Kerala Backpacking Guide

India has an eclectic mix of people, cultures and religions. It’s noisy, vibrant, and diverse and has fantastic cuisine. It is a county which you can visit again and again, and always find something new, something surprising and something which will take your breath away.

This was our second visit to India, and with only two weeks we decided to focus our time to travel solely around Kerala. India is a country where you can literally spend as much, or as little, as you like. From experience we knew that it isn’t always the easiest country to travel around, and we wanted our limited time there to be comfortable and enjoyable, so we set our budget in advance and stuck to it, upgrading ourselves from backpackers to flashpackers.

Average Cost per Day for a Couple – Indian Rupee (INR) 6,300

Our average cost includes

• Transport 
• Hotels/Hostels
• Daily spends 
• Treks/excursions

In total we spent 15 days in India, choosing to travel around the Southern state of Kerala.

Typical Costs

Hotels/Hostels: Hostels are not common in India. Instead, there are many guesthouses and homestays to choose from. Clean and comfortable double rooms with on-suites can be found for around INR 1000-1500. Below are a few hotels we would recommend.

• Reds Residency – Fort Cochin
• InDa – Varkala 
• The Royal Heritage Hotel – Trivandrum
• Jungle Palace – Kumily

Food: A majority of people in India are vegetarian but you can find fish, chicken and mutton (mainly goat) on sale. In Kerala most dishes will include fish and coconut. You can eat for a few rupees in local restaurants or street stalls, but you could be taking a risk. Generally we ate in more upmarket or tourist restaurants and didn’t have any problems. Meals cost around INR 50-150 including rice or chapatti/nan.

Beer: Drinking alcohol is not common in Kerala. However, you can find beer and wine on sale in some hotel restaurants. Some unlicensed restaurants on the beaches will sell beer discreetly in mugs or with the bottle wrapped in newspaper. It’s relatively expensive, costing around INR 150-250 for a large beer.

Entrance Fees and Activities

Below are some examples of costs although prices may vary in different parts of the country.

• India tourist visa for UK nationals – US$60pp
• Overnight house boat for 2 people from Alleppey – INR 8500pp
• Kerala 1 day backwater tour – INR 850pp
• Kathakali Dance Show, Kochi – INR 300pp
• Dutch Palace, Kochi – INR 5pp
• Ayurveda Full Body Massage and Sirodhara Treatment – INR 2000pp
• Jeep Safari Tour, Kumily – INR 2500 per jeep 
• Periyar Tiger Reserve, entrance fee – INR450 pp (foreign nationals)
• Periyar Lake Boat Trip – INR 225pp
• Taxi Tour, Munnar – INR 1600
• Elephant Ride for 2 people, Munnar – INR 800
• Tea Factory, Munnar – INR 95pp
• Cooking class, Kochi – INR 650pp 

Transport

It is extremely cheap to travel by train or bus but it is not always easy or comfortable. The local bus company in Kerala is the KSRTC and they cover all the main tourist destinations. If you are willing to spend a few more rupees for comfort and convenience then taxis may be the better option. There are fixed prices listed at most taxi stands so you don’t have to spend time haggling.

• Taxi Kochi to Alleppey – INR 1500
• Train Alleppey to Varkala – INR 65pp
• Taxi Varkala to Kovalam – INR 1800
• Taxi Kovalam to Trivandrum – INR 500
• Bus Trivandrum to Thekkady (Kumily) 8hrs – INR 240pp
• Taxi Kumily to Munnar – INR 1600
• Bus Munnar to Ernakulam – INR 113pp
• Taxi Fort Kochi to Kochi Airport 1hr – INR 1200

Highlights

• House Boat – By far the most luxurious way to experience the majestic backwaters 
• Beaches – Spend a few days soaking up the sun on the palm tree fringed coastline
• Munnar – Enjoy the cooler climate, wild elephant spotting and fantastic scenery 
• Cooking lesson, Fort Cochin – The food in Kerala is one of the best in India. Learn and sample the traditional dishes for yourself