Arrive
at Cochin. Transfer to a tropical island, check
into a five-star hotel on the edge of the Arabian
Sea. Watch the dolphins at play - and they are
regular guests - as the sun sets around the
glass panels of a restaurant shaped in the architectural
form of a traditional Kerala riceboat. Taste
the fruits of the Arabian sea at dinner…
Grilled Masala prawns or pearlspot, vegetables
simmered in coconut milk…
Travel
by private car to Alleppey, the 'Venice of the
East' and check into a Heritage Home overlooking
the beach. Stroll along the eternal stretch
of pure white sands, loll around the market
area that has forty gold shops in one street.
Choose some dazzling gold jewellery at really
affordable prices. In the early evening get
decorated with jasmine garlands and hoist yourself
gently on to an elephant for the perfect photo
before you go for a leisurely short trip on
the back of the Great Tusker. Dinner in an open-air
restaurant under a moonlit sky midst the fragrance
of jasmine and bougainvillea in the Heritage
home.
Disembark
mid-morning and travel to an island resort where
you will be marooned in coconut groves and accommodated
in a tasteful re-creation of a traditional Kerala
village. Get pampered with Ayurvedic hand and
foot massage in your own private villa which
has a separate sitting area and your very own
private swimming pool. Even the bathroom is
unique - as well as state-of-the-art facilities
it has an open courtyard where you can shower
and look up at the blue skies!
A
comfy private taxi makes it way through scenic
villages to the land's end of India, Cape Comorin
where the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and
the Bay of Bengal converge with one of the most
dramatic backdrops India has to offer. It can
be a sunrise or a sunset, a moonrise or moon
set but the tranquil beauty will stay in your
memory forever. The waters here are sacred and
it's must to dip your toes in them to get a
blessing from the gods for your future. Return
to Trivandrum.
At
leisure with room service, scented Ayurvedic
oil bath followed by Rejuvenation massage,
swimming pool, privacy and the sound of silence.
By evening enjoy the traditional dance form
of Kerala, Kathakali, a stage drama which
has its origins in the 2nd century.
After
a late morning, it's a taxi ride through the
lush green landscape of God's Own Country to
board a private houseboat, originally a rice
boat or kettuvallom used to carry spices and
even families from coast to coast. Here your
own personal crew of three will serve you tender
coconut water, sumptuous fresh fish and Kerala-style
spicy curries. Sunbathe on deck and let the
world punt past you. Watch typical Indian village
life as you meander through the palm-fringed
lakes and shady cashew nut groves. Talk about
love under a traditional Kerala lantern as the
waters relax you, mind, body and soul.
At
leisure in your island retreat with more oil baths,
Indian head massage and Rejuvenation massage.
Travel
to Trivandrum and stay in a cliff top Heritage
Hotel with private swimming pool if desired. Visit
the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple and the Puthen
Maliga, a 200 year old palace of the maharaja
of Travancore which took 5000 workers four years
to build. Dinner in a rooftop restaurant under
the stars.
Shopping in the busy capital
city for your special mementoes - Indian silk,
spices, rare gems, jasmine, orchids. A thali
lunch, that's up to a dozen small Kerala dishes,
at a famous vegetarian restaurant run by the Brahmins.
Dinner at your hotel.
