The incredibility of South India lies in its umbrageous landscape, pristine coastal line, boundless tea and spice plantations and the soothing air over it. One has no choice but to delve in and seep in the mystical beauty of South India. Encapsulating the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, travelers who wants to experience the peculiarity of cuisines and lifestyle across the peninsular India; must join us on this unique journey.
The itinerary embarks at Kerala; commonly referred to as ‘The God’s Own Country’ wherein the travelers spend the upcoming 7 nights de-stressing with the serenity the awesome landscape offers. The tranquil backwaters, lush green surroundings, the beautiful tea estates and spice plantations. You’ll wrap up this city with a pampering Ayurvedic massage therapy.
Further we travel to visit the state just next to Kerala, i.e. Tamil Nadu, where we discover the rich cultural heritage of south India with the grandeur of the temples at Madurai and Thanjavur. Then we proceed to see the mini France of India – Pondicherry. A former French colony that still retains some bits and pieces of the French culture. The journey completes with a visit to the Shore temples of Mahabalipuram (UNESCO’s World Heritage Site) and Marina beach in the last southern city called Chennai.
| Day 1: | Arrive Cochin | |
| Day 2: | Cochin |
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| Day 3: | Cochin/ Thekkady (Drive: 195 km/ 5 Hours) |
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| Day 4: | Thekkady |
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| Day 5: | Thekkady/ Alleppey (Drive: 170 Km/ 4 ½ Hours) |
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| Day 6: | Alleppey/ Kovalam (Drive: 175 Km/ 4 Hours) |
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| Day 7: | Kovalam |
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| Day 8: | Kovalam/ Kanyakumari/ Madurai (Drive: 327 Km/ 7- 8 Hours) |
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| Day 9: | Madurai |
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| Day 10: | Madurai/ Tanjore (Drive: 195 Km/ 4 Hours) |
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| Day 11: | Tanjore/ Pondicherry (Drive: 200 Km/ 4 Hours) |
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| Day 12: | Pondicherry / Mahabalipuram/ Chennai (Drive: 195 Km/ 4 Hours) |
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| Day 13: | Chennai |
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| Day 14: | Chennai / Onward destination |
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In the morning we explore Kochi, formerly known as Cochin, Kerala’s commercial capital with one of the finest natural harbours in the world. We visit St. Francis Church, the oldest European Church in India. Vasco De Gama was buried here before his remains were taken back to Portugal. Next we visit the Roman Catholic Santa Cruz Cathedral built by the Portuguese in the 16th century; which is famous for beautiful paintings on its ceiling. We continue to the Jewish Quarter with its Old Synagogue and the Dutch Palace, built by the Portuguese. Later we take a boat cruise to visit Bolghatty Palace and observe the fascinating Chinese fishing nets in action. In the evening we enjoy Kathakali Dance Performance. This dramatized presentation of a play usually based on the Hindu epics of Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas, is a unique combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dance.
Our day starts with a jungle walk at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in the early morning, after which we return to our hotel for breakfast. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the world’s most fascinating natural wildlife reserves. Spread across 777 square kilometres it was declared a Tiger Reserve in 1978. In the afternoon we enjoy a boat ride on Lake Periyar to watch animals in their natural habitat by the water's edge. We are likely to see animals like boars, Sambars, wild dogs, Langur monkeys and wild elephants. The sanctuary is also a haven for water birds and we can see plenty of darters, grey herons, egrets and kingfishers. The evening is free to explore the local bazaar in Thekkady and purchase some of the famous spices grown in the area.
Today we drive to Alleppey. On arrival in Alleppey we board our traditional houseboat and begin our journey through the picturesque backwaters and small lakes relaxing in the tranquility of Kerala's beautiful scenery. On our journey we come across many boats, canoes and other crafts, as we observe the traditional way of life and activities of the local people.
We enjoy breakfast on board, sail to Alleppey and disembark at the Puthenagady Jetty. A comfortable drive gets us to beautiful Kovalam Beach on the Malabar Coast near Trivandrum. We then get to relax by the beach with endless white sands by the blue waters of the Arabian Sea in secluded coconut groves.
Enjoy 01 Rejuvenation Massage (01 Hour) and free day to relax on the beach.
Today we explore Madurai, the second largest city in Tamil Nadu. The city revolves around the Meenakshi Amman Temple, a structure in the Dravidian style of architecture. The complex houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers) ranging from 45-50m in height, the tallest being the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high, and two golden sculptured shrines over sanctum of the main deities. The temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, and has been mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature, though the present structure was built from 1623 to 1655. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple and amongst the highlights are the Hall of a Thousand Pillars, the Tirumalai Nayaka Temple and the Temple Art Museum. In the evening we enjoy night closing ceremony of the Temple.
After breakfast we drive to Thanjavur and check in at our hotel. Thanjavur is popularly known as Tanjore. In the afternoon we explore the Brihadisvara Temple, one of the Great Living Chola Temples*. The temple, set in spacious grounds, has several pillared halls and shrines. Inscriptions record the names of dancers, musicians and poets a reminder of the significance of this area to the development of the arts in the 11th century. We end our tour of Tanjore with a visit to the Tanjore Palace & Museum, which has an eclectic collection of regal memorabilia most of it dating from the early 19th century
After breakfast we drive to Pondicherry. This former French Colonial city in Tamil Nadu didn’t come under Indian rule until 1954. Pondicherry, otherwise known as Puducherry means a “New Hamlet” and is located on the Coromandal Coast. Its main attraction is actually outside of town: the ashram at Auroville, built by followers of Sri Aurobindo, a philosopher-prophet born in 1870, famous for his Integral Yoga and philosophical literary works. In the International Town where people from all over the world reside, we will find the Matrimandir, the famous monument built by the Auroville Society representing a lotus flower. Today we will also visit the 400-year old Manakula Vinayagar Temple, which has several frescos telling the life story of a half human and half animal lord.
After breakfast we drive to Mahabalipuram. On arrival we visit the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram*. This group of sanctuaries, founded by the Pallava kings, was carved out of rock along the Coromandel Coast in the 7th and 8th centuries. It is known especially for its rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges', and the temple of Rivage, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva. After that, we continue our journey to Chennai. On arrival we check in our Hotel. Rest of the day is free to relax.
We tour Chennai, visiting the National Art Gallery & Museum, which contains some of the best collections of bronzes in the country including the famous icon of Natraja. We continue to India's oldest surviving British church, St. Mary's Church, built in 1680. We end our tour with a visit to People’s Park and the beautiful Marina Beach and the clock towers
* DENOTES UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES INCLUDED
