This is a light adventure, easily manageable by anyone with basic fitness and able to walk or ride a bike for a few hours. The Meesapulimala trek is the most strenuous part of the trip - it's not an overly difficult trek, with no lung-busting climbs or technical terrain to manage, but you will be on your feet for 5 or 6 hours. The cycling is very easy going on flat, coastal terrain with plenty of stops. As long as you can ride a bike, you will be fine. The kayaking is a very gentle and relaxing activity in the backwaters, with still, calm water - there are no huge distances to cover.

Houseboats in the Kerala backwaters have a mixed history with regard to their impact on the environment. In short, some are excellent, but some leave a lot to be desired, so we have carefully selected a boat and crew with a strong approach to sustainability. The Marvel houseboat is certified Golden Category by the Department of Tourism in Kerala, using solar power for all the electrics on board and bio-septic plumbing to ensure non-toxic and non-harmful waste disposal. They have their own sewage plant, so waste is treated properly rather than being dumped in the backwaters. From 2022 onwards, the crew are moving away from using bottled water and will instead use a large water dispenser to reduce their single-use plastic footprint. The houseboat only moves through the canals, lakes and rivers up until 5 pm, after which it is anchored in a safe lake area. 5 pm to 6 am is the time when local people go fishing in their small boats, so any noise will disturb their fishing activity which is their livelihood. The crew are all locals of Kuttanad in Alleppey whose families depend on the backwaters - this gives the staff the ultimate incentive to protect this area.

Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.

We recommend booking this trip in good time to ensure availability but if you must book last minute then there are a few things to be aware of. If booking this trip within 31 days of departure, your enquiry will initially be 'on request' as the local host will need to check availability with each of the hotels before accepting your booking - this may take a day or two. Please do not book flights (or make travel arrangements) until your booking has been accepted by the host. If at this stage some of the hotels only have availability in a higher room category than is included in the tour price, the host will let you know, and if you wish to proceed with your booking you will need to pay the supplement to cover the upgrade cost. Whilst we try to avoid supplements wherever possible, we feel that this is the fairest solution for everyone booked on the trip.

Please also allow enough time to get an India visa.

All foreign nationalities entering India require a valid visa and in most cases, this must be obtained in advance (please check the regulations for your nationality). You must have a machine-readable passport, valid for at least 180 days from your arrival date in India, with two blank pages for your visa. Persons of Indian origin must have an OCI card.

UK Nationals need to apply for a visa through the India High Commission's Visa Facilitation Service (VFS). Visas are valid for a year from the date of issue so we recommend starting this process well in advance of travel (at least 12 weeks before your trip). You will need to attend an in-person appointment at a visa application centre (even if applying through a visa service agency) and these can get booked up a few months in advance so don't delay.

Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Your guide will help with advice, however we suggest the below as a guideline per person:

500 Indian Rupees per activity to the guides; 1000 Indian Rupees per day to the driver; approx. USD 3-5 per person, per day to the tour leader.

Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality - a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.

Filtered water is available at most of the hotels you stay at on this trip - you can fill up your refillable bottle and bike bottle from your hotel each day. Additionally, your tour leader and driver will carry a large container of purified water for the group to refill their bottles from.

Kerala's weather and climate can be split into 3 seasons:

Winter season: September to March
Summer season: March to the end of May
Monsoon season: end of May to mid-November

Winter season is generally the best time to visit Kerala, with comfortable temperatures, pleasant weather and lower humidity. Expect temperatures between 22°C / 71°F and 30°C / 86°F, however, in the higher altitude area around Munnar things will be much cooler at 10-15°C / 50-59°F. In the summer months of April and May, Munnar becomes a great place to avoid the heat, as while temperates creep up in lower areas, they remain in the late teens at the hill stations. We don't run trips between June and September during the monsoon season.

This trip starts and ends at different hotels in different parts of Kerala, so it's not viable to leave luggage in Kochi at the start of your trip. The same vehicle is used throughout the adventure, so you are free to leave additional luggage securely in the vehicle for the duration of your adventure through Kerala.

We recommend checking out the country specific information here and also talking to a travel nurse.

No. You'll need to have a larger bag suitable for all your belongings which will be transported for you, and then a small daysack to carry personal items during each day of activity.

You'll be using sit-on-top kayaks. These are very stable and easy to paddle for everyone, from new paddlers through to experienced paddlers. Sit-on-top kayaks can be used on the sea, estuaries, rivers, lakes and canals. Your host has a mixture of single and double kayaks for use, depending on the group size and individual preference. It's more than likely that you'll be able to have a go at both during the trip.

Ramadan will take place from 22nd March to 20th April 2023 and 10th March to 8th April 2024. The national holiday of Eid ul-Fitr will follow for 2-3 days. Ramadan is an Islamic festival where the religious do not eat or drink during daylight hours. While this is a really interesting time to travel, you can expect some business hours will be shortened, alcohol is not permitted during daylight hours and some restaurants will be closed during this festival period. Activities for local people tend to be limited during the day and the nights are very active in cities with lots of different foods being sold and consumed. However in hotel restaurants and tourist areas food and drink are served as normal and Ramadan will not affect the inclusions on your trip.

Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.

Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.

Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.

We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!

We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.

If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.

All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.

You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.

Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.

Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.