Exclusive South India
COCHIN – BACKWATERS – PERIYAR – MADURAI – CHETTINAD – TANJORE – MAHABALIPURAM
13 days
Tour Overview
This amazing tour of 13 days covers – Cochin, Periyar, Madurai, Chettinad, Chennai, Tanjore and Mahabalipuram. The tour gives you insights into the beautiful south India culture and architecture. The warm and amicable people make the trip all the more memorable. The serene backwaters, intricate architecture of the temples, delicious and scrumptious food and great shopping are the highlights of this tour.
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Kathakali performance at Cochin
Boat ride at Periyar Lake
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Day 1
ARRIVAL
Our representative will meet you at the airport to welcome you. You will be taken in a chauffeur driven car to your hotel where you will receive continued assistance from our representative to finish the formalities. You will receive your itinerary and travel and accommodation documents for the next day along with a booklet containing information about the places you will visit.
Breakfast Dinner
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Day 2
COCHIN
The first visit is to the Cherai Island where you will have the services of a travel guide proficient in the English language. You will visit the AzheekalSreeVarahaVenkateswara Temple built in the 19th century which is known for the temple chariot. You will also visit he Portuguese fort built in the 16th century which is the oldest symbol of European architecture in India. The next visit will be to the Pallipuram church Built by the Portuguese in the latter half of the 16th century. You will be driven back to your hotel to rest for a while before the evening tour.
Your travel guide will pick you up from your hotel and accompany you to a Kathakali performance at a local theatre. Kathakali, Kerala’s ancient temple art form is famous for its elaborate costumes and makeup in addition to the use of facial expressions to articulate plots and feelings.
Breakfast
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Day 3
COCHIN
In this port city you will find the perfect amalgamation of indigenous culture and European civilization. The first visit is to the Jewish Synagogue built in the 16th century and is still functional as a place of worship. The next stop is the St. Francis Church built in the early 16th century by Franciscan Friars of Portuguese where Vasco da Gama was initially buried for a couple of years before his mortal remains were taken to Portugal.
This is followed by a visit to see the Chinese fishing nets which has been used by the local fishermen to lead their livelihood for many generations. The beautiful view of how it is made to work constitutes a popular photography moment. After this you will explore Fort Kochi on foot and then return to the hotel in your chauffeur driven vehicle.
In the evening you will be driven to the home of a famous chef who will provide you with a mouthwatering meal and lessons on how to cook some of the local dishes. You will be driven back to the hotel after your dinner.
Breakfast
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Day 4
BACKWATERS
After check out from the hotel you will be taken in a chauffeur driven vehicle to the backwaters. After reaching Alleppey you will be helped with boarding the houseboat in which you will go on a cruise around the canals and the open lakes where you will get a glimpse of natural beauty and the life of the locals which adds to the charm of the place. All your needs will be catered to by the staff of the houseboat where you will spend the night. The cook will prepare delicious dishes from the local cuisine for you. You are provided with the choice to make short visits to some of the communities there and interact with them.
Breakfast
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Day 5
THEKKADY
In the morning after debarking from the houseboat you will be driven toThekkady through the beautiful Western Ghats. At Thekkady you will be helped to check in at the resort. You will go on a tour of a spice plantation in the afternoon where you will receive the information pertaining to the spices from an expert.
Breakfast
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Day 6
THEKKADY
The first visit will be to Periyar Lake which was built in the end of 19th century which serves as the primary source of water for the animals of the Periyar National Park. You can see many wild elephants and varieties of other wild animals and birds at the National Park. However chances of seeing the tiger are slim even though Periyar National Park is included under Project Tiger.
In the afternoon you can either choose to stay back at the resort and enjoy the natural beauty of it and explore the spice market nearby or choose to visit the Elephant Junction. If you stay back at the resort you can place a request to the chef to give you recipes of the local delicacies and even go for an Ayurvedic Spa which will have to be booked in advanced by you. If you choose to go to the Elephant Junction you will get to interact with the trainer of the elephants, bathe and feed the elephants and even go on a ride on the elephant.
Breakfast
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Day 7
TO MADURAI
After your check out from the hotel you will be taken in a chauffeur driven vehicle to Madurai. After reaching the city of Madurai which was a centre of Tamil learning with deep cultural deep spanning more than two millennia you will be helped to check in to your hotel.
In the evening you will visit the Sree Meenakshi Temple to watch the Palli Arai ceremony.
Breakfast
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Day 8
MADURAI
You will visit the Sree Meenakshi temple which is a prime example of Dravidian form of architecture .you will explore the elaborate structure of the temple and visit the Hall of Thousand Pillars within the temple complex which are elaborately sculpted and painted. The current temple complex is four centuries old and it is believed that there was a temple at its location which was destroyed by invaders which had a long life of more than a millennia and a half. The tallest Gopuram of the temple complex is 170 feet high.
After this you will visit the Thirumalai Nayak Palace built in the 17th century and designed by an architect from Italy.
For the rest of the afternoon you are free to explore the place with the assistance of your travel guide and chauffeur.
Breakfast
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Day 9
TO KARAIKUDI
After checkout in the morning you will be taken in a chauffeur driven vehicle to Karaikudi. On the way there is a stop where you get to experience making bricks at the brick kiln first hand. At Karaikudi you will check in at a renovated Chettinad mansion where your accommodation has been arranging for the full experience of Chettinad. The assimilation of many South Asian cultures can be found in the architectural forms as well as the unique cuisine of Chettinad which is famous for the lunch given in banana leave.
In the afternoon you will be given a guided tour of Chettinad which is noted for its affluent life made possible by the practice of trade, even international, that was practiced by the indigenous community over the centuries. You will visit another mansion which has rich artwork done on imported wood and marble. You will get to visit a tile manufacturing plant which uses traditional methods for making tiles and a handloom weaving plant.
Breakfast
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Day 10
TO TRICHYAND TANJORE
After your check out,you will be driven to Trichy where you will visit the Tiruchirapali Rock Fort and Temple Complex. This fort and temple complex is atop a 256 feet high boulder which is more than 3 billion years old. You will explore the ManikkaVinayakar temple which is situated at the base of the boulder and the adjacent pavilion and tank which is meant for temple use. You will also visit the 18th century Church built by the Danish priest Reverend Schwartz which is situated among the many temples in the area. The Vinayak Temple which is located at the top of the boulder will not be visited as it can be accessed only by climbing the 437 steps which are cut into the rock. The Vinayak Temple was built in the 6th century.
After this you will be driven to Tanjore. On your way you will see many cashew plantations and stop at a cashew processing unit to see the traditional methods of shelling and roasting the cashews.
You will check in to the hotel at Tanjore. You will visit the Brihadeshwara Temple which is an architectural marvel made of granitethe construction of which started at the beginning of 11th century. The crown of the temple alone is made up of ten different pieces of granite which have a combined weight of 82 tons. The frescoes in the Temple complex are believed to have lasted thing long as they were made using stones of the desired color and grinding them to a paste.
You will visit the Tanjore Museum next where you will get to see the Indian temple stone sculptures and bronze statues built during ancient times.
You will return to your hotel after this visit.
Breakfast
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Day 11
TO MAHABALIPURAM
After breakfast you will check out from the hotel and driven to Mahabalipuram where you will check in to an Ocean Front Resort. You will explore the beach and interact with the fishing community late in the afternoon. You will get to see the Shore Temple built in the 8th century from the beach.
Breakfast
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Day 12
MAHABALIPURAM
You have the choice to either stay back at your resort to explore the area or go for a guided tour to the temple town of Kanchipuram which is famous for Kanchipuram silk and visit the family of a silk weaver. After the visit to Kanchipuram you can get back to the resort.
There will be a tour of the ancient port of Mahabalipuram where you will be accompanied by a travel guide proficient in English Language. The rock sculptures, temples and manmade caves fill the visitor with awe. It also houses the world’s biggest bas-relief made of stone. The Five Chariots Temple, the eight Mandapams which are carved out of rock and many other attractions together with glimpses of life of the local fisher folk makes it an interesting experience.
Breakfast
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Day 13
TO CHENNAI AND BACK
By noon you will check out from the hotel and you will be driven to the airport for your flight from Chennai.
Breakfast
- The entrance fees of all monuments mentioned in the itinerary
- All meals in the houseboat
- Other meals wherever mentioned in the itinerary
- The chauffeur driven car
- Kathakali performance at Cochin
- Boat ride at Periyar Lake
- Representatives to receive you at all the destinations
- Assistance of our representatives at the airports and hotels
- Services of travel guides who have good communication skills in English, wherever mentioned in the itinerary.
- Bottled drinking water will be provided during drives and sightseeing.
- All taxes which are applicable in India at present.
- Expenses for international and domestic airfare
- All personal expenses during the course of stay at India
- Meals which are not mentioned in the itinerary
- Travel documents like visa and travel insurance
- Fees quoted for using camera’s at different places of visit
Please contact us for dates and pricing.
