Duration : 20 Days
Destination : Chennai - Pondicherry
- Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai - Periyar - Varkala
- Alappuzha - Munnar -
Cochin - Mumbai
Day 01 : Abroad - Chennai Arrive Chennai International airport.
On arrival, the guest will be met by our representative and check in to the
hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 02 : Chennai
Visit the Fort St. George once a stronghold of the British, San Thome
Cathedral, Marina Beach and the beautiful Mylapore temple. Overnight at
hotel
Day 03: Chennai - Pondicherry After breakfast
drive to
Pondicherry (162 km), enroute visit Kancheepuram and
Mahabalipuram.
Continue drive to Pondicherry.
Upon arrival
in Pondicherry - check into the hotel
Overnight at hotel
Day 04 : Pondicherry Afternoon
tour of Pondicherry -
visiting Botanical garden, Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus and Sri Aurobindo
Ashram. Later visit township of Auroville or the city of Dawn. Designed by a
French architect Roger Arger, it is an entirely new concept in education and
urban living.
Overnight at hotel
Day 05 :
Pondicherry - Tanjore After breakfast drive to
Tanjore (177
kms).
Upon arrival in Tanjore - check into the hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 06 : Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai
After breakfast drive to
Madurai (178 kms) enroute visit
Trichy
Thereafter continue drive to Madurai.
Upon arrival in
Madurai -
check into the hotel
Evening visit of the Meenakshi temple
- to attend the night ceremony at the temple at 9 PM. This is a ceremony
that takes place every evening when the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is
carried to the bedchamber of Parvati. The procession is accompanied by
religious prayer and temple music.
Overnight at hotel
Day 07 : Madurai Morning, visit the
Meenakshi temple
one of the biggest temple complexes in India - 46 ft. long by 790 ft broad
built in the 17th Century.
Overnight at hotel
Day 08 : Madurai - Periyar Morning drive to
Periyar
(177 kms)
Upon arrival at Periyar - check into hotel
Afternoon
boatcruise on the Lake of the famous Periyar wildlife
sanctuary to see wild life. Periyar Lake or reservoir created by a dam on
Periyar River is the heart of the Wildlife Sanctuary wild elephants, Asiatic
Deer, Black Buck and even Tigers come to shores of the lake for a drink.
Overnight at hotel
Day 09 : Periyar - Varkala
Morning drive to
Varkala (220 km).
Upon arrival in Varkala -
check into the hotel.
Afternoon visit the Portugese church of
Anjengo dated to the time of occupation, which maybe the Elanchoros of the
geography of Ptomempee (2nd century A.D.). Also visit the English Fort
constructed in 1695 A.D. by the English 'East India Company', which play an
important role in the war of Mysore in 18th century.
Overnight at
hotel
Day 10 : Varkala - Alappuzha Morning drive to to be at
Alappuzha
in time to witness the famous boat race.
Upon arrival to Alappuzha -
check into the hotel
The
Snake Boat Races of Kerala is a
magnificent fiestas that brings alive the tranquil backwaters. Snake boat
races are held in connection with Onam, the harvest festival in
August/September. Scores of long snake boats and other smaller crafts
participate in these events. It is the largest team sport in the world, a
sport that signifies the excellent team spirit, integration and amity of the
people of this backwater country.
Usually a snake boat is manned
by four helmsmen, 25 singers and 100 - 125 oarsmen who row in unison to the
fast rhythm of the vanchipattu (song of the boatman). Thousands of people
crowd the water's edge to cheer the huge black crafts as they slice through
the waters to a spectacular finish.
The snake boat races are
preceded by colourful water parades.
Overnight at hotel
Day 11 : Alappuzha Full day at The Snake Boat Race festival
"Payippad Boat Race Payippad near Harippad Alappuzha District ".
Overnight at hotel.
Day 12 : Alappuzha Full
day sightseeing tour around Alappuzha area.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 13 : Alappuzha Aranmula Boat Race Aranmula,
Pathanamthitta Here are some of the most exhilarating moments
from one of Kerala's most popular water fiestas. The Aranmula vallomkali,
held on the Aranmula river in Pathanamthitta district, is part of the Onam
celebrations. Unlike the other boat races of Kerala, is not a contest but a
retracing of a ritualistic journey undertaken to the Aranmula temple in days
gone by.
Traditionally, the Thiruvonasadya (the grand Onam feast) was the ritual
offering to the deity of the temple. Vegetables, cereals and other
provisions for this elaborate feast were brought to the temple in a
procession of snake boats. The vallom (canoe) carrying the offerings was
called the Thiruvonachilavuthoni (literally, the canoe that carries the
offerings for the Thiruvonasadya).
Today, the Aranmula
Vallomkali, held on the Uthruttathi asterism (the deity's birthday) of the
month of Chingam, is conducted along the route traced centuries ago.
Thousands of excited people throng the waterside to cheer the majestic
crafts that slice through the waters with hundreds of oarsmen roaring in
rhythm to the boatmans songs.
The oldest boat races still
conducted with much enthusiam are the Champakulam vallomkali and the
Payippadu vallomkali held in Alappuzha district. The excitement growing
social participation, in these water fiestas have led to similiar sporting
events being organised at various other locations in the state. Among these
are the Nehru Trophy Boat Race which is today a national event, the
Neerettupuram vallomkali held on the river Pamba and the Pulinkunnu
vallomkali on the Pulinkunnu river.
Overnight at hotel
Day 14 : Alappuzha - Munnar Morning drive to
Munnar
(180 km)
Upon arrival in Munnar- check in to the hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 15 : Munnar Morning, visit
Ervikulam National Park (16 kms) - it is the home of the endangered
Nigiri Tahr (a type of mountain goat) that roams on a stretch of grassland
or is seen climbing the pinnacles of the undulating hills.
Rest
of the day at leisure.
Overnight at hotel
Day 16
: Munnar - Cochin Morning drive to
Cochin (160 km)
Upon arrival in Cochin - check into hotel
Evening witness the
Kathakali dance performance - Kathakali is a
unique dance which has a 2000 year old history with more than 100 different
'mudras' or gesture depicting deities, demons, heroes, heroines and kings -
each based on episodes from the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the two epic
Indian myths.
Overnight at hotel
Day 17 : Cochin
Morning tour of
Cochin or "Kochi"- the palm
green, commercial captial of Kerala is known as the "Queen of the
Arabian Sea". From time immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British &
Portuguese seafarers followed the sea route to Kochi & left their
impression on the town. Modern Kochi is thus a splendid mosaic of these
myriad influences. Visit the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue, the Church
of St. Francis, the Bolghatty Palace & the famous Chinese fishing nets.
Afternoon free for
a stroll in Jew town Overnight
at hotel
Day 18 : Cochin - Mumbai Late morning
transfer from hotel to the railway station for train to
Mumbai.
Leave: Cochin
at
1030 hrs by
IC-166 Arrive:
Mumbaiat
1215 hrs On arrival in Mumbai, the guests will be met by our
representative and transferred to the hotel Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at hotel
Day 19 : Mumbai Morning, one hour boat ride across Mumbai
Harbour brings you to the lush green Elephanta Island. Here, visit some of
the huge and intricately carved
Elephanta Caves that date back to
the 8th century. The rows of massive columns cut into solid rock from three
magnificent avenue leads to the outstanding three-headed sculpture
representing Brahma-the Creator, Vishnu-the Preserver and Shiva-the
Destroyer. Dedicated to Shiva, the beauty and power of these phenomenal
sculptures depicting the various manifestations of Shiva is overpowering.
Afternoon,
City tour of Mumbai - the great port city with its
Victorian Gothic buildings from the British Raj Era mingling with the
modern. The tour includes
Gateway of India overlooking the Harbour,
the
Towers of Silence, Marine Drive and the
Dhobi Ghat, the
unique and colourful outdoor 'laundry'. Also visit
Mani Bhawan, a
small museum dedicated to the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi, and the
bustling Crawford Market.
Later in late evening transfer to the
International airport for your flight back home.
Day 20 :
Abroad - Mumbai Depart : Mumbai.
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