From Hilltop to Backwaters: Harikesh’s Review of Kerala Trip with Thrillophilia

Some places don’t just appear in travel guides; they live in your imagination long before you set foot there. For Sudha and me, Kerala was that dream. She has always loved the stillness of mountains, while I’m more of a beach wanderer. When we finally decided to take a break, Kerala felt like the one place that could give us both what we wanted.

Of course, Sudha teased me before we booked anything. “Harikesh, I want this to be better than our last vacation,” she said with a smirk. That’s when she suggested Thrillophilia. With them handling our flights, hotels, and itinerary, all we had to do was pack and show up.

Munnar: Mist, Waterfalls, and Tea-Scented Mornings

The drive from Cochin to Munnar was like a dream come true. The city slowly disappeared, leaving behind misty hills, emerald tea estates, and waterfalls that looked like they came straight from the clouds. Sudha stood at Cheeyappara with her arms outstretched, laughing as the falls' spray soaked her kurta. "I could live right here," she said, her eyes sparkling.

Every morning in Munnar, we drank a cup of steaming chai on our balcony while looking out at the hills. We spent our evenings watching Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performances. Sudha, who was always a dancer, was completely mesmerised by every move. The next day was a blur of beautiful views, boat rides on Kundala Lake, and a tour of a tea museum where the smell of freshly brewed chai stayed with us long after we left. We also wandered through the rose gardens and picked up small souvenirs, handmade soaps, spices, and chocolates, as Sudha insisted that travel memories should be carried home too.

Thekkady: Elephants and Spices

We drove from Munnar to the heart of Thekkady. It was like a dream to go on a boat safari on Periyar Lake. Elephants drank from the banks, deer grazed in clearings, and kingfishers flashed blue as they dove for fish. I couldn't stop taking pictures, but Sudha kept telling me, "Don't just capture it, live it."

I was scrubbing a baby elephant at Elephant Junction while Sudha laughed nervously from a distance, not wanting to get too close. Later, as we walked through spice plantations where the air was thick with cardamom and pepper, she put bottles of honey and spice mixes in her bag like little treasures to take home. We ended the evening with a quiet dinner, the aroma of spices still lingering in the air, and both of us admitting how much this day had surprised us in the best way.

Alleppey: Where Time Slowed Down

If Munnar was refreshing and Thekkady was exciting, Alleppey was where things slowed down. It felt like we were in a cocoon on our houseboat, with just us, the water, and coconut palms that went on forever. We sat on the deck for hours, watching fishermen, waving back to kids on the shore, and listening to the water lap against the boat.

The food for lunch was simple but delicious: rice, fish curry, and vegetables cooked in coconut oil. Sudha leaned her head on my shoulder as the sun turned red and orange. "Do you remember the last time we sat like this and didn't have to worry about anything else?" she asked. I didn’t say anything. I kissed her forehead and was thankful for the quiet and the moment. At night, with lanterns glowing on the boat and the stars above us, it felt like time had paused just for us.

Kovalam: Beaches, Laughter, and Farewells

For me, Kovalam was the grand finale. I ran right into the waves at Hawa Beach, but Sudha stayed behind to build sand castles like a kid with no worries. I was so excited to try kayaking and parasailing that my heart raced. Then we both climbed the Vizhinjam Lighthouse to see the Arabian Sea go on and on, the horizon painted in shades of blue.

Before going to the airport on our last day, we stopped at the Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum. I felt a sense of closure, not just to the trip but to the years we had put it off, as I stood in front of the intricately carved pillars and the reclining idol of Lord Vishnu.

Sudha smiled and held my hand as we got on the plane home. "This time, it was everything I wanted." And she was correct. This wasn’t just another vacation, it was a memory that stayed with us forever, one we would keep revisiting in stories and in the little souvenirs that still sit in our home. Thanks to Thrillophilia, we could just enjoy the trip and each other’s company instead of worrying about every small thing.

Read More: Thrillophilia Kerala Reviews