A tropical paradise,
Kerala is a perfect blend of
culture & nature, snuggled cosily between the deep, infinite waters of
Arabian Sea & the lush green Western-Ghats throws open the spellbinding
world of palm fringed beaches, backwaters, mountains & islands. Come &
savour its enticing vistas
Tour
Duration : 18 Nights/19 Days
Places to Visit :
Chennai - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Tanjore -
Madurai - Periyar -
Kumarakom - Houseboat - Marari - Cochin - MumbaiDay
1 : Abroad - Chennai Arrive at Chennai international airport. On
arrival in Chennai, the guests will be met by our representative and
transferred
to
hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 2 : Chennai -
Mahabalipuram -- Later morning sightseeing tour cityCity tour
of Madras - is the fourth largest city in India. The sprawling city,
which is divided in two by the Cooum River, has few tall buildings to mark
the impression of an easygoing market town. Visit the Fort St. George -
still surrounded by cannon-proof walls. The fort was rebuilt several times
between 1642 when its original bastions were completed and 1749 when the
French left, it remains - moats and all - pretty much today as when first
made the seat of empire. Declared a national monument in 1948, most of its
buildings have been converted into government offices, notably the
Legislature and Secretariat. At various times the fort was home of Robert
Clive, Elihu Yale and Sir Arthur Wellesley. Within the fort, visit the
little St Mary's Church the oldest Protestant church east of the Suez and
the first Anglican one in India.
Later drive to
Mahabalipuram
enroute visiting
Kanchipuram.
KANCHIPURAM - known
as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples, is one of the oldest towns in
India. It is famous for both its temples, many of them remarkably well
preserved and for its hand-woven silks. Kanchipuram is one of the seven
sacred cities of India and it is the only one associated with both Shiva and
Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple, Kamakshi Temple, the
Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th centuries. With a
weaving tradition dating back to the Pallava era (when silk was the royal
cloth), Kanchipuram is justly famous for its particularly fine silk saris,
embellished with stunning patterns. Upon arrival check in at hotel.
Overnight
at hotel.
Day 3 : Mahabalipuram -- Morning sightseeing of
MahabalipuramMAHABALIPURAM - is famous for its unique
7th-century Shore Temple, a lovely beach and some of the most beautiful
rock-cut temples in the world. Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal,
Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st century AD. This, town
was a workshop for temple building. Visit the seven pagoda-style shore
temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven rathas or temple
chariots, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved out of
solid rock, the earliest known examples of Dravidian architecture. They were
constructed in a single century-long burst of creative enthusiasm, starting
in the reign of Narasimhavarman 1 (AD 630-68). Afternoon free on the beach.
Overnight
at hotel.
Day 4 : Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry -- Morning drive
to Pondicherry (140 kms)PONDICHERRY - which was a far-flung
outpost of the French maritime empire until the 1950s,. It is so different
from the rest of Tamil Nadu that one feels that one has entered another
country! This busy coastal town is divided roughly into two: the old White
Town of elegant French houses, restaurants & administrative buildings
and the Black Town west of the canal where India takes over again.
Afternoon
tour of Pondicherry - visiting Botanical garden, Eglise De Sacre Coeur De
Jesus and Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Later visit township of Auroville or the
city of Dawn. Designed by a French architect Roger Arger, it is an entirely
new concept in education and urban living.
Upon arrival in Tanjore
- check into the hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
5 : Pondicherry - Tanjore -- Morning drive to Tanjore (160 kms). Upon
arrival proceed for sightseeing tour TANJORE
TANJORE was
the capital of the Chola Empire from the tenth to the fourteenth centuries.
A Chola king, Raja Raja Chola, who held the throne from 985 to 1016, built
the greatest of the empire's 74 temples, the Brahadeeswarar, with its
soaring tower over the inner sanctum. This tower rises more than 62 meters
(200 feet). On its dome rests a single block of granite weighing 80 tons.
Upon
arrival check in at hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 6:
TanjoreRelax at hotel to enjoy the facilities such as
Ayurvedic massages, cooking demonstration, etc.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 7 : Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai -- Morning drive to Madurai
(195 km), en route visit TrichyTour of Trichy - visit
the
'Rock Fort Temple' which rises abruptly to a height of 273 ft. A
steep staircase cut into the rock leads up to the Fort. At the first level
are the remnants of a huge hall blasted into ruins in 1772. The next storey
is the
Mathrubhuteshwarer Shrine dedicated to Shiva. Finally at the
top of the hill, the '
Uchhi Pillayar Koil' - a Ganesh Temple
offering a commanding view of the city.
Thereafter continue dive to
Madurai
Upon arrival in Madurai - check into the hotel.
In
evening visit of the Meenakshi temple - to attend the night ceremony at
the temple at 9 PM. This is a ceremony that takes place every evening when
the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is carried to the bedchamber of Parvati. The
procession is accompanied by religious prayer and temple music.
Overnight
at hotel
Day 8 : Madurai - PeriyarMorning tour
of Madurai - It's one of the most pleasant Indian cities, and has a charming
situation on the River Vaigai, fringed by lush paddy fields and coconut
groves. Visit to
Meenakshi temple - this is Madurai's greatest
landmark, a city within a city that includes not only temples but also a
fascinating bazaar that is bustling from dawn to nightfall. See the famous
'Hall of a thousand Pillars' - a testimony to the exuberance of
Dravidian architecture, the
Shiva temple and the musical pillar.
Later
drive to
Periyar (180 km)
Upon arrival in Periyar - check into
the hotel.
PERIYAR - sprawling across 777 sq. kms. of the
Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats, Thekkady is the home to one of the
largest wildlife reserves in India. Alive with exotic flora and vibrant
wildlife, it is the perfect getaway tucked away among hills.
Overnight
at hotel
Day 9 : PeriyarMorning,
boat cruise
on the Periyar Lake in the cool surroundings and the panorama spreads
around tropical jungle, wild elephants, Indian gaur, monkeys, spotted deer,
barking deer, wild boar and birds of myriad varieties. With an area of 777
sq. km the wildlife sanctuary lies at an elevation of 914 meters to 1828
meters above sea level on the Periyar Lake in the hills of Western Ghats.
Afternoon
walk through the spice plantation.
Overnight at hotel
Day
10 : Periyar - VarkalaMorning drive to
Varkala (120
kms).
Upon arrival in Varkala - check into the hotel.
VARKALA
- A small seaside town in Kerala, has been a Hindu pilgrimage site since the
12th Century. To this day, the eight-hundred year old Janardhana Temple
remains a popular pilgrimage spot. Varkala is also blessed with an unspoilt,
golden beach, lapped by the waters of the Indian Ocean.
Afternoon
free for SPA and Ayurvedic massage.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
11 : Varkala - PoovarMorning drive to
Poovar (85 kms).
Upon
arrival in Poovar - check into the hotel.
Poovar Island is
an unspoilt resort enveloped by the most serene backwaters, and opening out
to the sea and a dream golden sand beach. Poovar is truly a window into
paradise. The tranquility is punctuated by the sound of waves and the birds.
The acreage is abundant in well-preserved local flora, with hundreds of
species of spices, exotic flowers, complete with banana and coconut groves.
Poovar
Island Resort is a mix of floating cottages, and conventional
accommodation. The floating units are constructed on hollow light weight
concrete hulls. They are air conditioned and fully equipped with all modern
amenities.
Afternoon free for SPA and Ayurvedic massage.
Overnight
at hotel.
Day 12 : PoovarFull day free for SPA
and Ayurvedic treatment.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 13 :
Poovar - KumarakomMorning drive to
Kumarakom (130
kms),enroute visit the tea estates.
Upon arrival in Kumarakom - check
into hotel.
Kumarakom
- is a beautiful backwater village on the shores of the enchanting
Vembanad Lake, criss crossed with meandering waterways and ancient cottages.
Rest
of the day to relax in this unique backwater resort.
Overnight at
hotel
Day 14 : KumarakomMorning
visit the
superb Bird Sanctuary in adjacent wooded marshland - which boasts of
egrets, tree pies, black headed orioles, bee-eaters & a whole host of
herons.
Afternoon, fascinating cruise through the backwaters of
Kerala which offer one of the world's truly unforgettable experiences.
Overnight
at hotel
Day 15 : Kumarakom - MarariMorning
drive to
Marari (40 kms).
Mararikulam- is one of
the picturesque fishing villages that dot the lovely coastline of Kerala.
This private, shallow beach is fringed with unending lines of coconut palms.
Upon
arrival in Mararikulam - check into hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day
16 : Marari
Marari
Beach Resort - is set in a superb location of 25 acres of coconut palm
grooves leading down to the vast expanse of beach. The hotel is built in the
style of traditional fishing village with thatched villas that have been
designed to be keeping with local village style.
Afternoon at
leisure to explore the neighboring fishing village.
Overnight at
hotel
Day 17 : Marari - CochinLate morning drive
to
Cochin (60 km).
Upon arrival in Cochin - check into the
hotel.
Afternoon
sightseeing tour of Cochin or "Kochi"-
the palm green, commercial capital of Kerala which has one of the finest
natural harbors & is known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea".
From time immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British & Portuguese
seafarers followed the sea route to Kochi & left their impression on the
town. Modern Kochi is thus a splendid mosaic of these myriad influences.
Visit the
Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Church of St. Francis,
Bolghatty Palace & the famous
Chinese fishing nets.
Evening
witness the
Kathakali dance performance - Kathakali is a unique
dance which has a 2000 year old history with more than 100 different
'mudras' or gesture depicting deities, demons, heroes, heroines and kings.
Overnight
at hotel
Day 18 : Cochin - Mumbai
| Leave: Cochin |
at: 1115 hrs |
by: 9W 402 |
| Arrive: Mumbai |
at: 1300 hrs |
|
Morning transfer to airport for flight to
Mumbai Upon
arrival in Mumbai, you will be met & proceed
sightseeing tour of
Mumbai - is a great port city with its Victorian Gothic buildings from
the British Raj Era mingling with the modern. The tour includes
Gateway
of India overlooking the Harbour, the
Tower of Silence, the
Marine
Drive, the
Colaba Causeway - the commercial heart of Mumbai and
the
Dhobi Ghat, the unique & colourful outdoor 'laundry'.
Late
at night transfer to the international airport for flight back to home.
Day
19 : Mumbai - AbroadDepart Delhi
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