudra. Greenwoods was also a fantastic hotel and a great base for shopping. The Blue Green Houseboat experience in Alleppey was another highlight. The boat was comfortable, the food was good and the staff were friendly. I paid extra for fresh jumbo prawns cooked onboard (1,000 INR) and a smaller boat trip through the narrow canals (1,500 INR), both of which were worthwhile. The smaller canal trip was particularly enjoyable and I even saw a snake boat practising with around 60 rowers. My only significant criticism was being taken to two expensive tourist shops in Fort Kochi where I believe commission was involved. I almost accidentally paid 21,000 INR for a small handicraft box and scarf in 'Boutique India' before realising I'd misunderstood the price. Later I bought a similar box for 900 INR and a chess set for 1,000 INR elsewhere, which is the fair price. The Spice Plantation walk at Valara with 100 rupee entrance cannot be recommended either as it was a ruse for a shop. The guide spent the whole tour selling the benefits of alternative medicine, including suggesting as I had too much belly fat I needed the help of a particular plant! Unsurprisingly he had a shop at the end of the tour where he then tried to sell me a tub of this at a high price (around 2500 rupees). I'd recommend tourists do their own shopping rather than buying from shops they are taken to on the tour. Despite this, the overall trip was excellent. The organisation, hotels, transport and most excursions were very good, and the price was very fair considering the quality of the hotels and private transport.

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Overall great experience.

We had a great experience with this tour. The hotels were fantastic and our driver Sumesh was very friendly and helpful. Will recommend to my friends who may visit Kerala.

Response from the operator: Dear Sir, Greetings from Kerala Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to know that you had a great experience with the tour and enjoyed the hotels arranged for your stay. Your kind words about our driver Sumesh are truly appreciated, we will surely convey your feedback to him. Thank you once again for recommending us to your friends. We look forward to welcoming you back to Kerala in the future !

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Just the best holiday

Had a fantastic time with Sanguine Holidays Nimisha was brilliant from the get go arranging the tour to our specifications and it didn’t disappoint. I would recommend Sanguine if you are wanting to tour India. We had Sumesh as our driver and tour guide and he went the extra mile to make our experience unforgettable We cannot thank him enough.

Response from the operator: Dear Mr. Andrew, Greetings from Sanguine Holidays Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted to hear that you had a fantastic time with us. It was our pleasure to customize the tour to your requirements, and we are glad it met your expectations. We will be sure to share your appreciation with Sumesh, who always strives to make every guest's journey special. Thank you for recommending Sanguine Holidays, and we look forward to welcoming you back to India in the future.

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A great experience

We spent 7 days with our dedicated driver. Our experience with the organisation and tailoring the trip to our needs was excellent. They provided information about activities and events at each destination along the way and the driver added his advice too. We were treated very professionally and as honoured guests.

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Great Experience

It was a great experience overall, we saw some wonderful sights and everyone was extremely helpful and friendly. Our driver (and now our friend) Sujith was especially amazing! Highly recommended, especially when adding in the extra optional experiences.

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