Delights of Kerala and South India Tour

Upon arrival Chennai, proceed on your drive to Pondicherry and En route have a short sightseeing tour of Mahabalipuram visit Five Rathas (chariots) ceremonial chariots, rock-cut monoliths, named after the 5 Pandavas - heroes of the Mahabharata epic and Draupadi their wife and The Shore Temple by the sea surrounded by gardens designed according to descriptions of the original layout from ancient times. Built in sandstone in the 7th century.

Upon arrival Pondicherry, check-in at your hotels and relax leisurely.

Overnight Stay In Pondicherry.

Post breakfast proceed for sightseeing and visit Auroville, it’s an experiment in International living where men and women could live in peace and progressive harmony with each other above all creeds, politics and nationalities. It is a developing town 10 km from Pondicherry.

Then take a heritage walk which highlight Pondicherry’s rich architectural heritage. Today, the only real way to soak in the charm of this historic district is on foot to enjoy this exploration of the Tamil and French Quarters, later afternoon visit the paper factory where they naturally recycled the product, natural papers are our most popular. They are high-end, rustic, authentic, and naturally strong given the high-quality cotton raw material. Later visit the popularly beaches of Pondicherry like paradise beach, serenity beach and other beach.

Overnight Stay In Pondicherry

After breakfast, check-out and embark for Kumbakonam. En route, stop at Cuddalore to visit Fort St. David and the Garden House. Then, proceed to Chidambaram to visit the Shiva Nataraja Temple, one of South India’s most ancient temples. After a further two-hour drive, arrive near Kumbakonam at Mantra Koodam. Check-in and spend the rest of the evening at leisure.

Overnight Stay In Kumbakonam

Spend your day at the breathtaking Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram temples, known for housing many art and architectural treasures. Then, head back to Mantra Koodam to experience the many available activities from bullock-cart rides to Bharatanatyam.

Overnight Stay In Kumbakonam

Check-out after breakfast and begin your journey towards Chettinad. En-route, stop at Tanjore to visit the spectacular Brihadishwara temple

Upon arrival in Chettinad, check in to your hotel for 2 nights stay and rest of the day at leisure or free for independent activities.

Overnight Stay In Chettinad

Today visit the Raja’s Palace, old Chettiar mansions and clan temples. Later in the afternoon proceed for sightseeing of Chettinad includes local village visits, heritage homes & palaces and tiles making factory.

Rest of the day at leisure or free for independent activities.

Overnight Stay In Chettinad

After a delicious breakfast, leave for Thekkady. Stop briefly at Madurai to visit towering gopurams at Sree Meenakshi Temple Arrive at Thekkady and discover the immense biodiversity within the resort.

Overnight Stay In Thekkady

Early this morning, we take a guided walk with a naturalist in Periyar Wildlife Reserve. Observe some rare species of flora and fauna, along with a variety of birds and if you are lucky you may even spot a few elephants and wildlife across the lake.

This afternoon, take a spice plantation tour and learn about the mystery and history of Indian spices. The spice plantations in Periyar are captivating farms growing different spices in different sections of the plantations. You will be intrigued to see the vast variety of spices ranging from cloves, cardamom, ginger, pepper, chilli, turmeric etc and during the spice plantation tour, you have the option to experience elephant safari through the plantation. Undisturbed by the mechanical roar of a car or jeep, open to the skies accompanied only by the rhythmic sound of the elephant, enjoy the ride through spice scented breeze.

This evening visit one local family for a cooking demonstration with the chef and learn uses of various spices in everyday cooking. The chef will be happy to share their secret recipes and give you some handy tips about south Indian cooking.

Overnight Stay In Thekkady.

After breakfast, enjoy a morning drive to Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam {16 kilometres (10 minutes), in Kerala, India, famous for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake which is the largest freshwater lake in the state of Kerala
Rest of the day at leisure or free for independent activities.

Overnight Stay In Kumarakom

Early this morning enjoy en visit to Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary for bird watching, Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary is a small piece of heaven for nature lovers and bird watchers. Located on the banks of Vembanad Lake, this preservation ground is a habitat to plenty of common as well as endangered species of residential and migratory birds.

These include Siberian Cranes, Parrots, Herons, Owls, Egrets, Darters, and Waterfowls. Exploring the sprawling 14 acres in a canoe is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating things to do in Kumarakom.

Also visit Pathiramanal the fascinating island called the Sands of Midnight on the Vembanad Lake, can be reached by boat from here.

Overnight Stay In Kumarakom

This morning board your houseboat to cruise through resort jetty, Kerala backwaters consist of a complex network of lagoons, lakes, & canals and are best experienced while slowly rowing down the labyrinth of canals in a traditional thatch-roofed houseboat, known as 'Kettuvallam'. Discover the daily life along the backwaters and watch the circle of life in endless shades of green. Enjoy the comfort of a floating suite, relax and discover the flavors of Kerala served on the sundeck as the fascinating life along the waterfront passes by.

Overnight stay on Houseboat

Note : All meals included on Houseboat

This morning, enjoy breakfast on board. Alight your houseboat and drive to Marari, a fishermen’s village.

Upon arrival in Marari, check in to your hotel for 2 nights stay and rest of the day at leisure or free for independent activities.

Overnight Stay In Marari

Breakfast in hotel

Enjoy your time in Marari, relax on the beach or pamper yourself with the various facilities offered by your hotel. You may opt for optional city tour or other activities offered by your resort ( at extra charge ).

Overnight Stay In Marari

This morning, enjoy breakfast and embark on your drive to Kochi.

En-route to Kochi, visit a lush green island model village (agri farm), surrounded by backwaters and paddy fields. Meet the locals to understand essential elements of local village lifestyle of Kerala, which is predominated by coconut. Enjoy a backwaters boat cruise in a traditional country boat. Spend the afternoon seeing coir yarn processing, copra processing, crab farming, clam meat processing, operation of Chinese fishing nets, weaving coconut leaves and fish groping.

Upon arrival in Kochi, check in to your hotel for 2 nights stay.

Later this evening, watch a spectacular Kathakali performance. Kathakali is one of the oldest theatre forms in India. One of the most complex and highly stylized Indian art forms, this performance is a spectacular combination of drama, dance, music and ritual. Characters with vividly painted faces and elaborate costumes re-enact stories from the Hindu epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana. Reach early for the unique opportunity to see the performers dressing up in their very elaborate and colorful costumes and painting their faces with make up to create the special persona for the performance. Also visit the onsite cultural museum to see sculptures of Kerala's unique dance forms, a large replica of an authentic Keralan wooden canoe and see how Keralan handicrafts and saris are woven.

Overnight Stay In Kochi.

This morning explore Fort Kochi on a cycling tour. Fort Kochi, a historic trading port of Kochi is a laid-back town and cycling through its streets is a great way to discover it. With narrow cobbled stone streets, cafes that open for business late in the morning and fishermen that line the coast at sunrise with their Chinese fishing nets, Fort Kochi blends its old world charm seamlessly with its contemporary vibrancy Post Breakfast visit the Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue, St. Francis Church and see the authentic Chinese fishing nets still in active use by the fishermen in Kerala.

Rest of the day at leisure or free for independent activities.

This morning, enjoy breakfast and in time transferred to the airport to connect to your flight back home / your onwards destination.