Duration
: 18 Days
Destinations : Chennai - Madurai - Munnar -
Kumarakom - Cochin - Bangalore - Mysore - Chikmagaloor - Bangalore - Mumbai
Day 01: Abroad - Chennai Arrive Chennai International airport.
Upon arrival, the guests will be met by our representative and
transferred to the hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
02: Chennai Morning at leisure.
Afternoon sight-seeing tour of
Chennai
Chennai - the sprawling and gracious city on the "Bay of
Bengal". 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 03 ChennaiFull day
excursion to Kanchipuram and Mahabalipuram
Kanchipuram - known as
the Golden City of a Thousand Temples, it is one of the oldest towns in
India. It is famous for both its temples, many of them remarkably well
preserved and for its hand-woven silks.
Kanchipuram
is one of the seven sacred cities of India and it is the only one associated
with both Shiva and Vishnu. Visit Ekambareshwar Temple, Kailashnath Temple,
Kamakshi Temple, Vaikunthaperumal Temple, all built in the 7th and 8th
centuries. Kanchipuram is also famous for its particularly fine silk saris,
embellished with stunning patterns. This weaving tradition dates back to the
Pallava era (when silk was the royal cloth).
Mahabalipuram- is
famous for its unique 7th century Shore Temple, a lovely beach and some of
the most beautiful rock-cut temples in the world. Situated on the shore of
the Bay of Bengal, Mahabalipuram was already a famous seaport in the 1st
century AD. This town was a workshop for temple building. Visit the seven
pagoda-style shore temples, lashed by the waves of the sea and the seven
rathas or temple chariots. Visit the earliest known examples of Dravidian
architecture, a group of monolithic monuments & animal figures carved
out of solid rock.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 04: Chennai - Madurai Morning transfer to the airport for
flight to Madurai
Leave: Chennai at: 1215 hrs by: IC 671
Arrive:
Madurai at: 1310 hrsUpon arrival in Madurai - the guests will
be met by our representative & transferred to the hotel.
Afternoon
at leisure.
Overnight at hotel
Day 05: Madurai
Early morning visit the magnificent temple of Meenakshi, which is an
exquisite example of Dravidian architecture and sculpture with two
sanctuaries one dedicated to Shiva and the other to Meenakshi. Its Hall of a
Thousand Pillars is fabulous and is filled with worshippers at all hours of
the day. Also visit the Tirumal Nayak's Palace which was constructed in the
Indo-Saracenic style. Its enormous roofed arcade supported by 48-foot-high
stoned pillars, still stands.
Evening visit the Meenakshi temple
for "aarti". This is a ceremony which takes places every evening
when the temple bronze of Lord Shiva is carried to the bed-chambers of
Parvati to the accompaniment or religious prayers and music.
Overnight
at hotel.
Day
06: Madurai - MunnarMorning drive to Munnar (210 kms)
Upon
arrival in Munnar - check into hotel.
Munnar - is the beautiful
hill station housing world's highest tea-growing estates. Beyond these
estates are rich tropical forests that houses an assortment of wildlife such
as Nilgiri Langur, Sambhar, Gaur, Elephant and Lion-tailed Macaques.
Overnight
at hotel.
Day 07: 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. Afternoon visit the popular
tea estates.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 08: Munnar -
Kumarakom Morning drive to Kumarakom (160 kms)
Upon arrival in
Kumarakom, check-in at hotel.
Kumarakom-is a beautiful backwater
village on the shores of the enchanting Vembanad Lake, criss crossed with
meandering waterways and ancient cottages.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 09: Kumarakom Full day at leisure for own
activities.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
10: Kumarakom - CochinMorning free for own activities.
Afternoon
drive to Cochin (140 kms). Upon arrival in Cochin, check-in at 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 11: CochinMorning sightseeing tour of
Cochin or "Kochi" - the palm green, commercial capital of Kerala
is known as the "Queen of the Arabian Sea". Modern Kochi is thus a
splendid mosaic of these myriad Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British &
Portuguese influences. Visit the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue, the
Church of St. Francis, the Bolghatty Palace & the famous Chinese fishing
nets.
Afternoon free for own activities.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
12: Cochin - Bangalore - Mysore Morning transfer to the airport for
flight to Bangalore
Leave: Cochin at: 1205 hrs by: IC 909
Arrive:
Bangalore at: 1420 hrsUpon arrival in Bangalore - the guests
will be met and proceed to Mysore (170 kms).
Afternoon at leisure.
Overnight
at hotel.
Day 13: MysoreMorning sight-seeing tour of
Mysore - visit the Maharaja's Palace, which is lavishly decorated in a
mixture of styles. Also visit the Zoological Garden, Mysore Arts &
Crafts centre and then proceed to the Chamundi Temple on a hill above the
city.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 14: Mysore - ChikmagalurMorning
drive to Chikmagalur (140 kms). Upon arrival, check-in at hotel.
Nestled
in the Baba Budan hills, Chikmagalur is a calm, serene town full of scenic
surprises hills, valleys, streams and snow-white coffee blossoms.
Chikmagalur is also a trekker's delight, with its rugged mountain trails.
The district takes its name from the headquarter town of Chikmanglur which
literally means youngest daughter's town.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
15: Chikmagalur - BangaloreMorning at leisure.
Afternoon drive
to Bangalore (251 kms). Upon arrival, check-in at hotel.
Overnight at
hotel.
Day 16: Bangalore - MumbaiMorning transfer to
the airport for flight to Mumbai
Leave:
Bangalore at: 0855 hrs by: 9W 412
Arrive: Mumbai at: 1030 hrsUpon
arrival in Mumbai - the guests will be met & transferred to the hotel.
Day
16: Bangalore - Mumbai (contd.) Afternoon tour of Mumbai - is a
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 Tower of Silence, the Marine Drive and the Dhobi Ghat, the
unique & colourful outdoor 'laundry'. Also visit Mani Bhawan, a small
museum dedicated to the life and works of Mahatma Gandhi.
Day
17: MumbaiMorning, 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. The
rows of massive columns cut into solid rock from three magnificent avenue
leads to the outstanding three-headed sculpture representing Brahma-the
Creator, Vishnu-the Preserver and Shiva-the Destroyer. Dedicated to Shiva,
the beauty and power of these phenomenal sculptures depicting the various
manifestations of Shiva is overpowering (Closed on Mondays).
Late
at night transfer to the International airport for flight back home.
Day
18: Mumbai - AbroadLeave Mumbai
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