Sample the diverse heritage, cultures and sites of southern India as we travel from Chennai to Kovalam on this exciting 13-day journey. Along the way, we explore the beautiful backwaters of God’s own country, Kerala, relax on the endless white beaches of the Arabian Sea and visit the magnificent temple cities and heritage sites of Tamil Nadu. Breathtaking views of verdant tea plantations, an unforgettable journey on a luxury houseboat, and unique opportunities to interact with and learn from locals are just some of the highlights on this captivating tour.
Spread over acres, South is home to various spices and this tour jaunts around these massive plantations. Travelers seeking for an enduring South India journey and exploring the spices along should join us on this flavourful tour.
| Day 1: | Arrive Chennai | |
| Day 2: | Chennai |
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| Day 3: | Chennai / Pondicherry (Drive: 170 Km/ 4 Hours) |
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| Day 4: | Pondicherry / Thanjavur (Drive: 150 Km/ 4 Hours) |
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| Day 5: | Tanjore / Tiruchirapalli / Madurai (Drive: 200 Km/ 4 Hours) |
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| Day 6: | Madurai |
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| Day 7: | Madurai / Thekkady (Drive: 160 Km/ 4 Hours ) |
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| Day 8: | Thekkady |
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| Day 9: | Thekkady / Kochi (Drive: 180 Km/ 6 Hours) |
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| Day 10: | : Kochi / Alleppey (Drive: 60 km/1 ½ Hours) |
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| Day 11: | Alleppey / Kovalam (Drive: 175 Km/ 5 Hours) |
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| Day 12: | Kovalam |
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| Day 13: | Kovalam / Trivandrum |
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We take an excursion to 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. On our return 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.
Please note: National Art Gallery & Museum remains closed on Friday’s. 
After breakfast we drive to Pondicherry, situated on the Coromandel Coast of India. 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.
In the morning 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.
In the morning we drive to Madurai. On the way we visit Tiruchirapalli - Trichy, a town deeply immersed in Hindu religion and home to some outstanding Dravidian temple architecture. We begin our tour with a visit to the Rock Fort Temple, the maze of the Mathurubhuteshwar Shrine and various other local temples followed by a visit to local villages and view the rural life of Southern India.
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.
Please note: Museum remains closed on Monday. 
We drive to Thekkady and check in our hotel. The area is famous for its spice plantations. In the afternoon we will visit a spice plantation, where cardamom, pepper, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, all spice, and tea are grown.
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
In the morning we drive to Kochi. Arrive Kochi and check in Hotel. 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.
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 drive to Alleppey to 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 & drive 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 a coconut groves.
Free day to relax on the beach.
* DENOTES UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES INCLUDED
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