CRUISING THE BACKWATERS

11 - 22 NOVEMBER 2020

FROM £2,840 PER PERSON

Tour Leader: Marie-Thérèse Hill AN ENCHANTING JOURNEY ALONG EMERALD WATERS

Join Marie-Thérèse on a pioneering cruise through Kerala, from the ancient port town of Alleppey (Alappuzha) to the modern port city Cochin (), passing through , land of rubber and spices. Travel aboard a traditional nine-cabin wooden rice barge on what promises be an enlightening as well as an extremely relaxing holiday.

Kerala has an extensive network of water ways that lace its interior coastline, stretching along almost its entire length of around 600 kilometres. It is a land of copious rainfall which flows from the hills and mountain passes in freshwater canals and streams to join the 40-odd rivers in the state. This labyrinthine network of canals, streams and rivers, which converge to form lagoons, make up the Backwaters and give rise to a unique eco system which is a haven for nature.

The area has been named by National Geographic as the “Green Venice of the East” due to the green coconut trees which turn the Backwaters a vibrant emerald colour, with the setting sun adding splashes of red, all contributing to the serenity of this tropical destination. The water-ways teem with life as wooden boats are the only way of travelling between villages; and along the way we will visit temples, churches, marketplaces, paddy fields, beaches and boat building yards. We will learn about and experience the vibrant culture of the region including coir handloom weaving, snake boat regattas, traditional toddy tapping, local dances, martial arts and festivals. Kalaripayattu

Alleppey Traditional Kathakali dance

12-DAY ITINERARY, DEPARTING 11 NOVEMBER 2020

11 November London / Cochin Zheng He in the 14th century. in a small shrine and take a relaxing Lunch under own arrangements. walk in the village. Depart London (international flight not Afternoon at leisure. Welcome dinner Lunch on board. Cruise to included in the cost of the tour). at the Rice Boat Restaurant. Thrikkunnappuzha village until evening. Arrive in Thottappali village 12 November Cochin 14 November Cochin / Alleppey / close to the sea coast. Take a walk to Arrive in Cochin. Transfer to the Kanjippadom the beach and enjoy the sunset. Return to the boat and take a short cruise to Taj Malabar Resort & Spa where Check out and drive to Alleppey, Naluchira village. Dinner on board. two nights are spent. Situated on a prominent ancient trade centre with a magnificent visited by the Greeks, Arabs and view of Cochin harbour, the Taj Romans (journey time approx. 1.5 16 November Konni / Aranmula / Malabar combines old-world elegance hrs). This coastal town is built on Thakazzhi with modern day convenience. The strips of land along a magical network Drive to a temple inside a sacred Heritage Wing of the hotel was built of rivers, lakes and lagoons. Take a grove where snakes are revered and in 1935 and houses graceful Victorian walk through the old part of the town worshipped. Proceed to Aranmula interiors whilst the Tower Wing rooms and the market. Proceed to the jetty village, home to a family of craftsmen mix the classic with the contemporary. and embark on the river cruise boat who are skilled at making mirror With varied restaurants and a fantastic RV Vaikundam. Set sail through the from a special combination of certain swimming pool this is an excellent serene, green world of meandering metals and visit their workshops. hotel in which to relax. Dinner under waters and expanses of paddy fields Learn all about the rituals of the own arrangements. and coconut plantations. village’s annual Snake Boat regatta. Traditional lunch on board. Cruise past Lunch at a beautiful house in the 13 November Cochin tiny hamlets, country boats loaded village, located on the bank of the Holy with rice or local produce or duck Walking tour of Mattancherry, the River Pampa. Return to Thottappalli farmers herding flocks of ducks. Arrive bustling part of Old Fort Cochin and to re-board the boat and cruise to in Kanjippadom village by evening. the epicentre of the spice trade for Thakazzhi village in the interior region Take a leisurely walk to visit a boat centuries. The tour reveals Cochin’s of Kuttanad, an area of picturesque yard where traditional wooden boats multi-layered past, a rich brew of reclaimed land and paddy fields are built and repaired and see the Arab, Portuguese, British, and Dutch protected from flooding by dykes. evening bird life. Return to the boat influences. Begin at the Dutch Palace Dinner on board. built by the Portuguese as a gift for the and cruise till the fishermen lay their Raja of Cochin in 1555. See St. Francis nets. Dinner on board. Church, ’s first European church 17 November Champakkulam / famed as the original burial site of Mannar / Pulinkunnu 15 November Thottapalli / Naluchira Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama. / Thirkkunnappuzh Arrive in Changankari village and Next visit the picturesque Chinese take a leisurely walk, stopping to Sail to a quaint village where an 11th- fishing nets, unique to Cochin, watch toddy tapping. Cruise to century statue of Buddha is preserved introduced by the Chinese explorer Champakklam, settled more than

020 3411 4595 | [email protected] | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK Snake boat

St Francis Church, Cochin

1,000 years ago by Syrian Christian watch a local folk dance (Kai kotti indigenous methods of fishing and traders, who later converted to Roman kali) performance by school children. farming. Catholicism under the Portuguese. Cruise until dusk with dinner on board. Return to the boat for lunch when the Their cultural heritage can be seen in chef will demonstrate the preparation the monumental St. Mary’s Church of mussels. Arrive in the ancient on the riverside, built in 1550. Visit the 19 November / village of Vaikom in Kottayam, the church, a school and the local artisans Thanneermukkom land of natural rubber, and watch a and see the village’s Snake Boat. Visit a farmhouse located on an performance of the traditional dance These boats, decorated in Keralan island which was made by the men Kathakali at the village’s cultural style and used nowadays for races, of the house, by reclaiming land from centre. Visit the temple of Lord Shiva, were once maritime war boats. the Backwaters. Take a walk on the one of the largest in Kerala, where farm and enjoy a demonstration of Return to the boat for lunch while following Keralan tradition each traditional Syrian Christian cuisine by cruising to Nedumudi. Afternoon element of temple represents an a mother and her daughter-in-law. excursion by road to Mannar village, element of human body. Dinner on famous for ornate locks, lamps and board. Take a canoe ride to see the vessels used in temples. Return to migratory as well as endemic birds of Nedumudi and cruise until dusk Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, which 21 November Cochin arriving in Pulinkunnu village. Dinner is made up of a cluster of lagoons of on board. Cruise to Cochin and disembark Lake with a backdrop of at the jetty at Marad in Ernakulam. mangroves, paddy fields and coconut Drive to the Kalari at Nettoor to 18 November Kainkari / Chavara groves. Waterfowl, cuckoo, owl, egret, watch an authentic performance of Bhavan / Kavalam heron and water duck are some of the Kalaripayattu, the martial art form of endemic species seen here. Parrots, Cruise to Kainakari village in Kuttanad, Kerala and integral to the Malayali teal, larks, flycatchers, wood beetle, with its vast stretches of paddy fields, culture. Visit the Folklore museum at and other birds are seen here during dykes and narrow canals. Cruise to Thevara. their respective migratory seasons. another vibrant village and visit a Return to the boat and cruise to traditional Ayurveda centre to learn Lunch at the Courtyard by Marriott Thanneermukkom. Dinner on board. about this ancient form of treatment Hotel. Day use rooms will be reserved and holistic way of life, perhaps try a at the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel (one room to be shared between four massage. 20 November Vechoor / Chenganda guests) or one additional night’s / Vaikom Lunch on board. Cruise on to Chavara accommodation (for those departing Bhavan, the ancestral home of Saint Cruise on Lake Vembanad arriving the following morning). Dinner under Kuriakose Chavara, the first canonised in Vechoor village where there is the own arrangements. Catholic male saint of Indian origin. option to watch morning prayers in Visit a toddy shop and see various an old church or take a leisurely walk. local cuisines like tapioca, duck and Cruise to Chenganda village and see 22 November Cochin / London a variety of fishes which are served the locals making coir, demonstrating Arrive London. with toddy. Cruise to Kavalam and how to collect mussels and their

020 3411 4595 | [email protected] | THEULTIMATETRAVELCOMPANY.CO.UK RV VAIKUNDAM (ABODE OF GODS) TOUR PRICES PER PERSON

Tour Price £2,840 Single Supplement £1,145 Supplement for Cabin 1 £150

PRICE INCLUDES • Accommodation throughout as shown in the itinerary • Breakfast daily; 8 lunches; 8 dinners • All entrance fees, visits and excursions • Transportation as per the itinerary • Gratuities in restaurants for included meals • Gratuities to guide/s; gratuities to driver/s • Porterage • Local English-speaking guide/s • The services of your tour The river boats of today are modified versions of the traditional Kettuvallom or rice leader throughout barges, which in past years were used for transporting produce from farms in the interior of Kerala to the markets. Today they are comfortable cruising homes allowing guests to unwind, relax and immerse themselves in the pristine nature and captivating local activity along the meandering network of the Backwaters. PRICE EXCLUDES • International flights RV Vaikundam has nine well-appointed cabins, with en suite bathrooms, on its lower deck and a well-appointed kitchen, an air-conditioned and exquisitely furnished • Travel insurance dining room and an open-air lounge on its upper deck. The wooden hull of the boat • Visas has been fashioned by joining planks of local ‘Aanjili’ wood, using strong coir rope on • Items of personal expenditure (e.g. the sections above the waterline while, below the waterline, copper tacks are used for telephone calls / laundry etc.) added strength in keeping with traditional methods. The wood is coated with caustic black resin made by boiling cashew kernel and fish oil and is periodically treated with • Government levies or taxes neem oil and fish oil. The rooms are made using wooden panels, bamboo poles and introduced after costing and bamboo mats, following the traditional practices. publication of this programme on 05/12/19

Please note we have not included the cost of the flights in the tour price. Please contact us for prices should you wish to book them through us.

Upper Deck

Main Deck

Chinese Fishing Nets, Cochin YOUR TOUR LEADER

MARIE-THÉRÈSE HILL

Marie-Thérèse was born in Vienna and now lives in Hampshire. She was educated at the French Lycée and a language school in Switzerland, studied piano in Vienna and is fluent in French, English, German and Italian. Her familiarity with European culture and extensive contacts worldwide are reflected in her unique tours.

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