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Karma Kerala Customer Reviews

Tijo, Now well settled at the Leela, very nice it is too.

Just wanted to thank you for organising our itinerary for us, I appreciate it can't have been the most profitable for you, but would I like to say it was just perfect. The suite at the Taj was lovely, the houseboat just perfect.

It is very difficult selecting a service of the internet, however, I'm delighted we found KarmaKerala. I thought your service and attention to detail second to none, Rathheesh and Sudheesh also a credit to the business, they were punctual, reliable and extremerly courteous, qualities I truly appreciate.

I would not hesitate to contact you again for any future requirements we may have, we will also recommend you, and Kerala, to all of Julie's flying colleagues at British Airways.

Andrew & Julie

Hi Tijo

We had a fantastic holiday in Kerala, thank you so much for everthing you did to make it such a success. It was all perfect, loved staying at Arakkal, Abbi and Mini were the best hosts and we loved the beach, the fishermen and the atmosphere there. The boat trip was magic,,great crew and food. Coconut Lagoon was lovely and so was the Brunton Boat yard. Kerala is the most beautiful country and the people were fantastic. We will definatly be returning one day!

Thank you again for arranging a perfect holiday for us.

best wishes

Camilla

Camilla Frederick

Dear Venu

We just wanted to say how grateful we are for all the work that went into our holiday. We had a great time and l will be leaving some feedback on Tripadvisor. As you will know by now I have contacted John our driver who should be congratulated on his performance.

He was so much more than a driver, he was always wherever we needed him to be and always had contact information we needed to oil the wheels. What was completely unexpected was that he clearly cared for us and was always looking out for us in many different ways. People we met along the way and hotel staff were always complimentary about his behaviour and I am sure this made our trip more special.

We are also grateful to you and your company for helping us to organize a trip of a lifetime. Kerala is the most amazing place and your organisation made the difference.

Many thanks

Mary-Anne, Eddie, Alex, Peter, Sam, Samita and Ani

Mary-Anne, Eddie

Mr. Tijo Sebastian,Thanks for all your help and we really appreciated your professionalism. Hope to see you in Cochin.Thanks once again,Susie Sewak

Susie Sewak

The highlight of the trip:Treehouse at Rainforest was incredible! Bit pricey but secluded and beautifully constructed.

In general the Hotels were very good esp Old Harbour and Spice Village. CGH have a really good environmental policy which is implicated informatively and without any lack in quality - a hard balancing act! The staff were informal but professional and went out of their way to please.

Tijo was always very helpful and prompt with emailing. This gave us the confidence to book with a company in India.

Prince was very engaging and took time to find out places we wanted to go. Felt safe with him even though the traffic could be hectic at times. Read the road well and got us to our destinations on time.

The Houseboat food and crew were amazing - wonderful food and presentation.

What we recommend to others:Old Harbour, Treehouse, Houseboat, Spice Village.Got an upgrade on the houseboat since the one we booked was being repaired. Very luxurious and a lovely treat for our honeymoon! Thank you for an amazing time - will recommend you.

Liked the humourous "legals" at the end of the booking emails - nice informal touch.

Jeremy Hart. 1st Sept 2010

Dear Tijo

Now we are back in a wet cold Britain I just wanted to e-mail and say thank you for helping us organise our trip to Kerala. We had a fabulous time and enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Radhish was a first class driver and guide and we enjoyed being with him. Please pass on our best wishes and thanks to him.

We hope that we will come to Kerala again soon and in the meantime I attach some photos of us with him. Please pass them on to him

Best regards Ann

Ann Canham 2-13/11/10

Dear Tijo,

We have just returned from our Christmas/New Year holiday in Kerala and I wanted to thank you for the very efficient support provided by Karma Kerala for our bookings for hotels and driver, We had a wonderful time and enjoyed Kerala very much. I particularly wanted to let you know that we were very happy with our driver Ratith. He was a careful and reliable driver, he kept his vehicle immaculate and he was always very helpful and good humoured, We will certainly recommend both your company and Ratith to friends and colleagues in Australia. I have attached a photo which I hope that you will pass on to Ratith.

Warm regards Robyn Quin

Robyn Quin : 24 December 2010

Dear Tijo, I would like to thank you very much for all the arrangement (Transportation) you did and your choice of hotel. We had a fantastic time in Kovalam and the Turtle on Beach Hotel was really top notch. The hotel we had for our last night (Udaya Samudra) was good but not quite the same standard as Turtle on Beach. They however had a great restaurant and had a great evening meal.

Thanks again and though a bit late, I would like to wish you a great & prosperous 2011 year

Best regards, Alec

Alec Lecat (January 2011)

Did you enjoy your trip?

Fabulous

What made it so great?

The people were so friendly, the hotels were great and a really good programme. We also loved India, the colour, food and scenery.

What was the highlight of the trip

The elephants were the children's highlight and John and I loved the spice village with it's eco systems and spice. We all loved the boat, waking up in the morning and watching India start its day by the river.

Hotel Name

Brunton Boat yard

How would you rate it?

4 star

Tell us more...

Beautiful position lovely bedrooms and a great place to start the holiday. Can't find the button to add comments on another hotel. All really good hotels. The coconut lagoon was the weekest. The staff looked a bit tired and the food and service wasn't as good. Probably because all the other hotels were so good.

Our Service

How would you rate our overall service?

Excellent

What made it excellent

Everyone was always on time and very easy to be with. Our driver was lovely with the kids. Thejal was always happy to help with any requests.

How would you rate our response to your first enquiry?

Excellent

Comments on our response.

Happy to help

How would you rate the quality of our communication?

Excellent

If you had some Ayurveda, how did you rate the experience?

Excellent

Did you enjoy the food in Kerala?

Excellent

Tell us more...

If you stick to the local food it was very good.

What would you recommend to others

Yes absolutely

Samantha Marshall - November 2011

Your Name: DAVID DEAKIN

Your Travel Dates: FEB 2011

Did you enjoy your trip?

Fabulous

What made it so great?

John the driver was helpful, safe & amusing . Tijo for the effort he put into planning the trip, everything went perfectly.

What was the highlight of the trip

Staying at Ashley & Garden retreat , both being old family homes. but rice barge and beach hotel were a happy experience.

How would you rate our overall service?

Excellent

What made it excellent

Tijos advice and planning created the perfect itinerary.

How would you rate our response to your first enquiry?

Excellent

Comments on our response.

Brilliant ,getting started with the chat room made creating the trip easy.

How would you rate the quality of our communication?

Excellent

Comments on our communications with you

Amazing prompt helpful replies from Tijo.

How would you rate the PRE-booking process

Excellent

How would you rate the booking and payment stage

Excellent

Tell us more...

How would you rate our service while you were in Kerala

Excellent

Tell us more...

Johns advice and local knowledge was excellent , and calls from Tijo to make sure all was going to plan was very helpful.

How would you rate your driver?

Excellent

Tell us more...

Happy , jokey and safe.

If you had some Ayurveda, how did you rate the experience?

Excellent

Tell us more...

great experience , felt very good and missed it in Burma & Laos.

Did you enjoy the food in Kerala?

Excellent

Tell us more...

Good home cooking at Ashley, excellent at Garden Retreat and delicous , homely and friendly at Arakal Heritage.

What would you recommend to others

Shopping in `jewtown, Cochin, eating at Garlic. Supper with the boys at Orphanage. visiting Cardoman hills, staying on tea plantation.

Anything we haven't covered?

Thank you very much for organising a wonderful, happy family trip. Thank you also for finding and returning the jewellery to Annabel, it arrived today.

DAVID DEAKIN : February 2011

Hi Tijo,
We would like to thank you for a wonderful journey through Kerala. The people we met through out our trip were pleasant and respectful. My grandmother who was from Kerala praised it through out her life. We have an appreciation for the state.

Attached are some picture we took.

Regards,
Shereen

Stephen Thompson : April 2011

Did you enjoy your trip?

Fabulous

What made it so great?

Everything! The pick-up, the drop-off, the boat and its wonderful crew!!!

What was the highlight of the trip

The food..the food...and the surrounding countryside.

Hotel Name

Alumparambil Houseboat

How would you rate it?

5 star

Tell us more...

Fabulous service..awesome food..gorgeous scenery

How would you rate our overall service?

Excellent

What made it excellent

Professionalism,,promptness...courteousness...value for money

How would you rate our response to your first enquiry?

Excellent

Comments on our response.

How would you rate the quality of our communication?

Excellent

What would you recommend to others

Your company...you guys were awesome!! I am recommending you already and want to use your service again!

Arnav Mahant: July 2011

Hi there Tijo,

My wife and I had a fantastic time on the houseboat. It was an experience out of this world. By the way, the crew who were with us (Rejeesh, Vinod and Sijo from Spice Routes Cardomom Houseboat) were excellent guys. They were extremely hospitable, accommodated all our requests, were very knowledgeable and answered all our queries.. Oh, and those guys whipped up the best food we've had in Kerala so far.. They are great guys and you must convey my regards to them. As for the transfer from The Leela to Cochin Airport, I'd like to thank you once again for helping make it happen.

Thanks for the great help and assistance once again, Tijo.

Cheers

Ramesh

Ramesh Chandran : August 2011

You were very helpful and friendly and extremely prompt in confirming my booking. I was so impressed that you called me in London too. Much appreciated.

Cherai Beach Resort : The hotel website is a bit misleading about the AC Lake View cottages. Only one of the cottages looks as posh as impressive as the one featured on the site but everyone who booked a Lake View cottage was expecting stained glass windows and a touch of luxury.

Kate Jump

Service Excellent. I was talking to various agencies, trying to do the best financial deal prior to leaving. I dont think you were the cheapest but the professionalism when dealing with you was a factor in the decision making.

Marari Beach Resort : I work in 5 star hotel as Sales and Marketing Consultant and have the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, The Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai and IHG amongst my clients. I have stayed in 5*. 6* and 7* hotels all my life but would and will come back to Marari tomorrow. I will also want to stay in the Spice House in Munnar. The resort was beautifully what I would call 'shabby sheek', not 100% manicured yet it had a very spiritual, serene and very calm feel (and I am not the religious type). The staff were exceptional, the food exquisite and the accommodation whilst not being in any ostentatious was perfect - particularly liked the outside loo and shower arrangement. We we left after two days at 6am in the morning and were met especially by the General Manager Mr. Subramanian, that just about summed up the dedication and warmth that we experience during our very short but memorable stay.
The houseboat arriving at the pier at Lakesong was great, seeing the white Amby taxi (we all drove white Ambys on the rally) waiting to pick us up on arrival at Alleppey, as expected was great and your suggestion for us to go to Marari absolutely hit the spot. Other friends decided to go to Cochin Fort and stay at Malabar House and they did not enjoy the experience at all. We felt very priviledged and lucky.

Michael Higgins

Provided an itinery and each time I said can we do this, I got an answer and solution. Last minute change in flight, no problem for Tijo and Karma Kerala. Had 3 drivers and all were safe and sensible drivers. All could tell us a little about Kerala as we drove through the countryside.

Coco Bay : I liked it 3-4 star, pool tiling a little tired, but good rooms clean and decent size, and a great location. Staff capable and friendly. Food good. Great short boat ride down a canal to an old door in a wall.

Russell Lemon

We had the most wonderful time. Our driver was Rathesh with his Ambassador. He was fantastic. Very friendly and spoke very good english. We had a lot of fun driving around with him and being well looked after. The places we visited were great and all of the accomodation was great, apart from maybe the Wild Corridor in Thekkady - a bit rough around the edges and a bit noisy, but still very clean and adequate for our needs (it did have some great views). The Poovath Heritage Hotel was lovely, the homestay was fantasic, wow such wonderful food and a lovely hostess, the houseboat was great - bit grand for the two of us but much appreciated and more fantasitc! The hotel in Trivandrum was great too, enjoyed the luxury at the end.

I have fallen in love with Kerala, and will be going back! I will also be recommending you and a tour in the ambassador to everyone I meet. Thanks for taking the stress of organising away from us, we could just sit back and relax - exactly what we needed.

Sarah Stewart & Emma Langmaid

I would like to thank you for the excellent way you have organised our trip in Kerala. I will recommend you to everyone who is planning to make a vist. The crew on the boat was also very good. The cook was outstanding!!!

Also the family of the home stay deserves all the credit and I really can recommend Mullakkal house.

Marijke van den Berg

The people and the magic of people. Amazing place. Also your support - well done and thanks a million.

House boat : It was called Imaculada or Immaculate. Great food and very good service and the cruise was fantastic, especially the smaller canals

Our Services

Venu's dedication and effectiveness. I called very late, shortly before my trip and he was able to find good accommodation, arranged transport between the different places and was very helpful, patient and knowledgable.

Drivers: i had two, i think. very kind, safe drivers and on time (even at 5.30am on New Years day!)

Eating: really enjoyed the curries, sambar, appams, dhosas, cocnut chutneys etc. maybe a bit more fresh local fruit would be good, and grilled fish (instead of curries, but this may just be the way the do it and i still loved it...).

Alexander Jooss

The interesting mix of experiences which Tijo had arranged for us; the excellent accommodation, especially the home stays and the house boat; the friendliness and willing help of all the Indian people whom we met; the scenery and the climate.

The way that Tijo monitored our holiday at regular intervals, and we were particularly impressed that he accompanied us to the airport at such an early hour.

A very comfortable hotel, with friendly staff.

Hotel : PAPPACHAN'S HOUSE We re ally enjoyed ourselves and felt as though we were treated as honoured members of the family. Wonderful meals. We shall definitely go back As Lonely Planet says, this is one of ten travel experiences you should enjoy before you die! It was so interesting to see how people related to the lake and canals: the first time we had ever seen a school boat, as opposed to a school bus.

House boat : VEMBANAD HOUSE The crew were very friendly and the food excellent. Another lovely house, with wonderful food, and again a delightful child, who entertained us a lot. We walked to the village and returned by auto: how nice to be welcomed by everyone whom we passed in both directions.

And thank you Tijo, for arranging for us to arrive by houseboat. That was very special. POLLETHAI BEACH . A relaxing end to the holiday.

Jan Ward and Tony Dicker