Duration:18 Days
Destinations Covered: Chennai - Bangalore - Mysore - Hassan - Coorg - Calicut - Cochin - Kottayam - Kovalam - Periyar - Madurai - Thanjavur - Pondicherry - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Chennai (Madras)
Day 01:
Chennai
Arrival in Madras. Your tour manager will receive you at the airport and take you to the hotel near to the airport.
Relax for the night.
Day 02:
Chennai - Bangalore
Take Shatabdi Express in the morning to Bangalore. Reach by noon and your driver will meet you. Check-in at your hotel and in the afternoon, you will visit the Vidhan Saudha, Government Secretariat - this imposing edifice built with Banagalore granite is a tribute to temple architecture of the state. The Lal Bagh, spread over 240 acres is a beautiful botanical Garden opposite the Vidhan Saudha. The Botanical Garden is the largest in the region where one can see hundreds of species of plants.
Day 03:
Bangalore - Mysore
By Road 125 km in 3 hr
In the morning drive to Mysore, enroute visit Srirangapatnam, the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan built in 1784 AD. Srirangapatnam is set in exquisite gardens. Also of note are the Tomb & the mosque attached to it. Here lie buried the father & the mother of the great ruler.
Day 04:
Mysore
After breakfast visit Mysore Palace. This beautiful Indo-Saracenic Palace dominates the city`s skyline. It was built in 1911-12 at a cost of 4.2 million Rupees to replace the former Palace, which was burnt down. We have a guided tour of the Palace. In the evening we take an excursion to Chamudi hills to visit Sri Chamundeswari Temple, huge in structure with a seven story Gopuram 40 meters high. On the way up to the hill we see the famous Nandi (Shiva`s Bull) carved out of solid rock and, at five meters high, perhaps the largest.
Day 05:
Mysore - Hassan
By Road 60 km in 1 hr
Drive to Hassan after breakfast, enroute-visiting Shravanabelagola. Shravanabelagola is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centres in India. The site of the huge statue of Lord Bahubali (Gomateshvara), which at 17 meters high and carved out of a single piece of rock, is the world`s tallest monolithic statue. Drive further to Hassan. Afternoon: visit Belur and Halebid temple complexes (12th-14th Century). Built by the Hoysala kings, the temples at Belur and Halebid are the cream of what remains of one of the most artistically exuberant periods of Hindu Cultural development. The wealth of sculptural details found on the exterior and interior of these temples at Halebid & Belur makes them the most outstanding example of Hoysala sculptural art.
Day 06:
Hassan - Coorg
By Road 250 km in 5 hr
Drive to Coorg after breakfast also known as the Scotland of India, where you would visit a coffee plantation. The Coorgies are known to be the descendents of Greek soldiers.
Day 07:
Coorg - Calicut
By Road 280 km in 6 hr
After breakfast drive through the thickest rainforest of India, to Calicut (Kozhikode), which literally means, "cock rowing". The town Calicut played a major role in Kerala's history as the capital of the Zamorin Rajas (rulers). Its name during the British period was given to the calico cloth, a block printed cotton exported round the world. Today Kozhikode is a major commercial center for North Kerala. Calicut is famous for traditional martial arts. In the evening visit the MARTIAL ART SHOW.
Day 08:
Calicut - Cochin
By Road 240 km in 5 hr
After breakfast drive to Kochi, enroute visiting the construction of DHOW, a typical Kerela hand made boat. Kerala, apart from being very green, is also very colorful and the traditional culture remains intact here. Young girls dressed in traditonal dresses are a very common sight. The Lorries in this state are all painted in bright colors. We will travel along the coastline and cross various water streams running into the ocean and the backwaters coming into the land. The drive is a very eventful one. Evening will be at leisure.
Day 09:
Cochin
The influence of medieval Portugal, Holland and England can still be seen in this fast growing coastal city. It is also known as the spice city of India. Most of the exports of spices are done from here. Our morning tour will include the St. Francis Church, where Vasco da Gama was buried for 14 years before his remains were transferred to Lisbon. His tombstone still stands here. Portuguese Franciscan friars built the church in 1503. Nearby are the Chinese Fishing Nets along Vypeen Island (set up between 1350 - 1450 AD), The Mattancherry Palace or "Dutch Palace" built in 1557 AD (closed on Fridays) and behind the Palace is the Jewish Synagogue, constructed 1568 AD, with hand-painted willow-pattern floor tiles brought from Canton in the mid-18th century by a Rabbi, who had trading interests there. In the evening we enjoy Kathakali, an ancient religious dance drama of Kerala. This is generally performed in the temples and is said to have been performing for the past 1,500 years.
Day 10:
Cochin - Kottayam - Rice Boat
By Road 147 km in 3 hr
Drive through the countryside to a jetty near Kottayam to board the Rice boat. Using the local bamboo sticks and husk of coconut makes these rice boats also called houseboats. The boats float on the backwaters through thick coconut palms, banana plantations and lush green paddy fields. It is interesting to see how people live on narrow splits of land that are only a few meters wide and still manage to keep cows, pigs, chicken and ducks and cultivate small vegetable gardens. Arundhathi Roy describes this life in the award-winning novel "GOD OF SMALL THINGS". Overnight will be on traditional Kerala rice boat.
Day 11:
Aleppey - Kovalam
By Road 150 km in 4 hr
After breakfast on rice boat disembark at Aleppey. Drive further south on to Kovalam. Afternoon & evening will be at leisure to enjoy one of the finest beaches in the area.
Day 12:
Kovalam - Periyar
By Road 272 km in 8 hr
Drive to Periyar, the most famous wild life sanctuary of South India. As you drive through the Blue Hills you will see thick rubber plantations, tea plantations, and cardamom & pepper growing all along the roadside.
Enjoy the winding roads and the landscape.
Day 13:
Periyar
Enjoy the morning wildlife safari on the lake. This sanctuary is known for wild Asian Elephants, who are small in structure and have pink pigments on the fore heads & near the ears. The afternoon can be utilized to visit one of the Spice Farms nearby. In the evening we again have a boatride on Lake Periyar.
Day 14:
Periyar - Madurai
By Road 160 km in 4 hr
Early morning walk in the jungle is optional. After breakfast drive to Madurai. In the aftrenoon visit the Sri Meenakshi Temple built in the Dravidian architecture form of temple architecture. The Gopurams are covered from top to bottom with profuse multi-coloured images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. The main temple has long galleries and large halls supported by columns. The Hall of 1000 Columns has musical pillars. Other places of interest are the Nayyaka- Palace built in 1636 in the Indo-Saracenic style. A special visit back to the temple inthe evening, after early dinner, is a must. This time you will be taken to the temple complex on cycle-rickshaws to witness the evening spiritual ceremony in which Lord Shiva is carried in a palanquin accompanied by musicians, temple singers and priests to the temple of his consort Parvati to spend the night. He is brought to his temple in the morning.
Day 15:
Madurai - Thanjavur
By Road 180 km in 5 hr
Morning depart for Thanjavur to visit the famous Brihadeshwara temple constructed by the Chola King in the 10th cent AD. The dome on top of the 63 meter high temple is a single piece of granite weighing an estimated 81 tons and the huge Nandi is carved out of a single piece of rock. We also visit the Museum which has one of the finest Bronze collections.
Day 16:
Thanjavur - Trichy - Chidambaram - Pondicherry
By Road 200 km in 5 hr
Proceed to Trichy after breakfast. Reach and proceed for Full day excursion to the city of Trichy.
Visit the ancient temples dedicated to Lord Ganapathi, 434 steps cut out into the rock side and interspersed with shrines, lead to the temple. Visit SRIRANGAM, a massive temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu sprawled on a Island in CAUVERY RIVER which contains within its walls a Bazaar (TRADITIONAL MARKET OF INDIA) as well. Gaze up at the twenty-one magnificent towers of the temple surrounded by seven walls.
Drive to Chidambaram. Complete sightseeing of the temple complex and then start for the city of Pondicherry.
French dreams of an Indian Empire began and ended in Pondicherry. But in the scattered territories of the Union Territory of Pondicherry there remains what little there is left of the French influence in India and that makes the territory, especially its headquarters, Pondicherry, unique, something quite different from the rest of India. The Union Territory of Pondicherry comprises of 4 coastal regions of Pondicherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Pondicherry is on the east coast about 162 km south of Chennai (Madras) located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal.
Overnight will be at Pondicherry.
Day 17:
Pondicherry - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram
By Road 230 km in 6 hr
After breakfast you will start sightseeing of Pondicherry.
Experience the the strong French influence in the architecture and the life style of the people. In the evening if time permits, visit Aurobindo Ahsram and Auroville - The International Township for Harmony.
Drive to Kanchipuram the erstwhile capital of the Pallava and Chola rulers. These two powerful ruling dynasties gave the city its numerous temples and water tanks. The temple city is one of the 7holy cities of India and has over 150 active temples dedicated to various gods and goddesses. The various temples you will visit are Kailashnatha, Vaikun Thaperumal, Vishnu Temple, Shiva Natraja, Vardaraja Vishnu Temple, Ekambeshwara Shiva Temple and Ekambeshwara Shiva temple. The Vardaraja Temple has an ancient mango tree. Its four branches are said to represent the four Vedas. Each branch is said to contain fruits with different flavors. Later drive to Mahabaluipuram.
Day 18:
Mahabalipuram - Chennai
By Road 50 km in 1 hr
This town was the port city of the Pallava Kings (7 century AD). After breakfast you visit the Group of five Rathas Temples, rock-cut monoliths named after the heroes of the Epic - Mahabharata. The rock carving depicting the penance of Shiva is one of the finest pieces of stone carving and end the visit at the Shore Temple. Afternoon will be independent.
Drive to Chennai and visit the Saint Thomas (the first apostle) Cathedral, Fort St. George (now the secretariat) and the High Court buildings.
We will end the tour at the RADHA PARK INN for a farewell dinner. Later transfer to the international airport for flight to next destination.
TOUR ENDS
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