Kerala
 

We are visiting in April and, thanks to help from FT, have booked our flights. We are due to stay at Koder House in Cochin. Anyone stayed there? Or can anyone recommend other places to stay in Kerala?

With two children and my sister...

Please follow this thread in the India Forum.
Thanks..
Obscure2k
TravelBuzz Moderator

tripadvisor.com has lots on hotels and homestays in just about every kerala resort town / city.

Kerala
 

if you have SPG points, the Meridien is very relaxing. I recomend Lonely planet, as well.

lonely planet / rough guide are crap and will recommend all sorts of shady properties - they're targeted at backpackers on a "far less budget for hotel rooms than for booze and bongs" type of budget.

I was in Cochi 2 weekends ago, throwing in my 2 cents.

In my view Fort Cochin and surroundings IS a backpacker's place with many homestays (some shady, some very nice-looking), 2-3 stars small hotels and decent restaurants. If you are looking for something more "posh", there are some expensive hotels , but I would not go to Cochin to spend >300$/night for hotel...

We stayed at Cherai Beach resort when in Chochin- fine but an isolated spot. We also visited Kovalam which was very enjoyable & handy for our flight back to Mumbai

i agree....i have stayed here a bunch of times & this property is great value for money....

It's got great reviews at TA. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Rev...hi_Kerala.html

Kovalam vs. Cherai?
 

Am interested in Kovalam vs. Cherai. I found Kovalam to be overdeveloped, seedy, but slightly charming.

The houseboats are nice and relaxing...everyone told us that this is a "must do." We were skeptical, but really enjoyed our one night cruise through the rice fields that are not accessible by road.

We also enjoyed Thekkady, but it is a long drive from the coast.

Ft. Kochi (Ft. Cochin) has some well-preserved architecture, and is a pleasant place to walk around. It certainly gets backpackers, but it also has higher-end hotels. Definitely appeals more to foreigners than Indians.

I've stayed at the Old Habour hotel, which is cute but not totally sealed so mosquitoes get in. I also stayed in the Malabar House, which is a little pricier, but a much more modern hotel. Their restaurant (Malabar Junction) is fairly innovative, and serves up lovely seafood dishes. For dessert, try the chocolate samosas.

Houseboats are tranquil, but not that interesting IMO.

The Karela Tourism authority puts on a good day-long boat tour (including lunch). It's definitely aimed at the backpacker crowd, but if you're interested in the agriculture/industries of the reason, it's a good way to see them.

if you need more suggestions send me a PM. with kids etc I would suggest a hotel close to amenities. depending on your budget and location (kerala is 14hrs by bus/train one end to another) there are a number of choices.