Journey

Quests

South India Tour

Places to Visit : Mumbai – Cochin – – Alleppey – – Thekkady – Madurai – Tanjore – Trichy – Pondicherry – Mahabalipuram – Chennai – Goa – Mumbai .

Duration of Tour Package : 20 Nights | 21 Days

Day 01| Arrival at Mumbai |

Afternoon/evening arrive at Mumbai airport. Overnight stay at hotel in Mumbai.

Day 02| Mumbai |

Breakfast at hotel. Today Mumbai sightseeing, visit to Prince of Wales Museum– Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya, formerly known as the Prince of Wales Museum of Western India.

The Gateway of India– The majestic Gateway of India is a glorious historical memorial built during British rule.

Mani Bhavan– Mani Bhavan is a veritable memoir of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation. Also known as Gandhi Museum.

Dhobi Ghat– Dhobi Ghat is among the exciting places to see in Mumbai. It is 136‐year old Dhobi Ghat and may be called the biggest human powered washing machine.

The Hanging Gardens– Hanging Gardens are terraced gardens perched at the top of Malabar Hill, on its western side. Hanging Gardens are built on a water reservoir, which provides drinking water to the locals.

Also visit Crawford Market & drop at Marine drive. Overnight stay at hotel in Mumbai.

Day 03| Mumbai – Cochin by flight |

Journey

Quests

Breakfast at hotel. Later take flight to Cochin. Rest of the day free for leisure. Overnight at hotel in Cochin.

Day 04 | Cochin |

Breakfast at hotel. Today Cochin sightseeing, visit Jewish Synagogue– Cochin is the oldest existing synagogue. The prosperous Jewish trading community built it in 1568 AD. It was partially destroyed in the 1962 war. Later it was rebuilt by the Dutch.

Dutch Palace– The Palace is located at Mattancherry and incorporates fine collection of mural paintings depicting scenes from Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Santa Cruz Basilica–St.Francis Church, Kochi In 1503, the then Rajah of Kochi permitted Alphonso Alburquerque to build this fort. Within this fort, Alburquerque erected a wooden church and dedicated it to St. Bartholomew.

Fort Kochi Beach– The beach is a wonderful experience during sunsets with the silhouettes of and ships forming its background which makes the experience a memorable one.

Chinese Fishing Nets– Chinese fishing Nets one of the most popular tourist spots in Cochin is the Chinese Fishing nets at Fort Kochi. Also visit Marine Drive. Overnight stay at hotel in Cochin.

Day 05 | Cochin – Kovalam (210 Kms/ 4‐5 hrs|

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Kovalam. Day free for leisure on beach.Overnight stay at hotel in Kovalam.

Day 06 | Kovalam |

Breakfast at hotel. Day free. Overnight at hotel in Kovalam.

Day 07 | Kovalam ‐ Alleppey ( 161 Kms/ 4‐5 hrs) |

Journey

Quests

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Alleppey. On arrival embark on deluxe Houseboat local people called Kettuvallam.

A house boat is around 67 feet in length and has a width of around 13 feet. The materials that go into the making are all local and Eco friendly bamboo poles, coconut fiber ropes, bamboo mats, coir carpets etc. The house boats have fully furnished single, double rooms with sundeck, private balcony with comfortable chairs, kitchen and western toilet with WC. In addition there is also separate rest room for the crew. The cuisine is traditional flavour with the local specialities, delicious fish and prawns.

You will enjoy an overnight leisure stay in a houseboat also enjoy lavish Lunch & Dinner at houseboat. Overnight stay at houseboat in Alleppey.

Day 08 | Alleppey ‐ Munnar ( 85 Kms/ 2‐3 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Munnar. Later Munnar sightseeing, Mattupetty dam– Mattupetty dam is built between the hill ranges and it is used mainly for water storage for hydroelectric projects. Its reservoir is an idyllic place to enjoy the serene nature.

Echo Point ‐ Go there and scream as loud as you can and wait for a minute. You can hear your echo back! Its quite interesting. If you have kids with you they will love it. They can experience this natural phenomenon firsthand.

Kundala– Kundala Lake is an artificial reservoir of a minor arch shaped dam huddled between the mountain ranges.

Tea Plantations ‐How can one resist a tea garden tour when you are in Munnar? Rolling hillsides covered with tea plantations is a sight to behold. The lush greenery and the soothing cold wind with a mild aroma of tea leaves totally rejuvenates you.

Journey

Quests

Tea Museum– This tea museum is first of its kind in India. It is located at KDHP’s Nullatanni estate in Munnar. Anyone visiting this museum will get a clear picture of how laborious this tea processing really is. Overnight stay at hotel in Munnar.

Day 09| Munnar |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning visit Eravikulam National Park.

Eravikulam Park– It is an ideal place for seeing the biodiversity of high elevation shola‐grassland ecosystem. The Eravikulam National Park stands out for the stark beauty of its rolling grasslands and sholas, spread over 97 sq km in the Kannan devan hills. Evening visit at studio to watch Kerala’s famous traditional Kathakali Dances show. Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in the world. Overnight stay at hotel in Munnar.

Day 10 | Munnar – Thekkady (100 Kms / 2‐3 Hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Thekkady. Wild Life Sanctuary. Afternoon enjoy Boat safari on Lake Periyar to view wildlife. This is best way to see wild animals in Periyar wild Park.

Later visit the Sprawling Spice Gardens in Periyar amidst the Eucalyptus trees. Spice tour of Periyar is the best way to explore the land known for its different aroma of spices. Overnight stay at hotel in Thekkady.

Day 11| Thekkady – Madurai (140 kms/3‐4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Madurai. Later visit Meenakshi Temple, Thirumalainayak Palace. Evening watch wedding ceremony at Temple. Overnight at hotel in Madurai.

Day 12| Madurai ‐ Thanjavur (200 Kms/ 4‐5 hrs) |

Journey

Quests

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Thanjavur and visit Brihadeeswarar Temple & Thanjavur's royal palace Overnight at hotel in Thanjavur.

Day 13| Thanjavur ‐ Trichy ( 60 Kms/ 1‐2 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Trichy. Later Trichy sightseeing, Sri Ranganathar Swamy Temple– This is hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha, a reclining form of Hindu deity, Vishnu located in Srirangam.

Ucchi Pillayar Temple – This is a 7th‐century Hindu temple, one dedicated to Lord Ganesh located a top of Rockfort, Trichy. Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort– The Tiruchirapalli Rock Fort is a historic fort and temple complex built on an ancient rock. Rest of the day free. Overnight at hotel in Trichy.

Day 14 | Trichy ‐ Pondicherry (230 Kms/ 5‐6 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Pondicherry. Later sightseeing, Sri Aurobindo Ashram– The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community (ashram) established at Pondicherry by Sri Aurobindo on 24 November 1926 (Siddhi Day).

Matri Mandir– The Matri mandir is an edifice of spiritual significance for practitioners of Integral yoga, situated at the centre of Auroville initiated by The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. Promenade Beach– Promenade Beach (or, known as, "Pondicherry Beach.Overnight stay at hotel in Pondicherry.

Day 15| Pondicherry ‐ Mahabalipuram ( 110 Kms/ 3‐4 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Mahabalipuram. Later visit The Shore Temple– The Shore temple is so named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. It is a structural temple, built with blocks of granite, dating from the 8th century AD.

The Cave Temples– Cave temples of Mahabalipuram are located on the hillock of Mahabalipuram town. Also called mandapas or rock‐cut caves. Overnight stay at hotel in Mahabalipuram.

Journey

Quests

Day 16 | Mahabalipuram – Chennai (80 Kms/ 1‐2 hrs) |

Breakfast at hotel. Morning drive to Chennai. On the way visit Ekambaranathar Temple at Kanchipuram. Further drive to Chennai. Later Chennai sightseeing, visit Kalakshetra– A school of art and music that encourages exponents of Bharatnatyam, Carnatic music, traditional weaving and designing.

Fort St. George– Fort St George is the name of the first English (later British) fortress in India, founded in 1644.

St. Mary's Church– The oldest Anglican Church in India with its premises. Sri Parthasarathy Temple– Built by the Pallavas in the 8th century AD.

Kapaleeswarar Temple– Mylapore also an eighth century Pallava Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Evening free to visit Marina Beach. Overnight stay at hotel in Chennai.

Day 17 | Chennai ‐ Goa by flight |

Breakfast at hotel. Later take flight to Goa. Overnight at hotel in Mumbai.

Day 18 | Goa |

Breakfast at hotel. Day free. Overnight at hotel in Goa.

Day 19 | Goa |

Breakfast at hotel. Day free at leisure. Overnight at hotel in Goa.

Day 20 | Goa – Mumbai by flight |

Journey

Quests

Breakfast at hotel. Later take flight to Mumbai. Overnight at hotel in Mumbai.

Day 21 | Mumbai / Departure drop |

Breakfast at hotel. Later drop at Mumbai international airport to board on flight to onward destination.