This exciting tour introduces you to the
many facets of south and central Kerala. It brings you from
beach to city, from backwaters to hill stations. There's never
a dull moment. Traditional temple architecture, tribal villages,
Ayurvedic massage, shopping for gold, gourmet food, elephants,
tigers….. Check it out!.
Arrive
at Trivandrum and transfer to one of India's
most famous resorts, Kovalam, a beach lover's
paradise which caters for lively, sporty,
relaxing and fun tastes. Rest of the day at
leisure. Time to catch that sun tan before
you nestle down to sleep in either a private
cottage, clifftop Heritage Hotel room or a
boutique hotel in a shady lagoon.
At
dawn after an early breakfast, you slip into
the backseat of a big, comfy, classic Ambassador
car and make your way south to India's Land's
End, Cape Comerin. This is the point where the
Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean and the Bay of
Bengal meet, waters that are considered sacred.
Dipping your toes in the warmth is a must. Then
you will be taken on a guided tour to the famous
Padmanabhapuram Palace - India's largest wooden
palace with magnificent carvings and wonderful
craftsmanship. On to the Sucheendram Temple
next which has an amazing collection of art
treasures from various periods in history. Back
then to the tip of India to worship at the Rock
Temple with nature's fading sunlight where you
will experience one of the most memorable sunsets
of a lifetime. Then it's time to go home to
Kovalam.
Wake
up to the calm of the backwaters for a leisurely
Birdwatch under the swaying palms. Enjoy a Kerala
breakfast of delicate pancakes, coconut chutney
or western-style omelette with strong South Indian
coffee from the hill stations. Sunbathe on the deck
and forget your worries. You will be sad to disembark
mid-morning at Alleppey, but not for long! Alleppey
is a bustling market town and you can lose yourself
in the busy bazaar at Mullakkal Street which has
a minimum of forty gold shops, a great choice of
Indian cottons and a dazzling display of local fruit
and vegetables. Then prepare yourself for fertility
rites! We bring you to an evening puja (worship)
at a very rare temple, the snake temple at Mannarassala,
which has been in one Kerala family for three thousand
years and whose priest is a woman. Then back to
either a beach or city hotel in Alleppey.…….
At
leisure and oh! what lesiure it will be. Sip
a cup of chai at a waterfront restaurant and
listen to the fishermen chant their traditional
work songs as they gather in your rich dinner
from the Arabian sea. Nose around the handicraft
shops along the beach front, treat your body
to a top-to-toe oil bath while an Ayurvedic
masseur pummels you with his hands - and yes,
with his feet too! Now try to imagine that!
Have an affordable one-to-one Yoga class,
enjoy the tropical sunshine and just breathe
in what National Geographic Traveller magazine
described as "one of the fifty must-see destinations
of a life time." You're in Kerala!
Early
morning the big classic Ambassador will bring
you from your hotel to your next home, a traditional
rice boat, now converted for your comfort to a
house boat. The water-web ahead slowly opens up
it's secrets to you, lush paddy fields, swaying
palms, singing Siberian ducks and once again the
ancestral music of the freshwater fishermen. Sit
on the deck with a tender coconut drink while
your personal staff attends you. Bask in the Kerala
sun and as it sets drop anchor at Kumarakom Bird
Sanctuary and enjoy a sumptuous Kerala dinner
on board.
It's
up to the fragrant hills of Thekkady. Now you're
in Spice Country. We take you on a guided tour
of cardomom and pepper plantations before bringing
you to one of India's finest wildlife reserves
in the Periyar forest where you can have lunch
at a Palace hotel on an island in the middle
of the Periyar Lake. In the late afternoon explore
a tribal village deep inside the forest where
you can examine at first hand a Neolithic way
of life. Then we finish off with a boat cruise
to view the elephants and other wildlife having
their evening wash in the lake before bringing
you home to a thatched cottage, furnished with
Kerala antiques. There's a warm outdoor swimming
pool too for that extra bit of relaxation.
Morning
boat ride to watch wildlife and after breakfast from
your hotel you move to Munnar through the gurgling streams,
low flying clouds and mist filled valleys with enough
tea plants to produce an annual yield of nearly 50,000
metric tons. Now we are at an altitude of 1524 meters.
Here you can see the endangered Nilagiri Thar, a rare
species of mountain goat that roams on a stretch of
grass lands or sight the unusual Guar, Languor, Lion-tailed
Masque and Sambar. You tuck in for the night at a local
hill resort.
Early morning, you head towards the city of Cochin,
one of the most romantic ports of India where you can
stay at a beautifully renovated colonial style house
located in historic Fort Cochin. Here you may wander
around the buildings that were shaped by the Portuguese,
the Dutch and the British. Check out the Jewish Synagogue
built in 1568 A.D., the impressive Dutch Palace and
the unusual Chinese fishing nets, the legacy of one
of the first foreigners to visit Kerala in the 15th
century and still operated by hand today. After sunset
there's a special performance of the classical dance
form of Kerala, Kathakali, where the performers will
explain to you beforehand the significance of the moves.
Transfer toTrivandrum to board the outbound flight or
simply to Cochin ariport.
It's
on by car to Trissur, sometimes referred to as Kerala's
cultural capital. Here we steal you away from the
state's beautiful natural landcape and bring you to
one of the oldest temples in the state, Vadakkumnathan
Temple, a classical piece of Kerala architecture.
The Town Hall is home to a picture gallery which enhibits
a collection of the famous Kerala murals. Visit the
first mosque ever built in India. And at Punnathoorkotta
meet the great tusker of Kerala, not just one of them,
but up to forty elephants live here in the Big Elephant
House, owned by one of the richest temples of Kerala,
the Lord Krisna Temple at Guruvayoor. A perfect end
to a cultural day at your choice of hotel, either
a beach resort or a city location.
Browse
through the spice trading centers of Cochin and view
some of the best antique shops in Kerala who will offer
to ship their finest bargains home for you. The rest
of the day at leisure to help you pack, and that includes
packing in some more Kerala sunshine. Dinner at a Seafood
specialty restaurant.
