Head of Trip Design
Anjali Pillai
Anjali joined Eyes of Venice in 2012 after seven years in luxury hospitality. She leads our trip-design team.
Our story
Fifteen years of curated Kerala journeys
A small Kochi-based team of trip designers, naturalists and storytellers — together since 2010. Here is who we are and how we work.
Where it began
A small office on Marine Drive, 2010
Eyes of Venice started in a single room above a chai shop near the Ernakulam Boat Jetty. Three of us — a hospitality manager, a Wayanad-born naturalist and a Fort Kochi historian — pooled our contacts and our first month’s rent. We had four houseboats on the books, and not a single booking.
Fifteen years later we still run from Marine Drive — a little further along, with windows now and a proper kettle. The principles have not changed. We design every trip in-house. We never sell what we have not personally tried. And we pay the people on the ground fairly and on time.
Today our roster covers all six regions of Kerala and a small team across Kochi, Wayanad, Munnar and Kasargod. About 12,000 travellers have come through our doors — most of them by word of mouth from the last one.
“The trips we are most proud of are the ones we’d take ourselves.”
— Anjali, Head of Trip Design
Eyes of Venice by the numbers
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How we work
Four non-negotiables
Fifteen years in, these are still the things we will not change.
Locally rooted, always
Every guide, driver and host on our roster is from the region they show you. No outsourced operations, no fly-by-night vendors.
A real planner per trip
Your enquiry goes to a named person — not a chatbot, not a queue. They stay with you from the first reply to the day you fly home.
Curated, not catalogued
We have stayed in every hotel we recommend and walked every trail we sell. If we have not, we say so.
Responsible by default
No elephant rides. No single-use plastics on our houseboats. Honest fees to the people who actually do the work.
The team
A planner per trip, a human per question
The people behind your itinerary. You will hear from one of them by name within hours of enquiring.
Cultural Programmes Lead
Vinod Krishnan
Vinod curates our Theyyam, Kathakali and heritage walking programmes across Kochi, Kannur and Kasargod.
Wildlife & Hills
Joseph Thomas
A Wayanad-born naturalist with twelve years of guiding in the Western Ghats. Specialises in elephant and bird programmes.
Food & Culture
Lakshmi Nair
Former food writer turned trip designer. Plans our culinary tours, sadya experiences and home-cooking sessions.
Standards
Certified, accredited, accountable
We hold ourselves to industry standards — and a few of our own. These are the bodies we answer to.
Ministry of Tourism — Approved Tour Operator
Recognised by the Government of India Ministry of Tourism since 2014.
IATO Member
Active member of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (Member #4421).
Kerala Tourism Classified
Classified by Kerala Tourism under Approved Tour Operators — Category A.
Responsible Tourism Mission — Charter Signatory
Signatory to the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission charter on ethical wildlife and community tourism.
Recognition
Awards, quietly proud of
A handful of the recognitions our team has been honoured with over the years.
- 2024
Condé Nast Traveller — Readers’ Choice
Top 10 Tour Operators in South India
- 2023
TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice
Top 5% of operators worldwide (4th consecutive year).
- 2022
Kerala Tourism Award
Excellence in Responsible Tourism — Small Operator category.
- 2019
Outlook Traveller — Editor’s Pick
Best Small Tour Operator in Kerala.
Come visit
Drop by for chai
Our Marine Drive office is open Mon – Sat, 9 AM to 7 PM. Tour planning over chai is the original way we do business — and still the best.
Ready when you are
Let’s plan your Kerala journey together.
Tell us what kind of trip you’re dreaming of. We’ll craft something unforgettable — usually within a day.