Every year around this time, office group chats start filling up with the same question: “What are we doing for Onam this year?” If your team’s Onam celebration has been the same tired formula — a potluck in the break room, a half-hearted tug-of-war in the parking lot — it might be time to actually take the celebration somewhere worth remembering.
At Ben’s Holidays, we’ve built a One Day Corporate Onam Celebration that fits an entire festival’s worth of experience into a single, well-planned day — a real Sadhya, a houseboat cruise, and Onam games that get even your most reserved colleagues laughing on the tug-of-war rope. No multi-day planning, no complicated logistics — just one day, fully organized, ready to book.
Why a One-Day Format Works So Well for Teams
Most corporate Onam events happen indoors, squeezed between meetings, with catering trays lined up on a conference table. Ours happens out on Kochi’s backwaters — on a boat, under the open sky, with the kind of scenery that makes people put their phones away without being asked to.
Keeping it to one day is deliberate. Teams don’t need to block out a weekend or coordinate a multi-day offsite to get a real Onam experience — a single, well-structured day away from the office is enough to unplug, celebrate, and come back closer as a team. It’s easier to plan, easier to get approved, and easier to fit into everyone’s calendar, without losing any of the substance of the celebration.
What’s Included in the One Day Corporate Onam Celebration Package
Authentic Onam Sadhya
No corporate Onam celebration is complete without a proper Sadhya, and we don’t cut corners on this. Expect a traditional Kerala feast served on a banana leaf — a full spread of curries, pachadi, avial, sambar, payasam, and everything else that makes Onam Sadhya the meal people talk about for weeks afterward. It’s cooked the way it’s meant to be cooked, not catered from a standard event menu.
Scenic Houseboat Cruise
Your team gets a relaxed cruise through Kochi’s backwaters aboard a traditional Kettuvallam houseboat — the same style of boat Kerala’s backwaters are famous for. It’s a natural icebreaker in itself: put a group of colleagues on a boat with palm-fringed canals drifting past, and conversations start happening that never do in a meeting room.
Team-Building Games (the fun kind, not the awkward kind)
This is where the day really comes alive. We run a full lineup of traditional Onam games designed to get everyone involved, regardless of age or fitness level:
- Vadamvali (Tug of War) — the classic Onam showdown, and still the loudest event of the day
- Lemon and Spoon Race — simple, chaotic, and always good for a laugh
- Musical Chair — a party favorite that somehow gets more competitive every year
- Uriyadi — the blindfolded pot-breaking game that’s an Onam tradition in itself
- And a few more surprises worked into the day depending on group size and energy
These aren’t generic “corporate team building” exercises pulled from a facilitator’s handbook — they’re real Onam games, the ones played in Kerala households and village grounds during the festival, adapted for a group outing.
Why Choose Ben’s Holidays for Your Corporate Onam Event
Built for teams, not just tourists. We regularly host corporate groups, so we know how to run a smooth day for 15 people or 150 — from managing logistics to keeping the energy up throughout.
A genuine Kerala experience, not a staged one. The houseboat is real, the Sadhya is real, the games are the ones actually played during Onam across Kerala — nothing about this feels like a corporate simulation of a festival.
One day, fully planned. You don’t have to coordinate caterers, venues, and activity organizers separately. It’s one booking, one day, everything handled.
A backdrop your team will actually remember. Kochi’s backwaters are a far better setting for team photos and casual conversation than a hotel banquet hall — and it shows in how people talk about the day afterward.
Who This Is For
This corporate Onam package works well for:
- Companies and startups looking for a proper team outing during the festive season
- HR and admin teams planning an Onam celebration that doesn’t feel like a repeat of last year
- Departments or smaller teams wanting a bonding day away from the office
- Client or partner appreciation events, where a Kerala cultural experience makes a memorable gesture.Planning a bigger group event? Check out our full day tour packages.
How the One Day Itinerary Works
Here’s how a typical one-day corporate Onam celebration with us unfolds, start to finish:
- Arrival and welcome at the boarding point near Kochi
- Houseboat cruise through the backwaters, with time to relax, chat, and take in the scenery
- Onam Sadhya, served traditionally on banana leaves
- Team games — Vadamvali, Lemon and Spoon Race, Musical Chair, Uriyadi, and more, with everyone encouraged to join in
- Wrap-up and return, with a lot fewer unread Slack messages than when the day started
It’s designed as a complete, self-contained day — your team leaves in the morning and comes back with the celebration fully done, no second day required. Start and end times can still be adjusted around your office hours or travel distance, but the full experience stays within the one day.
Planning Tips for Corporate Onam Outings
If you’re the one organizing this for your office, a few things worth knowing:
- Book early. Onam is peak season on Kerala’s backwaters, and houseboat and event slots fill up fast in the weeks leading up to the festival.
- Confirm group size upfront so we can plan the right boat capacity, food quantities, and game formats — Vadamvali works differently for a team of 20 versus a team of 100.
- Ask about custom add-ons — some teams like to add a photography package, traditional Onam attire (mundu and settu mundu) for photos, or a small awards segment for the games.
- Dietary preferences are easy to accommodate — just flag them when booking so the Sadhya spread works for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is included in the One Day Corporate Onam Celebration?
An Onam Sadhya, a houseboat cruise through Kochi’s backwaters, and a set of traditional team-building games including Vadamvali, Lemon and Spoon Race, Musical Chair, and Uriyadi — all packed into a single day.
Is one day really enough for a proper Onam celebration?
Yes. The itinerary is built specifically to fit a full Sadhya, a houseboat cruise, and multiple team games into one well-paced day, so teams get the complete experience without needing to plan a multi-day offsite.
How many people can join a corporate Onam event?
The package works for both small teams and large corporate groups — boat capacity and activity formats are adjusted based on your group size.
Is this suitable for teams with mixed age groups or fitness levels?
Yes. The games are designed to be inclusive — Onam traditions like tug-of-war and musical chairs work for participants of any age or fitness level, and no one is required to take part in every activity.
Can we customize the itinerary?
Yes, timings, food preferences, and the mix of activities can be adjusted depending on your group’s size and how much time you have for the day.
How far in advance should we book?
As early as possible, especially if your event falls close to the actual Onam dates, since backwater and houseboat availability gets tight during the festive season.
Is this only for companies based in Kochi?
No — teams travelling in from Ernakulam, other parts of Kerala, or even other states for an offsite are welcome. We can help plan around your team’s travel schedule.
Ready to Celebrate Onam with Your Team?
Skip the conference room this year. Give your team an Onam celebration they’ll actually be talking about after the festival is over — a real Sadhya, a backwater cruise, and games that bring out the competitive side of even your quietest colleague.
Book Your Corporate Onam Event Today! Call or WhatsApp Ben’s Holidays to check dates and get a custom quote for your team. Want to explore more experiences first? See all our boat cruises and packages.