Sri Lanka & Kerala Backwaters

We gather for our overnight flights to Sri Lanka.

Colombo greets us in the evening with a warm welcome at the airport. Once a trading port for Arab, Portuguese, Dutch and British merchants, the island’s commercial capital is home to our lakeside hotel. 

Cinnamon Lakeside - 1 night

We visit Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, established in 1975 as a sanctuary for rescued wildlife, to observe its large elephant herd during feeding and river bath sessions. Following lunch, we visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Dambulla Rock Cave Temple, dating to the 1st century BC, with five cave sanctuaries adorned with intricate murals and more than 150 Buddha statues. 

Cinnamon Lodge - 2 nights

Maidens” frescoes and polished Mirror Wall along the way. A tractor ride and canoe crossing take us to a local village for a cooking demonstration and home-cooked lunch prepared by local women. In the afternoon, we explore Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka’s medieval capital, renowned for the colossal rock-carved Buddha statues at Gal Vihara and the Royal Palace.

At the Aluvihara Rock Temple in Matale, we discover the historical site where Buddhist scriptures were first written on palmyra leaves using a metal stylus. Then, a tour of a village introduces us to the cultivation of spices and aromatic herbs such as cinnamon, cardamom, and pepper that have made Sri Lanka famous across the world, followed by lunch. We then drive into the misty hills toward Kandy, the island’s last royal capital. 

The Kandy Myst by Cinnamon - 2 nights

We explore Peradeniya’s Royal Botanic Gardens, home to tropical palms, orchids, and medicinal flora, before touring Kandy’s city centre along Kandy Lake and visiting a local gem museum and lapidary. We enjoy a traditional dance performance with drumming and fire-walking, visit the sacred Temple of the Tooth Relic, then share an authentic homehosted meal with a local family. 

We visit a tea plantation and factory in Giragama. Sri Lanka is world-renowned for Ceylon tea, and here we trace its journey from fresh leaf to finished cup. Sample freshly brewed tea before arriving back in Colombo for lunch. An afternoon city tour takes us through the historic Fort district, the vibrant Pettah markets, the Red Mosque, and Cinnamon Gardens. 

Cinnamon Lakeside - 1 night

We fly to Kochi, a historic port shaped by centuries of Arab, Portuguese, Dutch, and British trade. 

The Tower House - 2 nights 

Our guide walks us through Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, with a visit to St. Francis Church, Vasco da Gama’s original burial place, and a view of the iconic Chinese fishing nets. After lunch at a restaurant, the afternoon is free to explore. 

Leaving Kochi, a short drive brings us to Alleppey to board the MV Vaikundam. Known as the Green Venice of the East, this region welcomes us with a traditional banana-leaf lunch as our ship sails through tranquil backwaters. Dropping anchor at Kanjippadom, we take a village walk to see traditional wooden kettuvallam boats crafted with coir, resin, and native timber. 

MV Vaikundam - 7 nights

Cruising along quiet river channels, our floating hotel arrives at the ancient village of Karumadi. We stroll along paddy fields to view a local shrine housing the ruins of an ancient Buddha sculpture. Back on board, an interactive lecture by a professional Ayurveda doctor introduces us to India’s 5,000-year-old holistic healing traditions.

Following a peaceful morning walk in Thottappalli, we travel inland to visit a rare snake-worship grove, the only temple in Kerala with female priests. Next, we head to Mannar, an ancient village famous for its bell metal craft, where we observe master craftsmen using riverbank clay for lost-wax casting, producing traditional temple lamps, ornate locks, bells, cauldrons, and sacred vessels. As evening falls, we take a relaxing stroll along Thottappalli beach before anchoring at Changankari.

An early excursion brings us to Aranmula, world-famous for its GI-tagged metal mirrors that offer complete reflection. We explore Sree Parthasarathy Temple along the Pamba River before sharing lunch at a local home. In the afternoon, we cruise to Champakkulam to see historic St. Mary’s Church and its ancient open-air Rock Cross before anchoring in Pulinkunnu.

Our boat slips through canals to the ancestral home of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, now a preserved home and museum. We cruise toward Kavalam, where the river reverses course and drains into Lake Vembanad. In your free time, you may take a ferry to walk along the paddy fields and even meet
members of Kudumbashree, one of the world’s largest women’s empowerment networks. Back on board, we observe traditional toddy tappers collecting coconut sap.

We enjoy dawn birdwatching in Kumarakom’s wetlands, followed by a cooking demonstration and lunch with a local Syrian Christian family. Our cruise then passes Thanneermukkom Barrage on Lake Vembanad.

We visit Chenganda village to meet local coir weavers, shell harvesters and fishermen. In Vaikom, we enjoy a Kathakali performance before a tuk-tuk ride to an ancient Shiva temple. We return to the ship for a farewell dinner.

We disembark in Pallippuram to witness Kalarippayattu, an ancient martial art, before transferring to an airport hotel for lunch and day-use accommodation before our evening flight home. 

Courtyard by Marriott Kochi Airport - Day Use Room 

We arrive in Toronto as our memorable journey through Sri Lanka and Kerala comes to an end.