Best of Kerala
VISITING: COCHIN - MUNNAR - PERIYAR - ALLEPPEY -KUMARAKOM - KOVALAM -TRIVANDRUM
DAY 01 / COCHIN
Arrive Cochin.
Assistance on arrival and transfer to your hotel. Check-in time is 12 noon.
Kochi (colonial name Cochin) is a vibrant city situated on the south-west coast of the Indian peninsula in the breathtakingly scenic and prosperous state of Kerala, hailed as ‘God’s Own Country’. Its strategic importance over the centuries is underlined by the sobriquet Queen of the Arabian Sea. Informally, Cochin is also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 02: COCHIN
Morning guided city sightseeing tour of Cochin visiting Fort Kochi & the Chinese fishing nets.
Afternoon visit to Jewish Synagogue. (The Dutch Palace)
There is a Jewish Synagogue at Cochin built in 1568, and preserved till today. This is the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth. Destroyed in a shelling during the Portuguese raid in 1662, it was rebuilt tow years later by the Dutch. It is known for mid 18th century hand painted, willow patterned floor tiles from Canton China, a clock tower, Hebrew inscriptions on stone slabs, great scrolls of the old testament, ancient scripts on copper plates etc. The area around the synagogue is centre of spice trade and curio shop.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 03: COCHIN – MUNNAR BY SURFACE (153 KMS / 3.5 HRS)
Morning proceed to Munnar enroute visiting countryside and on arrival transfer to your hotel.
MUNNAR – This hill station, located at an altitude of 1600 m above sea level, was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British government in South India. Sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns, winding lanes and holiday facilities make this a popular resort town. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands is the ‘Neelakurinji’.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 04: MUNNAR – PERIYAR BY SURFACE (110 KMS / 3 HRS)
Morning drive to Periyar enroute visiting countryside and on arrival transfer to your hotel.
Evening free for independent activities.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 05: PERIYAR (THEKKADY)
Morning visit to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is situated on the Periyar lake in the hills of Western ghats and is the finest sanctuary for viewing and photgraphing Indian Wild Elephants. You can have the opportunity to see the Sambar, Barking deer, Wild Boars, Tigers, Panthers, Wild Goars, Spotted Deer, and Leopard.
Periyar Wildlife Park in Kerala is one of the most captivating wildlife parks not only in India but in the world. In 1895, the British undertook water resource management plans for the area and started work on a dam and an artificial lake under the auspices of Col. J. Pennycuick.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 06: PERIYAR – ALLEPPEY BY SURFACE (155 KMS / 3.5 HRS)
Morning drive to Alleppey enroute visiting countryside and on arrival transfer to your House Boat (Alleppey – Kumarakom)
Alleppey is also known for its spectacular snake – boat races held on the second Saturday of August, every year. This competition – the Nehru boat race takes its name from India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, who inaugurated in 1952. It is excitement all around as snake – boats, each manned by over a hundred oarsmen, cut through the waters like wind. The event is a tremendous success with tourists and the local population alike.
Overnight at your House Boat (B, L, D).
DAY 07: KUMARAKOM – KOVALAM BY SURFACE (192 KMS / 4.5 HRS)
Morning drop at Kumarakom from House Boat and drive to Kovalam enroute visiting Bird Sanctuary at Kottayam. On arrival transfer to hotel.
Kovalam is famous for its beaches, among the most pristine in India. It is about 17 km from Thiruvananthapuram city, the capital of the southern state of Kerala in India. Kovalam was brought to the public eye by the Maharaja of Travancore. The European guests of the then Travancore kingdom discovered the potentiality of Kovalam beach as a tourist destination in the 1930s. However, Kovalam shot into limelight in the early seventies with arrivals of the masses of hippies. That started the transformation of a casual fishing village of Kerala into one of the most important tourist destinations in all India- the Kovalam beach. It is a beautiful place in Kerala.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 08: KOVALAM
Day at leisure for relaxation on the beach.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 09: KOVALAM – TRIVANDRUM
Morning drive to Trivandrum enroute visiting countryside. Later guided city sightseeing tour.
Trivandrum, now called Thiruvananthapuram, is the capital of Kerala, the ‘God’s own country.’ Located at the southwestern tip of India, the city is bordered by the Arabian Sea on the west and Tamil Nadu on the east. The place is home to some of the most enchanting picnic spots, a long shoreline, with internationally renowned beaches, historic monuments, backwater stretches and a rich cultural heritage. All these go a long way in making this place a much sought-after-tourist destination.
Kovalam Beach, Padmanabha Swamy Temple, Kuthiramalika Palace Museum, the Napier Museum, Sree Chitbra Art Gallery are some of the famous tourist attractions here.
Overnight at your hotel.
DAY 10: TRIVANDRUM OUT
Morning transfer to airport in time to board flight for onward destination. Check-out time is 12 noon.
Bon Voyage |
Note: all the above arrangements are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances. |