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ESCAPE  TO  KERALA
Duration  :  15 Days             Departures  :  Daily ; Private Tour
Mumbai - Cochin - Munnar - Periyar - Kumarakom - Allepey - Kovalam - Trivandrum - Mumbai

 


 

DAY 01 : ARRIVE MUMBAI
Arrive Mumbai in the evening. Upon arrival, you shall met & assisted with your baggages at the airport by our executive and transferred to your prebooked Hotel.

DAY 02 : MUMBAI
After breakfast, excursion to Elephanta - About ten kilometers north east of Apollo Bunder lies the island of Elephanta, the glorious abode of Lord Shiva. An epitome of Hindu cave culture, Elephanta consists of seven caves of which the most notable is the Mahesa-murti cave. It has a very impressive size with a main body of 27 meters square supported by rows of six columns each. The main temple consists of a large pillared mandapa (hall) and a freestanding square shrine at the west end of the hall. The pillars and reliefs in the cave are gigantic in scale. Set in various niches are a number of large reliefs depicting different aspects of Shaivaite iconography. Around the perimeter of the cave are sculptured compartments in this cave with images from the Hindu mythology. They depict Lord Shiva as Andhakasuravadha, impaling the demon of darkness, as Kalyanasundara-the gentle loving god, as Ardhanarishwara, Shiva and Shakti, male and female, Nataraja-Shiva as the cosmic dancer and as Ravana anugraha -the destroyer of enemies

Afternoon, half day city tour of Mumbai - The city was called Bombay for much of the last four hundred years. The origin of the name is obscure, but is often said to come from the Portuguese phrase bom bahia meaning "good bay". The name Mumbai has been used in the main local languages for as long, and is ascribed to the local goddess, Mumba (ai means mother in Marathi). The name of the city was changed to Mumbai by an act of the parliament in 1997. Estimated to hold about 15 million people (a census is on in the years 2000-2001), the city has grown dramatically in the last fifty years. Mumbai is called the financial capital of India: the stock exchange is the primary stock exchange of the country; most large business houses have their corporate offices in this city. It also the primary center for the arts and the entertainment industry.

DAY 03 : MUMBAI - COCHIN (FLIGHT)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board flight for Kochi. Arrive Kochi and transfer to prebooked hotel.

Afternoon, half day sightseeing of Cochin including Asia's best preserved Synagouge, the Dutch Palace and the oldest European Church in India - the St. Francis Church where Vasco De Gama was originally buried. A leisurely walk through the Fort Cochin area which gives you a close look at the operation of the huge catileavered Chinese fishing nets introduced by Chinese traders which is still used in Kerala backwaters as a traditional way of fishing.

In the evening, witness Kathakali Dance Show.

DAY 04 : COCHIN - MUNNAR (140 KMS,04 HRS DRIVE)
After breakfast, leave for Munnar. Arrive Munnar and checkin at prebooked hotel.


Afternoon, sightseeing of Munnar. Visit the tea plantations, a tea factory (subject to permission being granted), the Eravikulam National Park - home of the endangered Nilgiri Thar (Ibex), followed by visit to the Mattupetty dam, the Indo Swiss Dairy farm, the Kundala Lake and other scenic spots.


DAY 05 : MUNNAR - PERIYAR (100 KMS, 03 HRS DRIVE)
Morning, free.

Afternoon, leave for Periyar - Periyar has one of the world's most fascinating Natural wildlife reserves noted for its geography, diverse wildlife and scenic beauty. Arrive at Periyar and check in at prebooked hotel.


DAY 06 : PERIYAR
After breakfast, leave for Jungle Walk The forest provides specially trained guides who can be hired at the hotel for early morning treks into the jungle. The treks are of a duration of 03-04 hrs. These treks are an ideal way to really feel the forest and to experience it closely.

Afternoon, boat ride on the Lake Periyar where one can have a unique experience of viewing wildlife at close quarters from the safety of a boat on the lake. The greatest attraction of Periyar, however are the herds of wild elephants that come down to play in the lake.

DAY 07 : PERIYAR - KUMARAKOM (140 KMS, 03-04 HRS DRIVE)- OVERNIGHT BACKWATER TRIP TILL ALLEPEY
After breakfast, leave for Kumarakom in time to board houseboat for overnight backwater trip till Allepey.

On arrival in Kumarakom, commence an overnight houseboat cruise to Allepey, which gives one a fascinating insight into the life of a Keralan Backwater Village. As the boat glides along the backwaters one can see the daily life in the backwater villages. On the narrow strips of land, fisherman fishing, children swimming and playing in the water, women doing their daily chores, mobile shops in tiny canoes, the cultivation of paddy and it's harvesting (during harvest season), huge country barges ferrying the coconuts, rice, coir etc.

Note : The cruise commences at 1300 hrs with lunch served onboard and continues till dusk. At dusk the boat will anchor in a wide waterway or lake for the night. (The backwaters close to boat traffic at dusk as the fisherman lay their nets in the backwaters. Other boats are not allowed to ply in the backwaters after dusk.) On the following day the cruise commences again after breakfast and you will be dropped at Allepey by 1000 hrs.

DAY 08 : ALLEPEY - KOVALAM (175 KMS, 04-05 HRS DRIVE)
Checkout from the houseboat and proceed to Kovalam - is a beach town on the Arabian Sea in Kerala. The palm-fringed bays in secluded coconut groves, promise a relaxed stay. The boundless blue waters of the Arabian Sea and miles of white sands washed away by the surf at the feet of the stalwart palms and the rocky promontories, makes this beach paradise. Arrive Kovalam and check in at prebooked hotel.

DAY 09,10,11,12,13 : KOVALAM
Day at leisure

DAY 14 : TRIVANDRUM - MUMBAI (FLIGHT)
After breakfast, free. Afternoon, transfer to Trivandrum airport to board flight for Mumbai. Arrive Mumbai and transfer to prebooked Hotel.

DAY 15 : DEPART MUMBAI
Transfer to the airport to board flight back home.

This itinerary can be modified as per your requirements. For any modification, please mail us

 

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Essential Information

 
:: TAJ  EXPRESS :: MUGHALS  &  MAHARAJAS :: GOLDEN TRIANGLE  &  AMRITSAR :: TAJ  &  TIGER :: INDIA - NEPAL ::
:: JEWELS  OF  NORTH INDIA :: CLASSIC  RAJASTHAN :: LEGACY OF THE RAJ :: GODS  OWN  COUNTRY :: TAJ  &  GOA :: TIGERS,  FORTS
&  PALACES
:: TIGER  TIGER !! :: SIKKIM :: SOUTHERN  SPICE :: ELEPHANTS  &  SPICES :: ESSENTIAL  RAJASTHAN :: ESCAPE  TO  KERALA ::
:: PALACES  OF  RAJASTHAN :: CALL  OF  THE  TIGER :: JUNGLE  ODYSSEY :: CLASSICAL  SOUTH :: SOUTHERN  SPLENDOUR :: SPLENDOURS
OF  NORTH  INDIA
:: INDIAN  PANORAMA :: MAHARAJAS  &  MAJESTIC  TIGERS :: FASCINATING  NORTH ::
 
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