Affordable Luxury Travel - London

Jenni Kent

This was my first experience of booking with ALT. It was not a company I had heard of and there were some concerns. However the experience from booking through to holiday was excellent. Kate Singh answered endless questions promptly and efficiently throughout the booking process. The holiday itself went like a dream. Everything we requested was included. I felt confident of support in India through the agent in Kerala, who kept in constant contact. Our driver was professional and ensured every aspect of our journey went without any hitches. I would most certainly book with ALT again. Thank you, to you all, for a most perfect trip.

tim porter

My wife and I have just returned from an 18-day tour of south India with Affordable Luxury Travel – it was our best holiday ever. Five stars to ALT for organising such an amazing trip!

Firstly, South India (we went to Chennai, Mamallapuram, Pondicherry, Madurai, Thekkady, Munnar, Kumarakom, Alleppey and Cochin) was one of the most geographically diverse, beautiful, and culturally – rich places we have ever visited with some to the world’s most breathtaking UNESCO sites, ancient temples, verdant landscapes, plethora of fauna and flora. From the misty mountains of the Western Ghats to the Urban Beaches, chaotic cities, silent backwaters, endless tea, fruit and cardamom plantations - not forgetting the tiger reserve at Periyar lake, there is something for everyone. We loved the diversity and beauty of it all. Each place was other-worldly.

Our holiday was made perfect by our very own driver, Rohit. Rohit met us at the airport and was with us though the whole trip as our private driver, we travelled in a very comfortable and spacious air-conditioned SUV. Nothing was too much trouble for Rohit – he was knowledgeable of every place we visited and would always find what we were looking for – whether it was somewhere to convert currency, a fine dining restaurant, a jewellers, a laundry, or medical supplies. With good command of the English language, he was very supportive in translating for us and being a mediator when shopping or speaking with locals. Rohit was truly one of the most humble, helpful, and friendly people we have ever met- and he made us feel safe wherever we visited.

Our tour with ALT was good value for money and inclusive of excursions, entrance fees and even a personal guide at many of the UNESCO sites and attractions we visited – each guide was local to the area and a subject matter expert in the place we were visiting. Because we had a private tour, we could alter the itinerary as we wanted – so added optional visits to an Elephant Sanctuary, Ayurveda Spas, Shopping were all things we were able to do with Rohit’s help.

Our hotels were all fantastic – if I were to repeat the trip again I would probably opt not to visit the same hotel in Pondicherry – Le Pondy as we felt the service was slow and the food wasn’t great (luke warm buffet) - although dinner was included in our package we decided to eat out. Our favourite hotels were Rhythm at Kumarakom and The Grand Bay Resort and Spa at Mahabalipuram. Oh, and Tall Trees at Munnar.

Some tips from us: 1. get your laundry done in a local laundry before you return home - its incredibly low cost. 2. When in the jungle and forest region of Thekkady, visit Kalpavanam Elephant Park - elephant rides and you even get to feed and have a shower with an elephant! 3. When in Alleppey on your amazing private houseboat overnight, ask your captain to visit a seafood market and choose your own fish for the on-board chef to cook for you! 4. When in Cochin, Visit Jew Town with its quaint shops and market area. 5. When in Pondicherry, visit a French restaurant called Maison Rose – fine dining where Fillet Steak will cost you around £7! 6. Either in Cochi, Munnar or Madurai, a visit to the Indian Theatre and Dance of Kathakali and the Martial Arts called Kalari Kshethra is an absolute must – and the ticket price is included in the tour! 7. Treat yourself to an Ayurvedic massage which is prevalent across all of south India – a 90-minute massage will cost about £45. You get one 60 minute massage included in your package.

We will definitely be using Affordable Luxury Travel when we book our 2027 tour of North India!

Sarah Jones

What a wonderful holiday in Kerala. It greatly exceeded our expectations. We arrived in Cochin and were met at the airport by our personal driver for the next 10 days. He was an excellent driver, spoke good English and was personable.

We stayed the first night in Cochin at the Old Harbour Hotel and then moved on to Munnar for 3 nights, 2 nights in Thekkady and one amazing night on a Blue Jelly houseboat. We spent the last 3 nights relaxing on the beach at the Marari Beach Resort.

The holiday was action packed and on the first day we had a jeep excursion up through the tea plantation which was wonderful. We saw the tea making process at the museum which was really interesting. The second day we had another jeep drive to a high altitude tribal area where we saw Viripara waterfall and were lucky to see wild elephants. We also saw the rubber tree plantation and spice plantations growing black pepper, cardamon, ginger, circular, coffee and cocoa etc.

As if things couldn't get any better we went on our houseboat for the afternoon and overnight. We sailed past the rice paddies and workers and we ate delicious meals cooked by our personal chef.

We wouldn't hesitate travelling with Affordable Luxury Travel again. The Etihad flights were excellent, the local people we encountered were helpful and friendly.
22.11.24

Brian Geddes

Kerela South India, 5 hotels and a riceboat. Fabulous 👌
Affordable Luxery Travel were very helpful during the planning stage suggesting various options but never too pushy.
Picked up from from Cochi airport by AjeeshKumar, our driver for the two weeks who was excellent. We were dropped off at the fragrant Nature hotel in old Cochi which had the wow factor upon entry. Excellent two nights.
Moved on to Munnar, 1800m above sea level. Spectacular views of surrounding tea plantations from our hotel Fragrant Nature Munnar. Good stay, food and staff fine but hotel itself did not have the same wow as Cochi. Also did not have a bar licence. Two days spent visiting local plantations, Nature reserve, all good.
Third stay was the Spice Village Thekaddy via a spice plantation tour which was very good. Lots of good life herbal tips. Not pushed to buy also. Our favourite accommodation this trip. Spice Village was full of history, great all round experience with lots of wild life. A place to truly remember, staff/food were great.
Fourth accommodation was our rice boat for two at Allerpie. Amazing scenery. Opportunity to see the true side of South Indian life, washing clothes, bathing, fishing along the banks of the water. Some very impressive buildings and sites to be seen. Our own crew of three were great. Food/drinks included but not alcoholic drinks. You can take your own if required.
Fourth hotel was at Kollam. Leela on the lake, another wow factor hotel from inside and out. Food and staff exceptional. Free boat trip to see the grand view of this property from the water. Food has been good everywhere but this was an absolute treat.
Last hotel was the Leela at Kovolam for a four night stay. A beautiful property with great staff. The position of this property was amazing facing the Arabian sea. We had a sea view villa that was in a coconut Grove approx 100m from the sea. Old, traditional but clean and well maintained. Buggy transport was readily available. All staff extremely helpful. Our drinks were expensive here, but it did not spoil our stay. The only slight negative for this hotel was that it did not contain much history from a personal point of view.
All in all a great adventure well organised by ALT and a brilliant safe driver in Ajeeshkumar AP. Well done.

Namita Thomas

We've had the best holiday experience with Affordable Luxury travels. We had booked a 11 night Kerala trip with them. Every tiny detail of the holiday was catered to without us asking for it. We had Ajeeshkumar with us, who drove us around Kochi as well as to all the destinations. He had in depth local knowledge about the area which he shared, improving our insight into the places that we visited. He made sure we were comfortable throughout, ensuring we had water/ tissues available as well as suggesting places to eat/ snack/ comfort breaks during the long journeys. He even took the extra effort of playing our favourite songs in the car.
All the resorts chosen by ALT were top notch - Fragrant Nature in Kochi, Tall Trees - Munnar, Spice Village - Thekkady, Marari Beach Resort - Mararikulam, Windermere River House - Neriamangalam. They were all unique in their settings and service was second to none. I would highly recommend all these places and definitely look forward to booking our next holiday with ALT.

Lucy Rollinson

We used Affordable Luxury Travel to book our tour around Sri Lanka, followed by a week in the Maldives. We booked with Gavin as our agent and he was excellent with supporting with all questions and queries. The itinerary shared prior to departure was really clear and comprehensive.

Upon arrival to Sri Lanka we were so impressed with our welcome from our driver and the airport coordinator. We were greeted with flowers and garlands which definitely set our trip off in the best direction!

We couldn’t have asked for a better driver, Dushara made our trip truly memorable and remarkable. We’d like to really call our Dush in our review as he made our trip better than we could have ever imagined:

Dush’s skills as a guide are nothing short of exceptional. He has a remarkable ability to make everything feel completely seamless, ensuring every aspect of the trip was perfectly coordinated. From transitioning between activities to moving to new locations, everything was handled with such ease that we never felt rushed or hurried along. Instead, the pace was relaxed and chilled, giving us the freedom to fully enjoy each moment. Despite the numerous transitions and variety of activities, there was never a moment of confusion or waiting around—Dush made sure everything ran smoothly, allowing us to simply soak in the beauty of Sri Lanka without a worry. His attention to detail and calm, organised approach made the entire trip feel effortless, yet incredibly well-executed.

Dush’s incredible knowledge of Sri Lanka, from its rich culture, to the smallest details about the places we visited, brought every moment to life.
His passion for his country and his job was truly inspiring, and he went above and beyond to ensure we experienced the very best of what Sri Lanka has to offer.

Beyond his professionalism, Dush is an incredibly kind, genuine, and caring person. He became more than just our guide—he felt like a friend. Saying goodbye at the end of our trip was an emotional moment and we will miss his infectious smile, wonderful personality and delightful company. Thank you Dush!

The support also offered by Affordable Luxury Travel while in Sri Lanka was excellent - I lost my glasses at one of the hotels and they have swiftly managed this and are arranging for these to be returned to our home.

The Maldives aspect of the holiday was also gorgeous and well organised, it topped the whole experience off perfectly.

Overall, we would highly recommend Affordable Luxury Travel and if you do the same 9 day tour in Sri Lanka, definitely ask for Dushara as your guide!

carolyn gardner

Kerala Tour with Affordable Luxury Travel

Kerala Holiday Exceeded our expectations in every way.
We both have just returned from a Kerala holiday booked with Daniel from ALT. After booking I changed my mind on some hotels and even a flight change, nothing was too much trouble , he went above and beyond. I would 100% recommend this company , it was luxury and the tour we did was incredible.Our Driver Dilip who collected us from the airport was just the most kind and caring man who listened to what we were interested in and planned our days for lunches etc accordingly. The only days we were not with him were after the drop off in Cochin as we stayed 3 nights in the Fragrant Nature Hotel, which was a wonderful hotel and then we finished at the Marari Beach Hotel for 3 nights , absolutely fantastic. Dilip made the touring and sightseeing so interesting, he is so very knowledgeable and we learnt and experienced so much, this holiday exceeded every expectation.Anyone who is thinking about this type of holiday , I say just do it. The Kerala people are probably the most genuinely friendly, smiley and caring we have come across. They cannot do enough for you. Every hotel was so good and each and every one so very different giving you time, sights, sounds of areas. Never heard such loud crickets . The hotels were all wonderful as were the staff. Huge thanks to everyone involved. We will be back.

Nicole Weatherston

Had a super trip around Kerala in late March. My driver was friendly, helpful and punctual. The hotels I visited were wonderful. From start to finish, a well organised tour of this beautiful region of southern India. Highly recommended!