Laxmi's Kerala Journey with Thrillophilia Was Everything a Slow Holiday Should Be
Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKDBZVAQFKM
Rating: ★★★★★
Travellers: Laxmi Malviya & Pooja Singh
Trip Duration: 6 Days | 5 Nights
Date of Travel: 23 Sept 2025 to 28 Sept 2025
Package Booked: Getaway to Kerala | Unveiling the Green Tapestry & Scenic Waterways
Not every trip begins with a bucket list. Sometimes, it starts with a simple conversation.
For Laxmi Malviya and Pooja Singh, Kerala wasn't a destination they had been planning for years. It was one of those places that kept appearing in conversations, travel videos, and recommendations until one day they stopped saying, "Someday we'll go," and started looking at dates instead.
They weren't chasing adventure or trying to tick off famous landmarks. What they wanted was six unhurried days where every destination felt different from the last, with all the misty hills, forest roads, peaceful backwaters, and beaches where they could simply sit without looking at the time.
When they came across a Thrillophilia itinerary that connected Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kovalam, and Trivandrum into one seamless journey, the decision became surprisingly easy.
A few weeks later, they landed in Kochi, where a private transfer was already waiting to take them into the Western Ghats. Looking back, Laxmi summed it up in the simplest yet the rawest way possible:
"We had a wonderful trip and a great experience. The trip was well organised."
At that point, though, they had no idea that the road to Munnar would already feel like the holiday had begun.
Kerala Began Before They Reached Munnar
Their journey started in Kochi, where a private sedan arranged for them was already waiting at the airport. Instead of heading straight to the hotel, the drive itself became part of the experience.
As the city slowly disappeared behind them, the roads climbed into the Western Ghats, becoming greener with every turn. They stopped at Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls, where water rushed down the rocky cliffs surrounded by dense forest. Somewhere along the way, they crossed the Neriamangalam Bridge, paused at viewpoints overlooking mist-covered hills, and realised they had barely begun the holiday.
By the time they reached their resort in Munnar later that evening, they already felt miles away from everyday life. It was the kind of first day where nobody felt the need to rush. The long drive, the waterfalls, and the mountain air had already done enough.
Slow Mornings and Endless Green Hills
The next morning began with breakfast at the resort before they headed out to explore Munnar properly. Tea gardens stretched across rolling hills in every direction, creating landscapes that looked almost painted. They stopped at Mattupetty Dam, watched the reflections dancing across Kundala Lake, and laughed while trying local chocolates at the Macofa Chocolate Factory.
At Echo Point, their voices bounced back across the valley exactly as promised, bringing out the child in both of them. Later, they wandered through the Tata Tea Museum, learning how a drink they had every morning travelled from plantation to cup. There wasn't one standout attraction that defined Munnar. Instead, it was the feeling of spending an entire day surrounded by fresh air, quiet roads, and greenery that seemed to continue forever.
As Pooja later joked, "We thought we'd click a few pictures, but every turn looked prettier than the last."
Into Kerala's Wild Side
Leaving Munnar behind wasn't easy, but Thekkady offered a completely different side of Kerala. The drive itself remained scenic, and by afternoon they had reached their hotel before setting out to explore the famous Periyar region. Unlike Munnar's open tea plantations, everything here felt denser and quieter.
Periyar Lake reflected the surrounding forests, while the national park reminded them how rich Kerala's wildlife truly is. Even without spotting every animal they had hoped for, there was something peaceful about simply sitting near the lake and watching nature move at its own pace. The slower schedule also gave them enough time to enjoy the evening without feeling exhausted after another travel day.
Having their hotel, transfers, and sightseeing planned in advance by Thrillophilia meant every destination flowed naturally into the next without either of them having to keep checking maps or arranging transport along the way.
A Night on Kerala's Backwaters
If there was one experience both friends had been looking forward to from the beginning, it was the houseboat stay in Alleppey. Nothing quite prepares you for how quiet the backwaters become once the boat leaves the busy jetty behind. The houseboat drifted slowly past coconut groves, tiny villages, fishermen casting their nets, and children waving from the riverbanks. There was no traffic, no deadlines, and no reason to check the time.
Freshly prepared lunch was served on board as the boat continued through the canals, followed later by dinner as the sun disappeared across the water. By the evening, the only sounds around them were gentle ripples against the boat and the occasional birds returning home. Laxmi would later say that this was the day when the trip truly slowed down. "Everything felt peaceful. We didn't have to do anything except enjoy where we were."
Beaches, Sea Breeze, and One Last Sunset
After breakfast aboard the houseboat, they continued towards Kovalam. The scenery changed once again as mountains gave way to the coastline. Their resort was close enough to the beach that the sea breeze welcomed them before they had even checked in.
The afternoon was spent visiting Kovalam Beach, Hawa Beach, Lighthouse Beach, and Samudra Beach. Each had its own character, but together they offered exactly what the friends needed after several days of travelling through the hills and forests. They also stopped at the impressive Azhimala Shiva Temple before returning to the beach in time to watch the evening sky slowly turn shades of orange and pink.
There was no elaborate plan for the evening. Just two friends sitting by the sea, talking about everything except work.
One Last Glimpse of Kerala
On their final morning, they checked out and made their way towards Thiruvananthapuram. Before heading to the airport, they explored a few of the city's landmarks, including the magnificent Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the Napier Museum, and the beautifully preserved Kuthiramalika Museum.
It felt like an appropriate ending. The temples reflected Kerala's spiritual heritage, the museums told stories from its royal past, and together they completed a journey that had shown them almost every side of the state within six days. The drive to the airport felt noticeably quieter than the one from Kochi a week earlier. Not because there was nothing left to say. But because some trips are best remembered in silence.
Why They Recommend Thrillophilia
When Laxmi looked back on the holiday, she didn't just remember the destinations. She remembered how easy the entire journey felt from beginning to end. "We had a wonderful trip and a great experience. The trip was well organised," she shared after returning home.
Everything, from the airport pickup and intercity transfers to hotel stays and sightseeing, had already been arranged, allowing both friends to spend their time enjoying Kerala instead of planning each day's logistics. Pooja felt the same way, mentioning that having every transfer arrive on time and every stay ready after long drives made the holiday feel genuinely relaxing. "We could simply enjoy every destination without worrying about the next one," she said.
For Laxmi and Pooja, Kerala wasn't just a collection of beautiful places. It became six days of waterfalls, tea estates, forests, backwaters, beaches, and long conversations shared between friends. And somewhere between the winding roads of Munnar and the still waters of Alleppey, they found exactly the kind of holiday they had been hoping for.
