ROMTravel – World Cultures Tour Let our experts be your guides Spectacular South India: Sandalwood, Saffron and Backwaters February 17 – March 5, 2020 South India offers a kaleidoscope of images, Day 9 Madurai-Thekkady Hotels tastes and experiences in a calmer, less 'Living' Meenakshi Temple. Walk through Chennai Leela Palace tourist-oriented environment than the North. Puthu Mandap. Drive to Thekkady, land of Mamallapuram Taj Fisherman's Cove The influence of other cultures seems to have spices. Pondicherry Palais de Mahe brushed the South very lightly as it remains a Day 10 Thekkady Tanjore Svatma stronghold of Hindu traditions. Throughout Boat trip through Periyar National Park. Spice Madurai Marriott the South, magnificent monuments of a plantation. Evening entertainment. Thekkady Spice Village vanished age abound, standing serenely in Day 11 Thekkady-Kumarakom Kumarakom Kumarakom Lake Resort bustling cities and in lush tropical landscapes Drive to Kumarakom. Tea plantation. Sunset Cochin Taj Malabar with nearby rice fields and meandering rivers. cruise on kettuvallum houseboat. Mysore Radisson Blu Tour Itinerary and Highlights Day 12 Kumarakom Bengaluru Leela Palace Kerala backwater cruise. Optional visit to Day 1 Chennai Individual arrivals. Bird Sanctuary. Resource Person Day 13 Kumarakom-Cochin Day 2 Chennai Dr. Deepali Dewan is Philipkutty’s Farm. Keralian cooking demo Tour of Chennai, Kapaleeshwarar Temple and the Dan Mishra South and lunch. Drive to Cochin. Sunset cruise to Santhome Cathedral Basilica. Welcome Asian Curator of South see Chinese fishing nets. dinner. Asian Arts & Culture at Day 14 Cochin Day 3 Chennai-Mamallapuram the ROM and teaches at Chennai National Museum and Art Gallery. Tour of Cochin, Mattancherry Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, and St. Francis Church. the University of Drive to Mamallapuram to see the Shore and Toronto. Her research Five Rathas Temples. Evening performance of Kathakali at folklore museum. spans colonial and Day 4 Mamallapuram-Pondicherry contemporary South Drive to Auroville to see Matrimandir. Day 15 Cochin-Bengaluru-Mysore Morning flight to Bengaluru. Drive to Asia, with particular Rickshaw ride through Tamil and French interest in photography. quarters. Manakula Vinayagar Temple. Mysore. Evening carriage ride and visit to Devraja flower market. She has authored several books and curated Day 5 Pondicherry many exhibitions of South Asian culture. Sunrise at Pondicherry Promenade. Optional Day 16 Mysore ROMTravel Coordinator visit to Paradise Beach and the old quarter. Srirangapatna; the ruins of Hyder Ali, Tipu Neera Chopra is a ROM Trustee, ROM Cluny Embroidery Centre and high tea. Sultan and Mysore Palace. Patron, devoted volunteer and avid traveller. Day 6 Pondicherry-Kumbakonam- Day 17 Mysore-Bengaluru Tanjore Chamundi Hills, Bull Temple and Sand She is a member of many ROM committees, Drive to Kumbakonam. Cooking demo and Sculpture Museum. Train to Bengaluru. past Chair of the Friends of South Asia and lunch at Paradise Resort. Bullock cart ride Farewell dinner. assists visitors in learning about the ROM’s through a local village. Darasuram Temple. Day 18 Bengaluru collections. She led a ROMTravel trip to Bronze statue-making demo en route. Chitrakala Pratikesh, school of fine arts and North India in 2017. Day 7 Tanjore-Trichy famous garden, Lal Bagh. State Legislature, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Trichy, Vidhan Soudha. Individual departures. Tour Cost Per Person perhaps the largest functioning Hindu temple Double Occupancy $9,800 in the world. Brihadisvara Temple in Tanjore, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Single Supplement $2,995 Day 8 Tanjore-Madurai Palace of Tanjore and the art gallery housing Tour begins at Chennai Airport (MAA). magnificent granite and bronze statues from Tour ends at Bengaluru Airport (BLR). International flight costs NOT included. the Chola period. Drive to Madurai. Lunch Photos of Chettinad cuisine with host Meenakshi . Chinese fishing nets in Cochin, courtesy Neera Chopra. Muthaiah. Triumali Nayal Palace and St. Brihadisvara Temple, Cholapuram, courtesy Wikipedia Mary Cathedral. and Jean-Pierre Dalbéra. Backwaters of Kerala, Kumarakom, courtesy Neera Chopra. Terms & Conditions Spectacular South India: Sandalwood, Saffron and Backwaters February 17 – March 5, 2020 Tour Cost Insurance Double Occupancy: $9,800 per person It is the responsibility of each participant to ensure that they have adequate out- Single Supplement: $2,995 of-province health and trip cancellation insurance to cover changes in health or Tour cost does NOT include international flight costs between Toronto-Chennai other circumstances prior to, or during, the trip. All losses suffered or additional and Bengaluru-Toronto. Tourcan Vacations Inc. can assist with booking flights. costs incurred associated with failure to have insurance, or to have sufficient Tour Cost Includes insurance, are the sole responsibility of the participant. Insurance purchased . Transfer from Chennai Airport to hotel on Day 1. Transfer from hotel to through Tourcan Vacations is underwritten by First North American Insurance Bengaluru Airport on Day 18. Company, a subsidiary of Manulife Financial. The insurance premium is non- . Porterage of one standard sized suitcase per person at the hotels. refundable. Insurance may be purchased up to the time the initial deposit is . Regional flight from Cochin-Bengaluru. Ground transport in private air- processed, or at a later time but, if purchased later, would be subject to conditioned coach (with toilet) for transfers/excursions as per itinerary. Boats any changes to the premiums and/or to the participant's health or other as per itinerary. circumstances at the time of purchase. A waiver will be required if the . Shared accommodation in double occupancy room with private facilities and participant does not purchase insurance from Tourcan Vacations. Ontario taxes free WiFi access. are included in the quoted prices. The prices quoted are subject to change until . Meals: Buffet breakfast daily, 15 lunches and 13 dinners, including choice of the insurance policy is issued. Deluxe is all-inclusive health and cancellation. water, beer, soft drinks, coffee or tea. Bottled water daily on the bus (at least 2 Based on accommodation in double occupancy room (Ontario tax included) per person). Welcome and Farewell dinners with wine. Age Cancellation Only Deluxe Age Cancellation Only Deluxe . All visits, entrance fees, still camera fees, speakers’ fees and events as per To 59 $693.90 $823.50 70-74 $947.16 $1,525.50 itinerary. 60-64 $799.74 $1,092.42 75-79 $1,212.84 $1,881.36 . Assistance from Tourcan Vacations to complete visa application for India (for 65-69 $895.86 $1,222.02 80-84 $1,469.88 $2,724.84 Canadian citizens only). For single accommodation, for more coverage options and for complete . All taxes and tips for all goods and services, drivers, hotel, restaurant and coverage details, limitations and exclusions, please contact Tourcan guiding staff related to the basic tour; all hotel and local taxes. Vacations. Services of a Resource Person, a ROMTravel Coordinator, and a Travel Royal Ontario Museum Responsibility Agency Escort. Neither the Royal Ontario Museum nor the Department of Museum Volunteers . Services of English-speaking local guides. of the Royal Ontario Museum, or any member thereof, assumes any . Pre-trip orientations; post-trip reunion. A travel handbook. responsibility for the financing, arranging or the conducting of the tour, nor Not Included shall be liable for damages or loss to person or property that might occur in . International flight costs. Fuel surcharges. connection with this tour however arising, whether by negligence or . Items of a personal nature, e.g., laundry, telephone calls. otherwise, and whether or not a member of the Royal Ontario Museum . Airline baggage and video camera fees, if any. India visa fees, if any. staff or the Department of Museum Volunteers accompanies the tour. The . Meals, snacks, beverages, and other services unless specified. Additional applicant by applying to join the tour hereby agrees to this limitation of meals and accommodations due to delays. Emergency evacuation costs. liability on the part of the Royal Ontario Museum, the Department of . Trip cancellation and out-of-province health insurance. Museum Volunteers or any member thereof. Costs Responsibility and Jurisdiction All prices quoted herein are based on rates, fees and taxes as of December 23, Tourcan Vacations Inc. and their agents act only as agents for the passengers 2019. Costs are subject to change without notice. Should tour costs increase, with respect to services supplied to passengers by others, including but not Tourcan Vacations (as per TICO regulations) reserves the right to increase the limited to transportation, hotel and restaurant services, on the express condition price accordingly up to a maximum of 7%. Tourcan Vacations reserves the right that they are not liable for any failure in such services, or injury, loss or damage, to substitute itineraries, hotels, airlines or vessels due to conditions beyond their delay or inconvenience arising out of or in connection with any defect in any control. Any change to itinerary will not result in eligibility for a refund. vehicle or any act, omission, accident or error in providing such transportation, ROM Membership Requirement hotel, restaurant or other services. There is no refund for unused portions of the Participants must be members of the Royal Ontario Museum. For a full list