Best of South
India with Boat festival
Duration : 20 Days
Destination : Chennai - Pondicherry - Tanjore-Trichy - Madurai - Periyar
- Varkala - Alappuzha - Munnar - Cochin - Mumbai
Day 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 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 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 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 5 : Pondicherry - Tanjore
After breakfast drive to
Tanjore (177 kms).
Upon arrival in Tanjore - check into the hotel.
Overnight at hotel
Day 6 : 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.
Overnight at hotel
Day 7 : Madurai
Morning,
visit the
Meenakshi temple. Also visit the palace of
Tirumala Nayak.
Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight at hotel
Day 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.
Overnight at hotel
Day 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 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.
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 ".
The
Nehru Trophy Boat Race, the most colourful water sport in Kerala, is conducted
at PUNNAMADA LAKE in Alleppey on the second saturday of every August/September
each year.
This trophy was named as NEHRU TROPHY was awarded to the winners of the boat
race which is a unique feature of community life and is gift to the people of
Alleppey.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 12 : Alappuzha
Full day sightseeing tour around Alappuzha area.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 13 : Alappuzha
Aranmula Boat Race Aranmula, Pathanamthitta
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". 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: Mumbai |
at 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.
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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