Kerala Travel Packages ::
Kerala with Goa
South
India with Beaches
Travel Duration: 19 Nights /
20 Days for South India with Beaches
Places Covered: Chennai -
Pondicherry - Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai - Periyar - Varkala - Alappuzha -
Munnar - Cochin - Mumbai
Day Tour 1 : 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 Tour 2 : Chennai Madras
- the sprawling and gracious city on the "Bay of Bengal" is
the fourth largest city in India. 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 Tour 3: 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 Tour 4 : 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
Tour 5 : Pondicherry - Tanjore After breakfast drive to
Tanjore
(177 kms).
Upon arrival in Tanjore - check into the hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day Tour 6 :
Tanjore - Trichy - Madurai After breakfast drive to
Madurai
(178 kms) enroute visit
Trichy
City tour of Trichy - visit the 'Rock Fort Temple' which rises abruptly
to a height of 273 ft. A steep staircase cut into the rock leads upto the Fort.
At the first level are the remnants of a huge hall blasted into ruins in 1772.
The next storey is the Mathrubhuteshwarer Shrine dedicated to Shiva. Finally
at the top of the hill, the 'Uchhi Pillayar Koil' - a Ganesh Temple offering
a commanding view of the city.
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 Tour 7 : 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 Tour 8 :
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 Tour 9 : 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 Tour 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 Tour 11 : Alappuzha
Full day at The Snake Boat Race festival
"Payippad Boat Race
Payippad near Harippad Alappuzha District". Overnight at
hotel.
Day Tour 12 : Alappuzha
Full day sightseeing tour around Alappuzha area.
FISHING
- Alappuzha is a great centre of fisheries. 'Chakara' a rare marine
phenomenon in which a large number of fish throng together in the early days
of May to August is a peculiarity of Purakkad, one of the main fishing
centres on the coast of the Arabian Sea. This is in fact a fishermen's
fiesta.
COIR - The district is the major centre of coir
and allied products. There are about 4000 production units including a few
big factories with mechanized looms. Alappuzha retains monopoly in coir
production and exports.
AMBALAPPUZHA-SREEKRISHNA TEMPLE -
Amabalappuzha Sreekrishna Temple on the Kollam-Alappuzha Highway is called
the Dwaraka of the South. It is frequented by thousands of devotees
especially during the annual festival, which falls in April every year.
'Ambalappuzha palpayasam' the devotional delicacy of the temple is renowned
for its unique taste. Ambalappuzha is also famous for the traditional visual
martial art of Kerala, Velakali.
KARUMADI - Karumadi,
three Kms. east of Ambalappuzha, has a statue of Budha called
Karumadikuttan, a perennial source of interest for the tourists.
Overnight at hotel.
Day Tour 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 Tour 14 : Alappuzha - Munnar
Morning drive to
Munnar
(180 km)
Upon arrival in Munnar- check in to the hotel.
Overnight
at hotel
Day Tour 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 Tour 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 Tour 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 Tour 18 : Cochin - Mumbai
Late morning transfer from hotel to the railway station for train to
Mumbai.
Leave: Cochinat
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 Tour 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 Tour 20 :
Abroad - Mumbai Depart : Mumbai
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