South India Women's Only Tours

1. Day 1 Arrive Chennai

   Namaste! We are welcomed the Traditional Indian way with hands clapped together with garlands and are assisted and transferred to our hotel in Chennai, the cultural capital of South India as well as the state of Tamil Nadu. 
2. Day 2 Chennai / Kanchipuram (Drive 70 Kms / 2 Hrs),Kanchipuram /Mahabalipuram (Drive 65 Kms / 1.5 Hrs)

   After breakfast, we leave for a day return excursion to the historic towns of Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram. Kanchipuram located on the Palar River is known for its temples and Silk Sarees. Kanchipuram is also called city of 1000 temples. This city is one of the oldest in South India and is believed to be visited by the famous Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Husan Tsang) in the 7th Century. It was during the reign of Pallava dynasty from 4th to 9th Century that Kanchipuram attained its limelight. The city served as the Pallava capital and many of the known temples were built in that period. 

   The temples are undoubtedly the foremost tourist attractions in Kanchipuram. The famous ones are Kamakshi Amman Temple, one of the rare temples where Shakti is worshipped, the golden Chariot in the temple is significant as it is taken in a procession around the temple on Fridays, the Kailashanathar Temple built in the 8th century dedicated to Shiva and is the oldest structure in Kanchipuram, The Ekambareshwar Temple - one of the largest temples in Kanchipuram with numerous shrines, mandapams, gopurams and tanks. 

   Later we visit some of the local silk weavers and a live demonstration is given on how the patterns on the Sarees are done along with a demonstration to How to drape a Saree. After lunch, we leave for the famous world Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram. 

   About an hour and half hours of drive we reach to the shore temples lashed by the sea.  This is one of the early temples to be constructed in this area. The 7th century town is famous for its rock-hewn temples, sculptures and the world’s largest stone bas-relief.  The “Five Rathas”, a group of monolithic monuments and animal figures carved out of solid rock – are almost like an artist’s experiment in variety of form. Mamallapuram is a sculptor’s delight.  Among the noteworthy sites near the town are Arjuna’s Penance, Krishna Mandapam, Varaha Mandapam, Mahishasurmardhini Caves and the Shore Temples. Later we drive down to Chennai. Rest of the evening is free to relax.
    

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
3. Day 3 Chennai / Onward destination

   After breakfast, we visit Kalakshetra. Kalakshetra is a cultural academy dedicated to the preservation of traditional values in Indian art, especially in the field of Bharatanatyam dance and Gandharvaveda music. After that we take tour of Chennai, visiting the National Art Gallery & Museum, which contains some of the best collections of bronzes in the country including the famous icon of Nataraja. We continue to India's oldest surviving British church, St. Mary's Church, built in 1680. Later we visit to People’s Park, beautiful Marina Beach and the clock towers.  

   After lunch the day is free for shopping and visiting the famous shopping district in Chennai T.Nagar. Some of the famous places to shop in Chennai are Poompuhar setup in 1973 is a shop by Tamilnadu Handicrafts Development Corporation Limited. Naturally Auroville is a boutique located on Khader Nawaz Khan Road, in Chennai. The shop offers artistically crafted artifacts which includes lyrical ceramics, beaten brass platters, aromatic candles and beautifully hand-crafted furniture in teakwood. The shop also has garments for men and women, collections of portfolios, handbags, footwear, purses and wallets. It offers wooden toys for children too. Cane'n'Bamboo at Egmore stocks textiles and handicrafts sourced from charity-based craft cooperatives. Pothys is one of the famous shops in Chennai selling high Quality Silk. 

   Later we return to our hotel in time and enjoy dinner where in South India’s best cuisines are served.

   Please note: Kalakshetra is closed on Saturday, Sunday & National holiday’s. 
    

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
4. Day 4 Chennai / Mysore by Train # 12007- Shatabdi; Dep: 06:00 Hrs; Arrival: 13:00 Hrs.

   (Train operates daily except Wednesday) 

   After an exotic experience in Chennai, we move forward to the City of Mysore. It’s a saying that if you wish to see the real India, a train journey is a must. We leave from our hotel early in the morning to board Shatabdi Express train to Mysore. This is one of the best trains which India has and offers comfortable airline style seating. We travel by Executive First Class from Chennai to Mysore which gives us enough of leg room and breakfast and refreshments are served on board. 
   The train journey passes through the beautiful countryside and culminates in Mysore. The city of Dusserah, palaces and parks, is one of the few places in India, which still breathes the air of medieval country splendor.  In addition to its beauty, quietude and equable climate.  Mysore offers a convenient base for several interesting excursions, making it a very popular resort. 
   On arrival in Mysore we are met by our local representative and are transferred to our hotel. Later in the evening we visit the 2000 –year old Chamundeswar Temple, dedicated to the patron goddess of the royal family.
    

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
5. Day 5 Mysore

   After breakfast, we visit Mysore Palace – Once the capital, seat of power of the ruling Wodeyars, is one of the largest of its kind in India and one of the most splendid.  This Indo-Saracenic building has among other things stained glass chamber ceilings, a carved silver door, a solid gold throne and a gallery of exquisite. We next visit Srirangapatnam, the island fortress that was once the capital of the warrior –kings Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan, the Tiger of Mysore.  

   After lunch we visit the Government Silk Weaving Factory at Jhansi Lakshmibai Road. The Maharaja of Mysore (Mysooru) created this factory in 1932 to obtain the finest hand-loomed silks for himself and his royal family. Today it is run by the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation. Here you can see craftsmen at work and buy silk, fresh from the looms. We also visit the Multi Craft Complex, setup by the Karnatka State Handicrafts Development Corporation. Adequate facilities such as Living-cum-Worksheds, tools and equipments, raw materials such as sandalwood, zinc and silver are provided to artisans at subsidized rates. We also visit the Government Shop Cauvery setup by the Karnatka State Handicrafts Development Corporation. 

   Please note: We will have to obtain prior approval from Government Silk Weaving factory for visiting the factory. 
    

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
6. Day 6 Mysore / Belur / Halebid / Hassan (Drive 125 Kms / 3 Hrs)

   Leave for Belur by surface. Visit the Chennakeshava temple - one of the early masterpieces of the Hoysala period. Transfer to hotel in Hassan.  Afternoon excursion to Halebid, visit the Hoysaleshvara temple, which belong to mid 12th century. Also visit the Kedareshvara temple dating back to the 13th century and return to hotel 

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
7. Day 7 Hassan / Bangalore (Drive 190 Kms / Hrs)

   An Early start this morning. After an early breakfast, we leave for Bangalore to arrive there by Lunch. On arrival in Bangalore we check in at our hotel. After lunch we take a short tour of the city driving past Vidhana Soudha:  This imposing edifice built almost entirely of dressed Bangalore granite is a tribute to temple architecture. Housing the Legislative Chambers of the state government, this is Bangalore’s best – known landmark. Cubbon Park: in 1864, Lord Cubbon, the then viceroy of India, laid out 3000 acres of verdant tranquility. Today, it is an oasis of greenery in the heart of Modern Bangalore, Tipu Sultan’s Palace:  Now a museum, this two- storied ornate wooden structure is a mine of information and is one of the most remarkable Islamic buildings in the city.  
   Rest of the day is free for shopping and other personal activities.  Bangalore has some of the best places to shop in India. Some of the best recommended shops which we will be visiting are Fabindia, founded in 1960 to market the vast and diverse craft traditions of India where the products are sourced from villages all over India thereby helping to provide and sustain rural employment. We also visit stores like Bandhej and Anokhi which are famous for contemporary crafted textiles. 
    

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
8. Day 8 Bangalore/Cochin (By Flight)

   After an early breakfast, we are transferred to airport in time to connect our flight to Cochin. Cochin, the commercial capital of Kerala, with one of the finest natural harbors in the world. Ancient mariners from Arabia, China, Holland, Britain and Portugal have all left their mark on this beautiful island city, often referred to as the Venice of the East.
   On arrival in Cochin we are met by our local representative and are later transferred to our hotel. 

   Later in the afternoon, we are presented with traditional Kerala Style Sarees, same sarees which we will be wearing today in the evening for the dinner with our host Nimmy & Paul.    

   In the evening, we get dressed in our traditional Kerala Style Sarees and leave for our hosts place Nimmy and Paul, who will be giving us a cooking demonstration and we shall be spending our evening with them. Nimmy and Paul have been involved in 'At Home' hospitality for more than twelve years.  

   Nimmy, a professional cookery instructor for more than twenty years, and her stockbroker husband Paul, offers food and hospitality to foreign guests. Nimmy and Paul belong to traditional Syrian Christian community in Kerala. In keeping with the tradition of their families they enjoy having guests and serving good food.  
   Nimmy conducts cookery classes. She teaches guests the nuances of traditional Kerala recipes. She is also a food consultant to writers, chefs and magazines. Articles by her and about her have appeared in magazines and newspapers.  
    

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
9. Day 9 Cochin

   After breakfast, we visit the oldest European Church in India "St. Francis Church". Today it is governed by the Church of South India (CSI). Vasco Da Gama was buried here before his remains were taken back to Portugal 14 years later. One can see the winding streets with mosques and 500-year-old Portuguese houses, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, a Jewish community with ancient roots, a 16th century Jewish synagogue, and Mattancherry palace (Dutch Palace) built by the Portuguese and given to the Raja of Cochin. It was from 1795 until India's Independence, the outer part of the island and beach was under the British Colonial rule or political control, while the inner part was under the Kochi State and Raja of Travancore. Because of this division of political ruling, the harbor was not developed till around 1920 - 1923, when the approach channel was dredged to allow any ship that could pass through the Suez Canal to dock safely, thus opening the harbor to then so called 'modern shipping lines. 

   Afternoon visit the local shopping areas where you could pick-up some the species and ingredients you learnt about with Nimmy and Paul. We end our day with Sunset harbour cruise, followed by Kathakali Dance Performance.

   Please Note: Jewish Synagogue remain closed on Friday & Saturday & Dutch Palace remains closed on Friday.

   Meals Included

   • Breakfast
   • Lunch
   • Dinner
10. Day 10 Cochin / Alleppey (Drive 60 Kms / 1 ½ Hrs)

    After breakfast, we leave for an exciting drive to Alleppey. Alleppey with its enchanting landscape, laced on the west by the golden stretch of beach and the Arabian Sea, networked by silvery rivers, natural fresh water lakes, serene lagoons and majestic palm groves. Alleppey is now matured into a prime backwater tourist centre. On arrival in Alleppey we board our Private traditional Kerala Style Houseboat called waiting for The Kettuvallom or 'boat with knots' is so called because the entire boat is held together with coir knots only - not a single nail is used during the construction. The boat is made of huge planks of Jack wood (Artocarpus hirsuta) or 'Aanjili' and joined with coir. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels.  

    A portion of the Kettuvallom is covered with a canopy made of the wood from the arecanut tree and bamboo mats and coir and served in the old days as a rest room and kitchen for the crews. Kettuvalloms were formerly used for the transport of goods like rice, spices and coir from the isolated villages of the interior to the towns.   

    Spending an overnight in houseboat and taking the cruise is the best way to experience the tranquil backwaters of Kerala. One can witness the daily routine life of the local inhabitants and can see them washing clothes, beautiful paddy fields. Our private chef will prepare all the mouth-watering delicacies for us. One can also experience to buy fresh prawns and can ask your chef to prepare some of the local delicacies.
     

    Meals Included

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
11. Day 11 Alleppey / Marari (Drive 35kms / 1 Hr)

    After breakfast, we check out from our houseboat and leave for Marari beach resort. Marari Beach is an endless vista of sand and surf, but it is more. An authentic experience of the world of Kerala's traditional fishing villages, and a recreation of an ancient, harmonious way of life.  At Marari one can unwind and experience the best of Kerala Hospitality. One can indulge in various activities like going for Ayurvedic Treatments, Yoga Sessions or just do nothing on the beach, take long walks or bicycle rides. One can also visit the local villages and explore. 

    Meals Included

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
12. Day 12 Marari

    Day free for Personal activities.  Indulge in various activities payable directly such as Ayurvedic Treatments, Massage therapies, Yoga and many more. 

    Meals Included

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
13. Day 13 Marari

    Day free for Personal activities.  Indulge in various activities payable directly such as Ayurvedic Treatments, Massage therapies, Yoga and many more. 

    Meals Included

    • Breakfast
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
14. Day 14 : Marari / Cochin/ Onward destination

    After what would have been an incredible journey through out the Southern India, today we are transferred to airport in Cochin for our flight to onward destination. 

    Meals Included

    • Breakfast

* DENOTES UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES INCLUDED