Sanjeev Nichani - Antilog Vacations South India Review AVB0096372

Last month I got a break from my hectic office schedule and decided to take my wife to a holiday as she had been nagging about the fact that we had not got on any vacations since our honeymoon. After her initial glee we settled down on choosing our place. Finally we decided to go for the place which was described as one of the "ten paradises of the world" by the reputed National Geographic's Traveler magazine – Kerala.

Once we had zeroed in on Kerala and a weeklong trip we decided to pre book our travel and hotel stays through a travel agency. A quick check on my alumni forum led us to Antilog Vacations and Holidays to be one of the most popular and favoured agencies for South Indian trips. The site had an easy interface and led us to many resorts in the state along with a host of favourable customer reviews. The representative got in touch with us and even planned our itinerary to the tee, picking the places to visit, the intermittent cab travels and the flights from and to our native in Delhi. Thus we booked their package for 8 days and 7 nights and were all packed to go.

We reached the Cochin International Airport on a fine Saturday morning. Given the sleepy nature of the town of Kochi the airport surely appeared to be quite busy. As we left the airport we came to know that this airport was the first Indian airport to be integrated as a public limited company. Our first stop was the town of Kochi itself and Antilog Vacations had booked the 4 star property in the airport’s vicinity. Bala was waiting with a cab at the airport and he was our designated cabbie for the trip. As we were reaching the resort the verdant greenery was very pleasing to the eyes and it seemed that it had rained slightly before our arrival. This made the climate moderate too and my wife really enjoyed the onset of the trip.

The resort was a posh place and seemed newly built. The swimming pool was very nicely maintained and the Jacuzzi bordering the pool almost lured us to dive into it straightaway. But we resisted our temptation and decided to check out our room first. The room was quite big and very spacious for a couple. We had our lunch which was an elaborate buffet at the restaurant itself. The dining area was an extension of the reception but had a differently pleasurable lighting arrangement. Bala then took us to the Mattancherry Palace. The heritage palace was built by the Dutch. The nearby lanes of the Mattancherry Palace were stocked with spice shops and Bala doubled up as our guide and negotiator.

Kerala being the queen of spices and my wife being an avid cook, we ended up buying different varieties of rare spices at reasonable prices. The Chinese fishing nets were a popular sightseeing spot because of its ancient tradition. The fish markets bordering the nets are quite developed and sell an unbelievable range of seafood. If the array of squids, baby octopus, lobsters, and crabs were not enough, a guy was even selling sharks.

The popular hill station of Munnar second on our list and Antilog Vacations had selected an awesome resort – Devonshire Greens there too. As we arrived there through the meandering roads we crossed quite a few waterfalls which were perfect for snaps. One major waterfall too fell on the way (sorry forgot the name) and it had a large crowd and buses gathering there with people eager for a shower amidst the gushing water.

Devonshire Greens Resort was located behind a host of misty hills and the climate was pleasantly chilly. After our Munnar sojourn we visited Thekkady. The place was popular for its Ayurvedic massages and the Periyar Tiger Reserve, both of which were excellent experiences. My wife even got to ride an elephant with a majestic pair of ivories which she still recalls fondly. The last place on our trip was Alleppey where Antilog Vacations had booked a houseboat for a day replete with dinner and stay. The houseboat ride was the perfect way to cap off our trip to ‘God’s Own Country’ and we enjoyed the same immensely.

Antilog Vacations South India Review - AVB0098600

Last year Paradisa Plantation Retreat made my summer vacation an unforgettable event in my live. Its very easy to reach this place as it is situated at Murinjapuzha on the Kottayam-Kumily road. The retreat is well connected by road and the nearest airport is Cochin airport and the nearest railway station is Kottayam station. I booked this retreat via Antilog vacations website where it's cheap and easy. I was picked up in the railway station on time by the retreat cab. The Paradisa Plantation Retreat has a Kerala style cottages and treehouses and it is surrounded by forests and spice plantations.

The resort has an traditional entrance called as The Pradipura. The deluxe room is very well designed as if i am staying in a palace, the rooms are fully furnished with ancient design. These have been designed with priceless artifacts, all handpicked and placed, creating an cultural richness. On my check-in, i was given welcome drinks and after check in, breakfast was provided in a restaurant which has a clear hill view. The food  was very good with traditional Kerala taste. You can also find a pool at the dawn which is too clean. The staffs was too good and i like the smile on their faces always.

During my 2 night stay in Paradisa Plantation retreat, I was taken to the following places by the tour operators in the retreat which i would recommend to you all. You can take Ayurveda massage which provides remedies from sickness and disease which is 6 km from the retreat. Then I went for a trekking through the plantation to see the cultivation of cardamom, cloves and pepper, then you have Periyar Tiger Reserve etc.

The Retreat is a corporate member of the Peermade Club for Golf. It also has Kerala Cuisine where you will find the special Kerala dishes and accompanying with Indian Classical music and Dance at the restaurant. My dream has come true at Paradisa Plantation Retreat, you can also have the opportunity to fulfill your dream of a perfect gateway, in communion with the best of nature.

Antilog Vacations South India Review - AVB0098577

After booking a travel package for Munnar and Alleppey ( from Antilog Vacations), I spend my 3 days of holiday in the hotel “The Whispering Meadows”. The Whispering Meadows hotel is a 3 Star hotel. This hotel is one of the best places I have ever stayed. The hotel is situated about 6000 feet from the sea level on top of the hill surrounded with most picturesque tea gardens. There are 21 hill top cottages available.

The rooms are fully furnished from floor to ceiling with a comfortable living space, clean bed, immaculate bathroom, TV and other luxuries. The hotel has the following facilities like Multi-cuisine restaurant where you will get the best food, doctors are available 24/7, and most likely hot water is available 24 hours. You can view the beauty of the hill from the lawn, but the sad part is the mist will cover everything in the afternoon itself.

The most important thing for any traveler is the service they get and to my surprise the service is too good. The staff in the hotel is very helpful and they greet you with smile on every request you ask for. Normally you can reach this hotel from Cochin through cab. From the railway station you can book a cab to Munnar which will take only 3-4 hours.

The popular sightseeing around this hotel.

• Tea Gardens which is 0.3 km from City centre
• CSI Christ Church
• Mattupetty dam
• Rajamalai national park also known as Eravikulam national park
• Attukal waterfalls which is a lovely place to watch out
• Punarjani traditional village where you can view good kathakali show
• You can go for Trekking

Advise

1. Please avoid visiting these places on rainy seasons as you will not be able to enjoy anything. This hotel also have online booking, so you can book your rooms online to avoid last time rush. The rates are costly though. And the hotel, invariably tries put u in the worst rooms as they have no liabilities as such.
2. Always book thru a good agent, a whole tour package so that you get discounts on all parts of your trip. I think Antilog Vacations is a very good travel agent for Kerala given their cheap rates , good services and positive feedback. I booked from them after scrutinising more than 5 travel agents.
3. Never get a Kerala agent , they're not very honest. Simply put, I know few people who have gone thru the embarrassments.
4. Do not miss the local food, its awesome cooked in coconut oil

Rishabh Das Chadha - Antilog Vacations Ooty Review AVB0098119

This was our honeymoon trip to hotel holiday inn Gem Park, Ooty. When we arrived they smiled and welcomed us and they gave a welcome drink that was a great sense of satisfaction to view the well managed services of Antilog Vacations. The hotel is surrounded by the lush greenery trees and leaves and it looks very pretty. The check in process was done very quickly. The lobby and reception area are outstanding. The lobby are maintained with traditional wood flooring and painted very well.

Our room is very spacious and equipped with highly worth amenities and our bed gives more comfort for our comfortable sleep. The bathroom is attached well with shower and has 24 hours hot and cold running water facility. The view of mountain valley from our room is simply gorgeous. Internet access is available but it cost for per hour.

There is a spa salon in this resort and also they include the beauty services. The price was worthy and they perform well and doing their job perfectly. The body massage therapy is handled by the well trained masters. My wife did oil massage for her hair fall control and now she fell better.

We asked for the manager to arrange sightseeing tour. Morning 11.30 the guide has come and pick up us and mostly we covered all the places before 5.30pm. The price was worthy we asked for the guide to take photo and we took many photos on the interesting places.

The sightseeing options areas are-

• Ooty lake
• Botanical gardens
• Doddabetta peak
• Ketty valley
• Elk hills and kalhatty falls

The indoor swimming pool is available in the resort itself but we can't use it. The monkeys are around the swimming pool and we feel bad. The dinner was arranged by our room itself and they kept fruits, cookies and all. The restaurant was airy and they provide fresh foods and make us to feel like eating in home. Overall I will say this stay gives memorable event in our life this is the best place for honeymoon couples.

Md Wasim Shah - Antilog Vacations South India Review AVB0098449

Being the last year of my college we were plan to go for a trip to Cochin. Fort Cochin is really a nice place to stay away from the crowd city. We booked Ann’s residency resort through travel agent. Ann's residency is a superb serene place and the hotel is a blend of home stay in the heart of fort Cochin. We were a group of 10 guys around stayed at Ann’s residency for 4 days.

We booked three rooms for 10 guys with the help of Antilog Vacations services after going through Antilog Vacations website. Kerala is the only place to admire the nature beauty. The hotel is quite beautiful and charming. It’s a Portuguese style residency make us feel home stay. Our rooms are well equipped and perfectly furnished.

The interiors of Ann’s residency are building up in the colonial style. We booked air conditioner room and our suites are with balcony. The rooms surrounded by the peaceful garden and the birds are singing all around. The garden views from the room balcony are simply superb. This resort is close to the beach and other areas of interest such as the indo Portuguese museum and the st Francis church.

Our room offers the internet connectivity, telephones, laundry services, and doctor on calls, reading rooms and dining halls. We used the room telephone to keep contact with the next room, which were our friends staying. We very well used laundry services before leaving they returned back our clothes clean and nicely washed.

The food was awesome and delicious. The cafe was also good for snacks and foods. The staffs and owner make our tour memorable for lifetime. Surely this trip makes us to joined together and come back to Kerala and should enjoy in this beautiful resort. Kerala is a nice place to visit and Ann’s residency is a beautiful property you should all have to see in future. To get a break from daily life route come and get relax in this beautiful place. Thanks Antilog Vacations for your great services!

Sanchit Dubey - Antilog Vacations South India Review AVB0097051

We stayed at Cocobay resort, kumarakom in the month of May. Coco bay resort is located in kumarakom, a backwater hamlet. We are booked our package through Antilog Vacations. It's a small but beautiful resort. When we arrived they warm welcomed us with drinks. The ambience is really amazing and gorgeous. All rooms are well furnished and fully equipped with traditional Kerala amenities. The views from our rooms are superb. It was a lovely to watch the nature beauty of Vembanad Lake. The sunset view is spectacular. The rooms have modern facilities like refrigerator, tea/coffee makers and designer bathrooms with hot and cold running water. The houseboat experience was really fantastic.

We had an ayurvedic full body massage which was quite good and reasonable price. The swimming pool at this resort is good and they offer small swimming pool for kids. My 6yr old son enjoyed swimming over there and it was an amazing experience for him. The place is beautifully designed, the landscape is amazing and it’s a nice place for us to get relax. The food we ordered was delicious lip smacking foods. I had fish curry with prawn masala, the traditional Kerala dishes was simply superb. The staffs were kind enough and they ready to help us at any time. Peoples are very impressive and they are kind hearted.

This resort is ideally made for honeymoon couples where you can find yourself privacy. Coco bay resort is your budget hotel. It’s pretty cheap compared to other resorts in kumarakom. If you want to spend your vacation with your family then this is the right place for you. I would recommend this resort to all who likes to admire the scenic beauty of nature and get relax and peace. Kerala is a god's own country you all peoples should visit this paradise. Surely my next trip should be in coco bay resort.

Mixed sense of reviews during our journey to South India - AVB0079856

The Zuri Kumarakom is an experience which people will love to remember and share with others. We got a chance to experience its beauty via a 7 day Kumarakom-Alleppey-Munnar tour. Antilog Vacations really designed a good tour under prices selecting nice properties, houseboats etc

As soon as you enter the resort you will feel really good because the ambience is nice. The view from all the rooms are astonishingly beautiful..which will provide view of a man made lagoon whereas the pool villas will provide the view of Vembanad Lake. Their check in time is 2 PM, so it's better to be there around that time otherwise you may have to wait. The resort is 90 km away from the airport which is a drawback but while coming you can enjoy nice scenic beauty.

Upgradation of the rooms depends on the availability.

All the rooms are spacious and comfortable with nice bed and neat and clean bathrooms. But the lighting can be improved as the rooms are not very bright. The rooms are having all the amenities except no alcohol in the mini bar. Room service is excellent and buffet breakfast is very elaborate and good. Buffet stuffs are helpful who will help you in choosing the right food.  Food you can have of your choice. The chef will take special care of your recommendations. Chef’s demo classes are also conducted where nice kerala preparations are tought. But the food is costly also as compared to other resorts.The hotel management is very good. They come around people and check on everybody’s comfort. But all the staffs are not good in spoken English.

The ayurvedic treatments and spas are very good though expensive and to get appointment you have to book it early. The night performances are good but little loud. The hotel offers a complementary 4 PM tea and free boat ride which is a mediocre experience. Complementary activities are like..daily yoga, personal consultation of ayurveda with a doctor. The bars do not allow kids though they run a happy hour so that you can enjoy yourself till dinner as the dinner time is 7 pm. The houseboats are good but charged on couple basis. The speed boat ride is very good with a very good guide.

The pool side is lovely but the store is overpriced and kids playroom is also not so good. The houseboats are good but again very expensive. They provide bicycles to go around though all the cycles are not in good shape. You can't park your own vehicles there so the only option is take hotel vehicles to go around which is overcharged. The decks in the villas have loose wooden boards.

The overall experience will be good. With lots of complementary activities and scenic beauty. The staffs are polite and helpful though sometimes service is late. Another drawback is everything is very expensive. The property is bit old but neatly maintained. It will be good stay though you may not give it a five star rank. Good service also provided by tour operator.

Refreshing visit to South India - AVB0097943

I recently travelled to Thekkady with my wife. We booked our resort through the immensely helpful travel portal - Antilog Vacations. The pics of the resort Carmelia Haven enthralled my wife as this was a boutique resort located inside a herb and spice plantation. The travel site however gave us a plethora of other options too but I decided to go with my wife’s call and booked the Carmelia.

The resort’s location was really nice amidst very nice evergreen trees and landscaped hills. However one minor blip was the resort’ distance from the Cochin airport. The Antilog Vacations guys arranged for the commute and hence we were spared the charges but the distance made us realize that for anybody booking a cab the rates would be on the higher side.

We got a cottage on the ground floor. While going to our room we could see that the resort would be tough for the elderly as there were multiple stairs and the terrain in general was quite hilly and bereft of any lifts. Though the resort authorities said that they had provisions for the elder persons but we did not see it being used in the course of our stay.

The resort had a tree house too which had to be booked in advance. We could not get that as we were unaware of it while planning our travel. So in case you are of the adventurous kind you could enquire about the tree house.

In general we thought the food was decent. There was a pre-fix menu from which the order was to be made. Depending on the number of guests they made lunch and dinner buffet. So in case you are in for luck and happen to drop by in the resort’s peak season you would be in for a sumptuous buffet treat. Thus, on the whole Carmelia is a recommended stay.

A trip to Heaven and back.

Satisfactory visit to South India - AVB0079738

An extended weekend invariably tends to excite your travelling genes and we were no different. Last month me and my wife got a 4 day break and we wanted to make the most of the hiatus. My wife got enticed by Antilog Vacations Review and booked package through their travel website www.antilogvacations.com. We consequently ended up booking the Kumarakom package for 3 days and 4 nights at the Abad Whispering Palms Lake Resort. The tariff was surprisingly nominal for a couple and if the pictures on the site were anything to go by we knew we were in for a treat.

We arrived in Kumarakom in the evening and were immediately smitten by the grand locale of the resort. The resort totally justified its 4 star rank and is located on the fringes of the backwaters with the rooms being set in beautiful landscaped gardens. The concierge was a really helpful fellow and he immediately made us feel at home. The lake view rooms were huge around 600 sq ft and my wife simply relished the interiors. We were immediately welcomed by the lovely breeze blowing from the adjoining Vembanad Lake. The bath was stuffed with a wide array of toiletries.

The lunch and dinner buffet were delectable with the seafood courses coming in for special mention. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the lobsters while I gorged on the crabs throughout our stay there. One thing to note is that there is no bar present on the resort and hence the authorities always inform the guests to carry their own stash beforehand. There was a pool located inside the premises and though it gave a nice feel to the ambience but the pool was not properly maintained and chlorinated. Hence we did not feel like entering the pool. Thus despite a few minor blips a really good resort and definitely worth visiting.

Reena Aggarwal, Lecturer - Visit to Tamil Nadu AVB0079418

Our vacation time in South Indian state ‘Tamil Nadu’ went beyond our expectations. Me and my husband pre-planned the holiday destination and entire theme.. for the comfort, care and relax with the complete family. It is a nice way to stay touched and give time to your children and husband. During last winter vacations, we finalized our plans to spend time at beach destination and after few chit-chat 'Tamil Nadu' was selected as final place which is also famous as a religious site. In the same time span, my husband put a query on antilogvacations.com to received back the details about Tamil Nadu package.

We were always followed a pre-planning schedule for almost all of our tours, to fully enjoy our visit from beginning to end and it is also a safe and excellent way to spend your relaxing days. No doubt, when we go through Antilog Vacations services, we also received budget friendly holidays. With the help of their excellent driver, we were easily covered the places within time frame and without any hectic schedule. In my views, it was a complete family visit with the comfortable transfers, accommodation, quality food and friendly driver cum guide.

It was the first time when we were with the services of Antilog Vacations and no doubt they performed their best and we've no issue to make a lifetime bond with their services. Even this tour planner also offered us valuable suggestions which were helpful during our journey. Our tour consultant was very professional, polite, patient and knowledgeable who provide us several tips to make it an interesting visit. She managed the complete planning and sent the options along with 2 or 3 itineraries with their adjacent prices.

Then, with few changes, we finalized our itinerary and booked the holiday with easy payment mode. It's not only a part of business, they really provided their support up to the final step and this satisfaction enforced me to share my successful experience with others. Here, I also want to recommend others to experience a better shape of your holidays with Antilog group and enjoy more than the expected.

Excellent job throughout the tour! Thanks again.. We will definitely get in touch for our next trip.

Major efforts of Antilog Vacations in our Coorg Visit - AVB0079491

Last month, we visited in the scenic beauty of Coorg. It was really clean, calm and refreshing place. We enjoyed our relaxing vacation time with the excellent efforts of my tour operators 'Antilog Vacations'. They arranged a nice homestay for us at the appropriate location in the middle of the scenic coffee estate. For the local sightseeing, we enjoyed through booked jeep and cover the great off-road experience. As per the planned itinerary, we stayed there for 3 nights.

It was a wonderful time. Actually, we expected the same and wanna spend our holidays with a complete delight within the touch of nature apart from any luxurious theme. The gorgeous, green, fresh and pleasant surroundings were perfect for a relaxing stay. Within the quiet atmosphere, we put a demand of Veg food with Antilog's representative and he successfully able to served the same.

Me and my wife able to spend quality time together. In simple terms, Coorg is an excellent place with an imaginative beauty. Mercara (Madikeri) is wonderful part of our tour. We never forget the beauty of this hill station within mild climate. This small green area is locally renowned as 'Scotland of India'. We also covered the nearby coffee plantation with a small walk. There were a number of attractions to explore on this popular tourist place.

We covered the famous Abbey Falls, Talakaveri, Nagarhole National Park, wildlife safari, Madikeri fort, Raja Seat, Omkareshwara Temple (Madikeri), Golden Temple (Kodagu), Dubare Elephant Camp and related attractions. In my views, it was a superbly planned tour by Antilog Vacations through which we were able to enjoy every taste in a form of natural attractions, famous landmarks, religious sites, adventure thrills, historical places and much more.

It was a great time in all aspects. We enjoyed a lot in terms of bath with elephants, view of baby elephants and their feeding process, photography at wooden bridge & waterfalls, peaceful Buddha monastery, amazing sunset view, ride of small toy train during Raja Seat visit and informative visit with the knowledge of historical and religious sites. I totally satisfied with the services of Antilog Vacations. Thanks, Guys for putting your great efforts. We love a lot to your services and want to further proceed in future.