Rowers and a crowd of spectators along the bank at a traditional snake boat race on a Kerala backwater

Destination · India

Corporate offsite in Kerala: Kochi, Kumarakom, Munnar and Kovalam

Convention halls in Kochi for conferences of 1,000 and more, lakeside resorts at Kumarakom, tea country at Munnar and the beach at Kovalam. ICE India's Kochi team plans and runs conferences, offsites and incentive trips, covering venues, travel, activities and the event day.

Plan an event in Kerala
Getting there
Four airports; non-stop flights into Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram from the major metros
Best months
October to March; monsoon programmes need indoor plans
Suits
Conferences of 1,000 and more in Kochi, retreats on the backwaters, in the hills and on the beach
ICE India in Kerala
A delivery team in Kochi, sales from Mumbai

Why companies choose Kerala

  • Reached from every metro

    Non-stop flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune into Kochi, and from most of them into Thiruvananthapuram.

  • Conference halls at scale

    Kochi has ballrooms and a convention centre that seat 1,000 delegates and more.

  • Lakes and canals

    Resorts on Vembanad Lake and day conferences on a houseboat.

  • A cool hill base

    Munnar, in the Western Ghats at about 1,600 metres, for smaller leadership groups.

  • Beach and wellness

    Kovalam's crescent beaches and Kerala's Ayurveda traditions, close to the state capital.

  • A team in Kochi

    Local transfers, vendors and the event day are managed from Kochi.

Kerala for corporate groups

Kerala is not one destination but a string of them along a narrow coastal strip, and a programme works best on two or three bases, chosen by transfer time and the balance of sessions and leisure.

Kochi is the practical hub: it has the airport with the most flights, the largest halls and a heritage quarter in Fort Kochi. The backwaters at Kumarakom and Alleppey, the hills at Munnar and the beach at Kovalam each add a different mood within a few hours.

A common format is two nights in one base, or a conference in Kochi followed by a night in the backwaters.

Programmes that split across Kochi and Kovalam or Munnar add road time, which ICE India plans around flight arrivals so that day one stays light.

ICE India runs Kerala programmes with a delivery team in Kochi, covering venue sourcing, flights, transfers, activities, AV and production as one plan, with a single point of contact, end to end.

Kochi, the backwaters, Munnar and Kovalam

Each place has its own mood, group size and hotels.

Chinese fishing nets silhouetted against the setting sun at Fort Kochi

The hub

Kochi and Fort Kochi

A working port city with convention hotels on Bolgatty Island, at Maradu and at Edappally. Fort Kochi, with its Chinese fishing nets, colonial churches and Jew Town, suits heritage walks, treasure hunts and dinners in restored buildings. Each makes a good team outing in Kochi.

Selected corporate venues in Kochi and Fort Kochi
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Grand Hyatt Kochi BolgattyBolgatty Island, Kochi264Hotel ballrooms plus the adjoining convention centreLiwa Ballroom: 26,028 sq ft, about 2,600
Le Méridien KochiMaradu, Kochiabout 22312Oman Hall: 14,424 sq ft, 1,225
Kochi Marriott HotelEdappally, Kochi27311Solitaire: 10,764 sq ft, 1,600
Crowne Plaza KochiMaradu, Kochiabout 26914Grand Ballroom: about 5,190 sq ft, 600
Taj Malabar Resort & SpaWillingdon Island, Kochi936Conference hall: about 3,720 sq ft, 320
A traditional houseboat on the palm-lined backwaters near Alappuzha, Kerala

The backwaters

Kumarakom and Alleppey

Lake resorts on the eastern shore of Vembanad Lake, with houseboats, canoes and kayaks a few minutes away. Alleppey has the widest choice of houseboats. Halls here seat 80 to 300, so these suit leadership offsites and small conferences.

A houseboat from Kumarakom or Alleppey can serve as a day conference room for 50 to 100, across several boats where needed, with an air-conditioned deck hall, audio-visual equipment, Kerala meals cooked on board and a cultural performance in the evening. Houseboats cannot hold large plenaries, so ICE India uses them for a half-day session or a working lunch inside a longer programme.

Selected corporate venues in Kumarakom and Alleppey
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
The Zuri KumarakomKumarakom722 halls plus a lawnBhairavi and Poorvi combined: about 1,800 sq ft, 156
Kumarakom Lake ResortKumarakom591Conference hall: about 1,000 sq ft, 85
Tea gardens on the misty hills of Munnar in the Western Ghats

Tea country

Munnar

A tea-estate hill town in the Western Ghats at about 1,600 metres, with mist, cool evenings and walks through the plantations. Resort halls are small, mostly 80 to 120 seats, so Munnar suits board retreats and teams of up to 100 who want to switch off. It stays cool through most of the year.

Selected corporate venues in Munnar
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
Fragrant Nature MunnarPothamedu, Munnar431Conference hall: 1,110 sq ft, 80
KTDC Tea CountyMunnar671Conference hall: about 1,200 sq ft, 120
Eastend MunnarMunnar townabout 1121Conference hall: 4,000 sq ft, Not available
Waves on the black sand of Kovalam beach with the red and white lighthouse on the headland

Beach and capital

Kovalam and Thiruvananthapuram

Kovalam is a beach resort with crescent beaches, a lighthouse headland and resorts that run spas and yoga alongside meeting halls. Groups add scuba diving, parasailing, windsurfing, kayaking or beach volleyball, and finish the day with an Ayurvedic massage.

Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital, is the better base for a conference that needs a city around it. The Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the Napier Museum are on the sightseeing list. Resorts at Kovalam take between 300 and 750 in their largest halls, and a Kovalam stay with a day in the capital makes a simple two-part programme.

Selected corporate venues in Kovalam and Thiruvananthapuram
HotelAreaRoomsEvent venuesLargest indoor venue (sq ft, theatre)
The Leela Kovalam a Raviz HotelKovalamabout 1888Raviz Convention Centre: about 7,400 sq ft, 750
Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & SpaKovalam2255 hallsVizhinjam: 5,904 sq ft, 700
Taj Green Cove Resort & SpaKovalam592 halls plus lawnsAgora Hall: about 3,800 sq ft, 300
Hyatt Regency TrivandrumThycaud, Thiruvananthapuram132SeveralGreat Hall: about 9,500 sq ft, 1,000

Flights to Kerala from the main Indian cities

Most metros have a non-stop flight into Kochi, so colleagues arrive within a few hours of one another. ICE India routes each delegate to the airport nearest the hotel and keeps day one light so a long transfer does not cut into the first session.

Reaching Kerala
CityAirportNon-stop flightsRail and road
KochiCochin International (COK) at Nedumbassery, about 25 km north-east of Kochi city. International: direct from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait, Bahrain, Riyadh, Jeddah, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.Bengaluru about 1h 05m, Chennai about 1h 15m, Mumbai about 2h, Hyderabad about 1h 40m, Pune about 1h 50m, Delhi about 3h 10m. From Kolkata, connect through Bengaluru, Chennai or Hyderabad: about five to six hours.Vande Bharat links Bengaluru and Ernakulam Junction in about 8h 40m, six days a week. Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram is about 205 km by road, 5h 30m, and 3 to 4 hours by the fastest trains.
Kumarakom and AlleppeyServed by Kochi (COK).As Kochi.Kumarakom is about 75 km and two to two and a half hours by road from the airport.
MunnarServed by Kochi (COK).As Kochi.About 110 km from the airport, three and a half to four and a half hours by road.
Thiruvananthapuram and KovalamThiruvananthapuram (TRV), under 4 km from the city centre and about 16 km from Kovalam beach, 25 to 40 minutes by road.Chennai about 1h 20m, Bengaluru about 1h 20m, Hyderabad about 1h 50m, Mumbai about 2h 20m, Delhi about 3h 20m to 3h 35m. From Kolkata, connect through another south Indian hub.Kochi to Kovalam is a long road leg, so a Kochi and Kovalam split is better run by coach with a stop, or a short flight.

Convention centre

For conventions beyond the hotel ballrooms, Kochi has one of the largest halls in the state.

  • The Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty and the Lulu convention centre lit up across the lake at night

    Bolgatty Island, Kochi

    Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre

    A large convention centre on the same site as the Grand Hyatt Kochi, so delegates stay and meet on one island.

    • Liwa Ballroom: 26,028 sq ft, about 2,600 theatre
    • Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty next door: 264 rooms

Where to hold it

The right base depends on group size, season and the mood you want.

  • Kochi

    Convention hotels with ballrooms for conferences and dealer meets, near the airport and Fort Kochi.

    • Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty
    • Le Méridien Kochi
    • Kochi Marriott Hotel

  • Kumarakom and Munnar

    Smaller resorts on the lake and in the hills for leadership offsites and retreats.

    • The Zuri Kumarakom
    • Kumarakom Lake Resort
    • Fragrant Nature Munnar

  • Kovalam and Thiruvananthapuram

    Beach resorts with large halls and spas, and a city hotel for business meetings.

    • The Leela Kovalam a Raviz Hotel
    • Uday Samudra Leisure Beach Hotel & Spa
    • Hyatt Regency Trivandrum

What groups do in Kerala

  • Snake boat races

    Teams of rowers on a long traditional boat, with a coach, a drummer and a finish line.

  • Kayak treasure hunt

    Paddlers solve clues along the canals at Kumarakom or Alleppey.

  • Fort Kochi walks

    A treasure hunt or heritage walk through the old quarter, with a local guide.

  • Kathakali and Kalaripayattu

    A performance and a martial arts demonstration, as an evening programme.

  • Plantation trails

    Tea and spice estates around Munnar, with a lunch on the estate.

  • Ayurveda and yoga

    Wellness sessions at the resort, planned as a gentle close to a working day.

When to go

October to March is the main season: dry, cool and the best time on the backwaters. The south-west monsoon, June to September, brings heavy rain.

Most houseboat operators avoid cruising in June to August, so every outdoor plan needs an indoor fallback. A lighter north-east monsoon follows in October to December. April and May are hot and humid, though rates are lower. Programmes usually run for two nights, or three with a second base.

ICE India in Kerala

A snake boat race run as a team-building dayTeams of rowers, a coach and a drummer on a long traditional boat, racing to a finish line on the water. It is one of the activities ICE India builds into Kerala programmes.

Events ICE India has run in Kerala

  • Franchise partners on stage during the awards gala in Kochi

    Gold's Gym India

    A three-day annual franchise meet in Kochi in 2018, built around the city with a heritage dinner, a snake boat race and an awards gala.

  • Partners being felicitated with shawls at a Transasia launch evening

    Transasia Bio-Medicals

    The 2019 analyser launch reached Kerala on three evenings: Taj Calicut on 30 April, Hilton Garden Inn Trivandrum on 2 May and Kochi Marriott on 4 May.

  • I've had the pleasure of working with ICE India on multiple events in the past 5 years. Mufaddal gives a special touch to every event with his innovative ideas, personalized service and kick­ass execution! The ICE India team is easily accessible and attentive to our needs. I've found them to be very organized, creative and thoughtful of all aspects leading up to the event and the event day itself. Mufaddal gets personally involved in all matters from ideation to execution and uses his experience to execute all events seamlessly and always has a "plan B" in place for any potential issues. They have a good vendor partner group and have been able to accommodate all event planning seamlessly, exceeding our expectations every time. I would highly recommend ICE India for event planning and have referred them to other companies in my contact sphere.

    Sopan UpadhyayChief Manager - Marketing, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

  • We engaged the services of ICE India for managing our Annual Meet at Hotel Novotel Hyderabad. We have been dealing with ICE India for many events and the fact that we have engaged them numerous times is an indicator of our satisfaction of their standards of service. The principle of the company, Mr. Mufaddal Dahodwala, personally gets involved in the event, right from the planning stage until execution. He adds tremendous value by giving his inputs on what & how to be done. His personal touch to the events is truly appreciated. The Hyderabad event was very successful and much appreciated by the attendees, a smooth flowing event without hiccups.

    Karthik RamanChief Distribution Officer, IDBI Federal Life Insurance Co. Ltd.

  • Dear Mufaddal and Shreya, This was our first event and we approached ICE India for support. You both were very calm, composed and able to make decisions at once, quickly. You were able to understand our needs and always happy to help even when the plan changes last minute. You are very organized in your work which leads to minimum last minute issues – which we all know are bound to happen. We had a fantastic experience and were treated with thorough professionalism right from planning, organizing and executing the event. It was a fabulous experience working with you both and we cannot thank you enough for executing it so well. Kind regards, Gita

    Gita WaghelaTalwar, Thakore and Associates

Planning an event in Kerala: questions

Can alcohol be served at a Kerala event?

Yes, with care. The first of every month and a few other dates are dry days, and since 2025 three-star and above hotels can apply for a special permit to serve at a conference or wedding on the first, at least seven days ahead. ICE India checks the calendar when it fixes dates and arranges the permit through the hotel.

Do festivals affect Kerala bookings?

Yes. Christmas, New Year and the Onam weeks sell out well ahead, and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race near Alleppey in August draws crowds. If dates are flexible, avoid those weeks, or book the hotel block early.

How many nights does a Kerala offsite need?

Two nights is the minimum for a single base. Three nights suits a conference in Kochi followed by a backwater or hill extension, because the road legs take half a day each.

Who manages corporate offsites in Kerala end to end?

ICE India is a corporate event management and MICE company in Kerala with a delivery team in Kochi, and is headquartered in Mumbai. One plan covers hotel contracts, flights, transfers, AV, entertainment and the event day, coordinated with hotel teams and local vendors.

What does a corporate offsite in Kerala cost?

Season, hotel category, flights and experiences all move the figure. As a reference point, the published bands for a one-night conference of 200 people run from ₹35-70 lakh, including stay on twin sharing, F&B and AV, before GST. A Kerala quote follows a short brief. See corporate MICE.

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