Where to stay in Kerala?

Hostel for the Kochi stop, for sleeping simply and spending elsewhere. You save the budget for the guided tour of old Kochi and the evening Kathakali performance.

On Princess Street, in Fort Kochi, among the colonial lanes. For those who prefer a family-run guesthouse to a hotel.

On Malabar Road, on Kochi harbour. For those who want a large hotel on the water, a few minutes by ferry or taxi from Fort Kochi.

The hotel occupies the tip of the man-made Willingdon Island, opposite Fort Kochi, across the channel.

On Bazaar Road, in Mattancherry, in the spice warehouse district. You walk to the synagogue and Jew Town, and Fort Kochi is next door.

On Bolgatty Island, on Kochi harbour. For those who want a large, quiet resort and reach Fort Kochi by taxi or boat.

Hostel for the Munnar stop, for sleeping simply among the plantations. You save the budget for the tea museum and the safari in Eravikulam National Park.

Charming lodge for this stop, for those who want the calm of the hills rather than Munnar town. You stay in for the evening instead of going back down to town for dinner.

The estate is planted with cardamom and coffee on the heights of Pothamedu.

In Pothamedu, 3.9 km from the centre of Munnar, on the heights. For those who want a large, quiet hotel, with the plantations and viewpoints within driving distance.

In the centre of Alleppey, near the boat jetty. You walk to the jetty to set off by houseboat or canoe on the canals.

Boutique hotel on the shore of Vembanad Lake, the great expanse of water at the heart of the backwaters. For those who want the silence of the lake rather than the bustle of Alleppey.

In Kumarakom, on the east shore of Vembanad Lake, 16 km from the centre of Alleppey. For those who want a large lakeside resort and reach the backwaters from the shore.

Hostel for the Varkala stop, for sleeping simply near the cliff. You save the budget for yoga classes facing the sea and the boat trip.