Abhay's Kerala Trip with Thrillophilia

Thrillophilia Verified Booking
PNR: BKDAYGAVOGJ
Travellers: Abhay Kumar Singh, Smita Kumari, Anchit Kumar, Gaurav Kumar, Saumya Rai & Satwik Kumar
Trip Duration: 8 Days | 7 Nights
Date Of Travel: 03 Jan 2026 - 10 Jan 2026
Package Booked: Getaway to Kerala | Unveiling the Green Tapestry & Scenic Waterways

A good Kerala trip review usually has one name in it that the traveller wants to thank by the end, and for Abhay Kumar Singh and his family of six, that name was Mr Lizu.

He was their cab driver across all eight days.

For a family covering seven destinations across the length of Kerala in eight days, the person behind the wheel of the Innova ends up shaping the trip more than most people realise. Mr Lizu had clearly been doing this long enough to know that.

"The driver makes or breaks a Kerala trip," Abhay had been told before they left. By the end of day one, he understood why.

Kochi Eased the Family Into Kerala

The arrival at Cochin International Airport ran on time. A private Innova was waiting; the representative was already at the gate, and the transfer to the hotel was sorted before any of them had even adjusted to the humidity.

The afternoon went into the Kochi sightseeing tour. First was Mattancherry Palace, where the family wandered through the layers of the history of the Cochin royals and the Portuguese murals on the inner walls of the gallery. Next was the Paradesi Synagogue, one of the oldest working synagogues in the Commonwealth, with bright blue and white tiles and mediaeval lamps suspended from the ceiling. 

By evening, they were back at the hotel, the trip already feeling like it was moving the way it should.

Munnar Was the Heart of the Trip

Day two was the drive from Cochin to Munnar, and that drive is where the family first started noticing how much of the trip Mr Lizu was actually carrying.

The route climbed steadily through the Western Ghats. Neriamangalam Bridge gave them their first view of the Periyar River below, and the Cheeyappara and Valara waterfalls handled the rest of the morning. Pottas Fun Farm came next, where the kids had time to try the zipline before lunch. Mr Lizu knew the order of these stops by heart and timed them so the family were never standing in a queue and never rushing through anything.

By afternoon, they had checked into the resort in Munnar, and the second day in Munnar was the proper sightseeing day. The Tata Tea Museum opened the day with a walk through the state's tea-growing history. The next was the kid-friendly visit to the Macofa Chocolate Factory, where the tasting tour received exactly the response that made it worthwhile. 

Eleven stops in one day sounds like too many on paper. The way Mr Lizu paced it, none of them felt rushed.

Thekkady Brought a Different Kind of Pace

Day four was the drive to Thekkady, a quieter destination that the family had asked for specifically. Periyar Lake, the spice plantations along the road in, and the cooler air as they climbed into the Cardamom Hills made for an afternoon that felt nothing like the previous two days. The kind of stop that does not photograph well but ends up being the one the kids talk about at school later.

The single night at the hotel in Thekkady was the right amount, and by morning, they were back on the road to Alleppey.

The Houseboat Night Was the One They Will Remember

Alleppey was the only place on their trip that really gave the family an experience that would be the best of all. The premium air-conditioned houseboat, which had separate bedrooms, was waiting at the jetty when they arrived, and they had completed the check-in formalities by one in the afternoon.

The houseboat glides along at the speed the backwaters dictate. Slow corner turns through slender channels, where life happens along the water's edge, nets are cast and pulled in at sunset, and lunch and dinner are prepared on board. The kids sat at the front of the houseboat all afternoon; the adults sat, upturned, at the back with a cup of tea and relaxed for a bit.

That night on the houseboat was the closest the family had felt all year.

Kovalam, Kanyakumari and the Trivandrum Close

Kovalam was the beach route for two nights. The second day was spent on a Kanyakumari safari that included the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and the Thiruvalluvar statue out at sea. Mr Lizu kept his cool, driving such a long distance in both directions with quite the same composure shown throughout the trip.

The last day saw the return journey to Trivandrum, with a visit to the last destination, Padmanabhaswamy Temple, as the ending. The temple's idol of Lord Vishnu reclining on the serpent is one of the country's most renowned Vishnu temples. The family had this as well on their list. By afternoon, Mr Lizu had dropped them at the airport.

What Abhay Said When It Was Over

His review afterwards was warm and direct. A great time in Kerala. Well-planned itinerary. Staff who were flexible and supportive throughout. And then the specific thank you to Mr Lizu, their cab driver, who had been good on the road and knowledgeable about the places and the routes.

The driver makes or breaks a Kerala trip. Mr Lizu made theirs.

That is the kind of Kerala trip review that does not need any dressing up.