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Just some of the comments from our 2010, 2011 and 2012 Guests

January 2012 - from Mr & Mrs B who enjoyed their New Year Kerala experience - "we had the most wonderful time in Kerala, drivers, Rep. etc were all wonderful, so friendly, all the hotels gorgeous.  Food awesome.  Thanks so much to you and Elaine for arranging a wonderful holiday".

August 2011 - thank you Mr and Mrs A for your super feedback and lovely photographs (to enjoy these photographs please visit our facebook site). They enjoyed their tour - the houseboat was "excellent" and their trekking trip in Munnar was "brilliant".

May 2011 - Ms G and Mr W - kindly said that .. "it was a superb introduction to India - well organised and we were well looked after.  Thank you to all!! Excellent response to their initial enquiry - Excellent reception by our representatives in Kerala - Good Hotel accommodation - Excellent Driver and yes they would recommend Kerala Moments.

May 2011 - Mr & Mrs N R and Mr & Mrs H had an excellent tour of Kerala - they developed an excellent rapport over the telephone and found Sarah particularly helpful and keen to ensure that all queries were dealt with and that their own plans and commitments were easily accommodated into the itinerary.  They found our Kerala representatives 'excellent' - the accommodation choice of hotels and guests houses by Kerala Moments 'excellent' and very clean.  Their driver was 'excellent' - he looked after them all and was keen to ensure that they had a good time.  "Having a car with a driver was a new experience for us, and entirely right in India".  They would 'definitely' recommend Kerala Moments to their friends with "no hesitation.  Booked at short notice.  Sarah has a very friendly approach, and is clearly keen to ensure the trip is what we want, adding suggestions about how we can get the most time out of the trip".

March 2011 - delighted to have received another 'we would definitely recommend Kerala Moments' feedback.  Mr & Mrs M and Mr & Mrs P said they looked at several websites but were attracted to Kerala Moments because we mentioned hotels that they had been recommended and they were reassured by the cover offered by Kerala Moments being members of the TTA.

Our response to their enquiry was 'excellent' - "Sarah's help and enthusiasm made sorting out the holiday easy and it was good to have exactly what we wanted.  The comments above regarding financial protection were well explained.  It was good to know you had personally visited the hotels".

Accommodation and Driver were also rated 'excellent'.

March 2011

Mr & Mrs J H and their friends had a fabulous time exploring Northern India's Golden Triangle and Kerala - starting with Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur, Udaipur then flying into Cochin, the houseboat on the backwaters and finally Kovalam - Dear Sarah,  I would like to say a big thank you for the flowers and all your help - everybody enjoyed the holiday and P and V had a wonderful Anniversary - every hotel made them feel very special.  We have lots of lovely memories and had lots of laughter on the trip and I will recommend you to our friends.

Feb 2011 - Mr & Mrs S - Kent

Super feedback from Mr & Mrs S - and it was really nice to get the opportunity to meet these guests in person and for them to know that we are real people on this website!

"We were very appreciative of the rapid responses to our enquiries for a holiday as short notice.  Being able to visit and discuss options face to face was particularly helpful.  Our budgetary constraints were met and we embarked upon a comprehensive tour of Kerala knowing that we had received good value for money.

The holiday substantially met our expectations and the enthusiasm of Sarah and Elaine ensured that we were received eagerly by the Keralan Agents.  We expect good value for money and expertise from our agents and these were very much in evidence before and during our visit." 

Feb 2011 - Mr & Mrs D.

Kerala Moments are delighted to have received 'Excellent' ratings throughout! 

Website - prior to deciding on our eventual itinerary we used the website to learn about the country and to identify the areas we would like to visit.

Initial Enquiry - very efficient consultation .... resulted in the scoping of a bespoke package which was exactly what we were looking for.

Accommodation - we loved the Wildernest hotel.  It was clean, spacious and comfortable.  The houseboat was simply stunning and the Abad Turtle beach provided a luxurious bungalow in a beautiful setting to relax and enjoy our last few days of Kerala.

Driver - He spoke good English and was very helpful and friendly throughout.  He always arrived in good time, gave us his mobile number and was very willing to respond to our requests.  He drove safely and competently through the difficult road traffic and into the mountains.

How likely are you to recommend Kerala Moments - all in all we thoroughly enjoyed the weeks and would highly recommend this experience to our friends.

"Wonderful holiday - could not have been better ..."

"It was fantastic!  Our driver was lovely and really looked after us ..."

It was our first time in India and we didn't quite know what to expect. We booked our tour with the help of Kerala Moments who were a source of help and inspiration and helped us to work out an itinerary based our interests and around the time we had available for the holiday. We arrived in Cochin feeling a bit nervous. We needn't have worried, what a warm welcome from the local representative who greeted us with garlands of fresh flowers. We were introduced to Babu our driver, who was to become a firm friend. Our first night was spent in the Fort House Hotel, family run and located on the waterfront on Fort Cochin, 5 minutes walk from the famous Chinese fishing nets. The rooms were simple, immaculate with efficient air conditioning and a leafy veranda overlooking a semi tropical garden. Dinner was taken on the private jetty. The food here was superb, the service friendly and efficient. 

The next day the real adventure began. Driving up to the Western Ghats in the spice region of Thekkady. Babu gave us every opportunity to take photographs on the way and was truly knowledgeable about the local sights and culture with a great sense of humour thrown in. Leaving behind the bustling village of Kumily , imagine a tranquil winding road gently climbing through hillsides lined with cardamom, pepper vines and wild flowers. This is the stunning setting for the Aanavilasam plantation house. Lovingly created by Salim Pushpanath the house nestles in a 9 acre cardamom plantation. Not only is the setting magical but also the accommodation. Cool rooms, beautifully furnished with private sitting room and balcony an amazing bathroom and beautiful towels and linen. Now imagine the warmest welcome you will ever experience from the friendly smiling staff who have a genuine sense of pride in making your stay very special. The food is amazing, only the freshest of ingredients are used, many grown on the plantation and the service and attention to detail is impeccable. Exploring the plantation you come across cardamom palms, pepper vines, pineapples and beautiful tree orchids. The tranquility is only interrupted by the sound of birdsong. We stayed here for two night full board whilst touring Kerala and would highly recommend the plantation house as the perfect place to stay in Thekkady where you can explore the nearby tiger and wildlife reserve, spend time with the elephants, see local culture and taste genuine local food or simply relax in this very unique place.

Then on to Munnar, higher up still, into tea country. Nothing can prepare you for the sight of acres of rolling hills entirely covered with tea and shimmering silver oak trees. Here our accommodation was the Sienna Village, stunning views, comfortable accommodation and good food. A perfect base to explore the national park, tea factory, beautiful lakes and stunning mountain scenery. Babu took us for lunch in Munnar to a traditional India eatery where we went native and learned to eat the food as the locals do, a special experience that we will never forget.

The final destination, a stunning drive down to the coast to Marari and the Beach Symphony. Here you have your own detached accommodation a beautifully restored fisherman’s house 25 yards from a stunning unspoilt beach with pristine sand and waving coconut palms. The service is impeccable; food is brought to your own veranda. The cook comes by every day to discuss the menu, everything served is freshly sourced on the day including many types of delicious seafood landed by the fisherman just yards from your door. Your morning newspaper is delivered wrapped in a banana leaf decorated with a fresh flower. Linen is changed every day. A recent addition is a 60 foot pool set in a private garden area and with a maximum of 8 guests it is never crowded. The owners Jan and Christel will help you organize expeditions. We went to a local festival with the hotels own Tuk Tuk driver who escorted us and showed us all the sights. We can also highly recommend the day tour of the backwaters in a small motor canoe as you can access the smaller canals where village life unfolds on both sides, finishing with lunch with a local family, cooked by Lisa who holds her own cookery courses – delicious.

The Kerala Moment representative kept in touch with us via Babu during our travels to check we were well and happy – great attention. Back to Cochin and regretfully the flight home. 

Thank you Sarah and Elaine at Kerala Moments for a truly wonderful experience, we've taken away so many fantastic memories and met many special people- the best holiday of our lives. 

Kate and Andy Jones January 2010

Val and I would like to say thank you to everyone involved with our stay in Kerala.

It was faultless and everything we expected plus a lot more.  Starting from the moment we made our first enquiry with you to the exceptional care from all your representatives in Kerala, from the time of our arrival till the return to Cochin airport for our flight home.

The gift each from your representative on the last day to say thank you for visiting Kerala was a special touch.

We will not hesitate to recommend Kerala Moments to family and friends as we have every confidence that they will also get exceptional treatment and care by you and the wonderful people of Kerala.

Please find attached photographs of a few people we met on our travels.

Many thanks again to everyone for an unforgettable time in KERALA!!!!!!

Jan and Val, February 2010

Christine and party, March 2010  - Sarah you were always so helpful and informative.  You made the booking of the holiday so pleasurable and we felt completely confident that it would be a success.  We have already spoken to many people about the holiday and would not hesitate to recommend Kerala Moments - you were all wonderful.  The Abad Harmonia was wonderful, Alex was lovely as were all the drivers.  We felt as if we were with family.  The Old Courtyard was fabulous - what a wonderful oasis in the middle of the vibrant Fort Cochin which we loved  - the QE2 was in on the Sunday.  Clean, lovely people and good food.  One of our favourites of the holiday.  Thank you all once again.

Ms G.C. March 2010 - Excellent throughout - would recommend without hesitation!

Mrs E - party of four, March 2010  - Sarah was very helpful ... response to our initial enquiry was excellent ... our driver  made our holiday, enjoyed his company - very experienced and would ask for him again.  Definitely would recommend Kerala Moments to friends.

Mrs S.R. - March 2010 - Excellent response to initial enquiry .... Excellent reception by our Agent ... Great variety of character accommodation ... Excellent Driver, very thoughtful young man .. went that extra mile to make our stay interesting and enjoyable .. would definitely recommend Kerala Moments to friends.

Mrs G and Family - April 2010 - What we most valued was the easy going follow up personal service that Sarah provided by email and over the telephone (a relationship was formed).  We were impressed and reassured by this and her patience listening to what we actually wanted.  It came across that it was genuinely important to her to design a bespoke itinerary that would really match what we were looking for out of our trip to Kerala and at the right price.  

Especially with the flight times it was comforting to be greeted by your representative and introduced to the driver etc.  The trip was topped and tailed by this and at all times we knew we could pick up the telephone if we had any concerns.  He gave us confidence that there was someone on the ground that could help with any potential issues (there weren't any) and that nothing would have been too much.

All three hotels were just what we wanted i.e. varied type of location and style - the heritage experience in the small Old Courtyard Hotel at Fort Cochin was like going back in time, the airy Eco friendly B & B at Thekkady mirrored the mountain landscape and the Cherai Beach Resort enjoying the beach and the backdrop of the backwaters.  One must not forget the houseboat that we have got to say exceeded expectations and was a wonderful experience to be repeated.

We had been looking at a different location for our trip to Kerala but thankfully we relied on your informed guidance and recommendations, which you  based on listening to our particular experience preferences, and as result we had the holiday we had been dreaming of.

Our driver was friendly and attentive without being too intrusive.  We rapidly gained confidence in his driving ability (very important in the circumstances) and benefited from his general knowledge on the locations and specialist knowledge of the birds and plants etc.

Thank you for the attention to detail and end to end support that made this a holiday to remember.

Mrs & Mrs B - Oct. 10

Excellent response to our enquiry - very personal service - made to feel valued as a customer, excellent accommodation - the Manaltheeram could have stayed forever, the riceboat was fabulous and the Wildernest in Thekkady was an unexpected delight even though there was no restaurant the display of fruit bats at dusk was fantastic - not to mention the monkeys!  Would definitely recommend Kerala Moments - loved every minute of it!

Mr & Mrs M. B. - Nov. 10

As soon as we made contact with Kerala Moments our worries were over.  Sarah provided a personal service with lots of suggestions, personal insight and good local knowledge.  As first time visitors we didn't know what to expect or what to ask for!  Sarah gave us the options that made it a Honeymoon that will stay with us for ever.

From the moment we stepped out of the airport we were looked after ... we were provided with everything we needed.  Our itinerary was all sorted, as we went through our honeymoon, we realised that the level of personal service was exceptional.  The local reps arranged excellent visits, often with personal guides and local experts.  We couldn't have asked for better service.

We miss Mr Sashi.  he was wonderful.  Nothing was too much trouble

We would just like to say a personal 'Thank You' to Sarah for her help, advice and personal service.  If we ever go back (which I am sure we will, Kerala is a special place) we will arrange things through your company.

JP and KL - November 10

We have never booked a holiday with a company over the Internet before that we had not previously heard of so understandably we were a bit apprehensive initially until I spoke to Sarah Hardes, Director.  Our subsequent conversations allayed any initial reticence and fears.

Sarah's handling of our enquiry was second to none.  She listened to our requirements and then with her knowledge of Kerala helped us to shape our itinerary in order that we maximized our three weeks there whilst enjoying a truly wide range of memorable experiences.  Most of these conversations were held  by email, Sarah replied swiftly to any email we sent and always answered our questions even if it meant she had to contact the ground staff in Kerala to secure an answer..... website links to areas in Kerala and hotel websites were forwarded to us so that we could make an informed choice.  This was a particularly useful and commendable aspect of the Kerala Moments service.

Anandhan was our allocated driver and the service he provided us was excellent ... travelling with him for three weeks we got to know him quite well and the relationship that developed between us has been a memorable part of this holiday.

We would absolutely recommend Kerala Moments to anyone and would definitely use them again if we travel to Kerala in the future.  The service offered easily rivals that offered by well known companies such as Kuoni who now market themselves as a luxury holiday company.  The fact that you can make a  bespoke tour itinerary is for us important.  Sarah's knowledge of Kerala and suggestions proved very helpful in terms of shaping our itinerary and we would like to thank her for putting us together an immensely enjoyable and memorable holiday.

We look forward to receiving your feedback