5 Days Private Kerala Tour Package by Saffron India Tours

What a disappointment this tour was after we were so much looking forward to it! Terrible communication from the company was at the source of most of our problems to come. First Saffron didn't reach to us before our trip, we had to send messages twice two days before the start to get an answer. Then our flight for Kochi was delayed one day, this was obviously not their fault. It meant though we had to shorten our tour for one day as we had bought our plane tickets for the last day, but we were ok with it. The company was aware we had to leave on January 1st because the plan was to drive us to the Kochi airport on that day. We were ready to sleep only one night in Munnar instead of two, it was only fair. But Saffron acted as if we were leaving on January 2, so they changed our hotel in Thekkady with no warning and we had to sleep in a smelly and dirty room with no hot water. Then for our last night, I had to ask Saffron many times if we were keeping the same hotel in Alleppey or if they had changed it for a lesser category hotel, but they wouldn't answer. Finally the next morning, the guy in charge answered we were keeping the same hotel, but said we had to pay an extra 100 canadian dollars each because the hotel had a mandatory gala for new year's eve. This was the last straw, we were really fed up, so we booked instead a hotel near Kochi airport and asked our driver to forget Alleppey and to bring us to that hotel. A terrible end to a wonderful three week trip to India, I never had such a terrible experience with a tour I booked with Viator in all my years of travel. It's too bad, our first day in Munnar was very good and we stayed at a beautiful hotel, the Leaf Resort. Also our driver Vivek was very friendly and did a great job. His car was a clean medium sized sedan with enough room for my long legs, it was a little smelly though so we kept the windows opened at all times. Overall there is no way I could recommend this tour, as the communication with Saffron was simply horrible and showed a terrible disrespect.

Our tour was well organized, our driver EldhoA ta could not have been better. His driving was excellent, we always felt safe, and well cared for. This is a fast paced tour, which suited our schedule and we only wished we had more time. The hotels we stayed in were lovely and the food always good. The fish fry on the river memorable.. We came away impressed with the beauty and industry of the countryside and the kindness and friendliness of the people. We were able to get a glimpse of life in Kerala as well as the tourist highlights promised.

Just returned back from 11 days in beautiful Kerala, completing the fabled triangle, Kochi, Munnar, Thekaddy and back to Kochi. This was a very last minute trip, so it was imperative that the tour operator was able to quickly pull together options for me (3 days). Anoop at Saffron was amazing - right from the initial contact, he understood my requirements based on what type of trip we were looking for and what was good and what to avoid. Anoop created a bespoke package for us within a few days, and that gave me the confidence to commit and book my tickets from London to Kochi. We had one driver for the tour, who went at our pace, and stopped where we wanted and when we wanted to break. There was no pressure or rushing around - which is really important when the key element is to relay and enjoy the views as you travel through the amazing countryside. The hotels that Anoop suggested were great, and cannot complain on the rooms, food or service. Just truly brilliant. Lastly, Anoop also recommended a lovely Ayurveda resort, Nihara, where we spent the last week of our trip. This was again a real gem, as otherwise it’s quite challenging to choose an Ayurveda centre from the dozens that are advertised when visiting from abroad. If you want to visit Kerala, and be assured that you will be dealing with a professional, family based tour operator, who will tailor the tour to your preferences, I can definitely recommend Saffron Tours.

Reading the reviews we expected a wonderful tour, alas that wasn’t what we received. We didn’t get 4 of the items on the schedule. The national park is closed every year for February and March so if planning to go you won’t be able to in those months and Saffron Tours know this but don’t advise, they still leave it on the schedule. In the early part of the year the waterfalls are nonexistent but again they know but don’t advise, 2 other elements we weren’t taken to and only realised when checking at the end of the day. We did enjoy the tea museum and of course the wonderful scenery but 5 hours in a car with the ‘interesting’ driving style was not the best. The 3 nights hotel accommodation were fab with great pools, clean rooms and very caring staff but these hotels exist without Saffron Tours. The actual hotels though were great. The backwaters are so peaceful and it’s great to watch the world glide by but you literally sail away from the start point for max 1 1/2 hours then stop for lunch and sail back to the start point which has a new bridge being built and pile driving going on late into the night. You are moored up cheek by Jowel with all the other boats and there are hundreds of them so it’s not the restful image you are given, even 2 of the staff members go home rather than staying on the boat overnight. You pay for top class service with Saffron Tours but receive a third rate one so personally I’d not recommend them as they lied to us. In fairness I brought issues to their attention and the apologised and after 3 weeks I got a small percentage back as an apology but I could have organised a driver and booked hotels and boat myself for half the cost. Either try another tour operator or book it yourself or wait until you are in India where there are loads and loads of tour operators offering such 3 or 4 or even 5 night schedules depending on what you want. Please if you use Saffron Tours manage your expectations downwards. Last point most of the attractions are very popular so there are tacky stalls selling cheap plastic toys and random tat which again was a bit of a surprise no locally produced hand made items to be seen 🤷‍♂️

My husband and I booked this trip for first week of January 2024. It was a very well arranged, good few spots for sightseeing that we could do at our own pace. Our driver (Sainu) was excellent, always on time and drove very safely. The car (Toyota Innova) was also very comfy. We both had a 30kg suitcase and a 10kg hand luggage each and it all fit in hassle free in the car. Also the trip coordinator and the driver were always available when called, we always had a clear line of communication with them despite it being peak tourist season. The package included really good, clean hotels with all modern amenities and comfort, we really enjoyed each stay. There wasn't a set itinerary but we had rough list of sightseeing spots based on the package provided. I would however, recommend dropping the Spice Plantation plus Ayurvedic shop part of the trip in Munnar, the Spice "garden" was just a trail walk while the guide showed us plants growing on the side of the trail, it's not a garden, just an upper level introduction to Ayurvedic plants. But other than that we thoroughly enjoyed the trip! Would highly recommend to couples, families etc.

This trip is a great way to see some amazing parts of Kerala’s mountains and natural areas. Our driver was so knowledgeable about local places to see and eat and he made the trip more enjoyable. The region has so much to do and see. The amount of driving on mountain roads was sometimes difficult so we skipped some places we could have seen. In Thekkady, be sure to prebook activities at the park as the lines are long. We disinter any animals since there was lots of water in the mountains and the animals come to the lake when it is drier. All around a great 5 days!

It was well organized. Driver/Guide Mr. Rajesh is an excellent and knowledgeable person. He went above and beyond to get me the comfort.

What you get from this tour is prebooked hotels, a very skilled driver and a plan of recommended activities. You can always change plans and tell your driver where you would like to go next. We had a great time! Our driver was very friendly and, as mentioned, very skillfull which made us feel safe. Also, the hotels they booked were fantastic. We definetely recommend this tour. Kerala is so beautiful ;)

Saffron Tours was exceptional. They were organized, knowledgeable, and responsive to our needs. The itinerary they crafted showcased the best of Kerala, from the tranquil backwaters to the vibrant cities. Accommodations were comfortable and premium segments, he transportation was reliable and the chauffeur mr.rajesh was well behaved. Their attention to detail and commitment to ensuring a memorable experience made our Kerala tour truly special. Will surely refer to our friends who all are visiting India.

We are very satisfied with the service received, the agency followed our instructions to create the itinerary for our two-week trip to Kerala. We are very happy to have used this company.