Are you somewhere in or around Kochi right now and looking for a weekend break? You have so come to the right place. This one is a list of some amazing quick getaways from Kochi that you can escape to whenever you feel like letting yourself loose.

Munnar  

Amidst the Western Ghats mountain range in Kerala, sits the little town of Munnar. A former hill station adored by the Britishers, Munnar is widely known as the Kashmir of the South. Not to mention, Munnar promises impeccable natural beauty. You’d find yourself in the thick of a hypnotic aroma coming from different tea plantations. There are multiple forms of accommodation such as bungalows, home stays, resorts and hotels with luxurious amenities. Munnar manifests accurate signs of a perfect weekend getaway.

Devikulam, Kerala

Just 5 kilometres from Munnar is a hill station that is just as beautiful and serene as Munnar. Devikulam is a small hill station that lies in the Idukki District of Kerala. Also, Devikulam is nearly 1,800 metres above the sea level. Furthermore, there are a lot of highlights worth seeing in Devikulam. For example, the gorgeous Thoovanam Falls, lovely tea and spice plantations, the Mattupetty Lake, Sita Devi Lake and more. And that is why, Devikulam is on our list.

Alleppey – Kumarakom

Alleppey and Kumarakom aka “Venice of the East” is a city on the Laccadive Sea in Southern India. It is also known as the “Rice bowl of India” and “Blackwater Paradise of India”. Alappuzha or Alleppey is the southern core of paddy cultivation in India and I guess, you already know this, it is best known for houseboat cruises sailing across the mesmeric Kerala backwaters.

These houseboats are more or less like floating resorts with serenity and stillness surrounding them, an experience most travellers look forward to and hence becomes one of the most excting weekend getaways from Kochi.

Ooty, Tamil Nadu

This one is a no surprise and I assume one of the most obvious getaways from Kochi. Ooty aka Udhagamandalam, is a hill station in the Southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Ooty is a famous honeymoon spot in India and that is because it sits in the middle of the majestic hills of Nilgiris.

There are plenty of accommodations available for tourists to spend some time in this picturesque town of Tamil Nadu. Some of the major highlights include Avalanche Lake, Pykara Lake, Makar Pongal etc.

Kovalam, Kerala

In Thiruvananthapuram, lies a beautiful small town known as Kovalam. Some of the highlights include Palm-backed beaches, Hawa Beach and Samudra Beach. Other reason why people from different countries come to this place is because Kovalam has picturesque seaside luxurious cottages, Ayurveda and yoga centres. Kovalam also offers a lot to the foodies by providing tempting and mouth watering seafood dishes.

Trivandrum

Trivandrum or Thiruvananthapuram is a city that is just a few hours from Alleppey. The city is an honourable mention in the list of ‘Top Green Cities in India’. Sitting on the banks of the Killi and Karamana rivers, Thiruvananthapuram offers a beautiful scenic representation of what Trivandrum really is. Trivandrum is also a home to the richest Hindu Temple in whole wide world, known as Padmanabhaswamy Temple.

Not to mention, it is also the right spot for those looking to add some gorgeous trational sareess to their closet. Surely, any kind of disappointment is nowhere to be seen in Trivandrum. Perhaps, this could be the highlight of your Kochi trip if you want to  mix it up with a city break.

Periyar National Park

 

Periyar National Park is originally an elephant and tiger reserve. Well, not only elephants and tigers for that matter, the reserve also is a proud home to animals like the Gaur, wild pig, Sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, Dole or Indian wild dog etc. If you are looking for some chirpy sounds and spot a few two leggeds, you are super lucky as the reserve also has an exhaustive range of birds such as darters, cormorants, kingfisher, the great Malabar hornbill and racket-tailed Drongo.

 

The reserve also organises activities for visitors that nature walks, green walks, jungle scouting, bamboo rafting, border hiking, overnight stays midst the jungle and trips inside the Periyar sanctuary premises on a motor boat. Pretty much, right? All these definitely makes Periyar climb to the top of my list of best getaways from Kochi.

The Bandipur Forest Reserve

 

The Bandipur Forest Reserve is another tiger reserve that is 80 kilometres from Mysore and makes one of the most thrilling weekend getaways from Kochi. This reserve is very well-known in India because of its tiger population i.e. around 70. The fauna is very exhaustive in Bandipur homing animals like the panther, bison, variegated kinds of deers, big wild elephants, wild boar, etc. Prominently famous for Sandalwood, Bandipur also has rare birds such as robins, jungle fowl, partridges and peahens etc. Tourists are treated with Jeeps safaris tour buses to traverse across the reserve.

We could go on further but these were our top suggested getaways from Kochi which can turn into long weekends too if you like as these places won’t fail you at all. That much I can say!