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A JOURNEY THROUGH SOUTH INDIA
Day 1 London to Kochi
Fly with Emirates via Dubai to Kochi.
Day 2 Kochi
Arrive Kochi in the morning and transfer by car to the Taj Malabar Hotel.
Founded by Vasco-da-Gama in 1502, Portuguese, Dutch and British settlers have
all influenced this fascinating city.
Day 3 Kochi
Today tour Fort Kochi by car and by foot with a local guide. Visit St. Francis
Church, the Mattancherry Palace, the spice market and the nearby synagogue.
Before sunset take a motor launch cruise around the picturesque harbour to
see Bolghatty Palace and the Chinese fishing nets.
Day 4 Kochi to Ooty – 290kms
This morning leave Kochi and drive to Ooty, a hill station famous for its
pine and eucalyptus forests, coffee and tea plantations. On your arrival continue
onto the Savoy Hotel where you will stay for the next two nights. (B/D)
Day 5 Ooty
Today take a ride on the famous Nilgiri Mountain Railway that winds its way
through spectacular scenery and breathtaking views to the nearby town of Coonoor.
Return to Ooty by car, where the rest of the day will be at leisure to enjoy
the town. (B/L/D)
Day 6 Ooty to Sultans Battery – 160kms
After breakfast, leave Ooty for the scenic drive to Sultan’s Battery
situated at 900m above sea level in the heart of the Western Ghats. Stay for
two nights at Tranquil, a beautifully restored and secluded plantation bungalow.
(B/L/D)
Day 7 Sultans Battery
Today you are at leisure to enjoy Tranquil and the surrounding local area.
You could swim in the beautiful pool or lounge in a hammock with a book. If
you are feeling more energetic Tranquil has over 400 acres of estate to explore
with seven well-defined paths that cut through the grounds. (B/L/D)
Day 8 Sultans Battery to Mysore – 125kms
This morning continue onto Mysore a charming and relaxed city is surrounded
almost entirely by fertile farmland and tree clad hills. Until independence
Mysore was the seat of the Maharajas of Mysore, a princely state covering
about a third of present day Karnataka and this afternoon visit the City Palace,
one of the largest in India, built by Henry Irwin in 1897. Stay for two nights
at the Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel. (B)
Day 9 Mysore
Today visit Chamundi Hill to view the Chamundeswari Temple and the famous
Nandi Bull. Later drive out of the city to see the Sri Chamundeswari Temple
at Somnathpur and the ruins of Tipu Sultan’s capital at Srirangapatnam.
(B)
Day 10 Mysore to Chennai – by train
Early this morning visit the colourful vegetable and flower markets in Mysore.
In the afternoon depart by train on the Shatabdi Express for the seven hour
journey to Chennai where, on arrival, you will be met and transferred to the
Taj Connemara Hotel for your two night stay. (B)
Day 11 Chennai
Today tour the city by car with a local guide. Visit the National Museum and
Fort St George, a fine example of 17th-century British military architecture.
Within the Fort there is a museum and St Mary’s Church, the first Anglican
Church built in India. Also visit the Basilica of San Thome and the Kapaleeswarar
Temple dedicated to Shiva. (B)
Day 12 Chennai to Pondicherry – 170kms
Drive south to visit Mahabalipuram noted for its monolithic temples, each
carved from a single granite boulder standing on the seashore. Continue to
Pondicherry the former French colony. Stay for two nights at the Hotel de
l’Orient, an 18th Century French colonial house. (B)
Day 13 Pondicherry
At leisure to relax and enjoy Pondicherry on your own and in the company of
your driver. You may wish to visit the Aurobindo Ashram which forms the focal
point of the town and or the nearby futuristic town of Auroville designed
by the French architect Roger Anger. You may also wish to visit the Church
of Our Lady of the Angels. Built in 1865, this attractive church is home to
a rare oil painting of Our Lady of the Assumption, a gift from the French
Emperor, Napoleon III. (B)
Day 14 Pondicherry to Tanjore – 200kms
This morning visit the Aurobindo Ashram founded by a Bengali philosopher in
the early 20th Century. Later leave Pondicherry and travel onto Tanjore to
stay for two nights at the Ideal River View Resort which is situated overlooking
the Cauvery River outside of the town. (B)
Day 15 Tanjore
This entire area is rich in South Indian temple architecture and later today
visit the great Brihadisvara Temple in Tanjore which is considered to be one
of the most magnificent Chola temples in India. (B)
Day 16 Tanjore to Madurai – 180kms
This morning drive to Trichy which is dominated by the Rock Fort Temple. Also
visit Srirangam, a temple complex spread over an island in the Cauvery River
and home to the Sri Ranganathasvami Temple dedicated to Vishnu and one of
the largest of its kind in India. Afterwards continue onto Madurai, a centre
of learning and pilgrimage for many centuries, and stay for two nights at
the Taj Garden Retreat. (B)
Day 17 Madurai
Life in this bustling pilgrimage city is centred on the great Sri Meenakshi
Temple which dominates the old city. Visit this great temple with its gopurams
covered with a profusion of multicoloured images of mystical figures, animals
and gods. (B)
Day 18 Madurai to Munnar – 145kms
Leave Madurai for the hill station of Munnar which stands at 1,520 metres
in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala. A centre of the Keralan tea industry, Munnar
is also close to Anaimudi, the highest peak in South India. Stay outside of
the town at the Windamere Estate for two nights. (B/D)
Day 19 Munnar
A day to relax and enjoy the cooler climate of the hills. In the town Christ
Church with its memorial plaques to past planters is worth visiting. (B/D)
Day 20 Munnar to Alleppey – 160kms
Today drive down to Alleppey from where you join your private Houseboat for
the next two nights. This is a unique opportunity to leisurely explore and
enjoy the beauty and tranquillity of Kerala’s backwaters. (B/L/D)
Day 21 Backwaters
At leisure travelling on the backwaters – a network of lakes, coconut
shaded canals and estuaries, tiled and thatched cottages, bright hibiscus
and cantilevered Chinese fishing nets that hang over the water. (B/L/D)
Day 22 Alleppey to Kochi – 65 kms
Leave your boat in Alleppey and return to Kochi to stay overnight at the Taj
Malabar Hotel. (B)
Day 23 Kochi to London
Fly with Emirates via Dubai to London. (B)
STAYING ON
Wildlife in South India is best at Nagarhole National Park, home to tiger, bison, elephant, panther and over 250 species of birdlife. Close to Mysore and Sultan’s Battery, the charming Kabini River Lodge is an excellent base from which to explore the reserve.
Retreat to either Cardamom House, 65kms from Madurai, or Visalam in Chettinad region, 90kms from Madurai and experience a rural side to South India that is still under-explored.
Relax on a palm fringed beach in one of the many excellent Keralan beach hotels. One of the best is the Marari Beach Resort located close to the backwaters at Alleppey and Kochi, making it an excellent place in which to spend a relaxing few days at the end of a tour.
Planning your journey: We can design a unique journey to suit you as our tours are totally tailor made. By combining your own ideas with our knowledge and experience we can help you to create your own journey tailored exactly to your requirements Once you have formulated your ideas, or if you require some general or specific advice, please call us on 01892 515966 or simply send your ideas to pettitts@btconnect.com. On receipt of your enquiry we will provide you with a full written quotation together with our suggestions and recommendations.
A Guide to Price – A JOURNEY THROUGH SOUTH INDIA
Prices vary according to selected airlines, hotels and season, however, an indication to the current cost of this itinerary is from £3,800. All prices are per person and are based on a minimum of TWO persons travelling together and sharing a twin bedded room with meals as indicated. If you wish to travel alone we will be pleased to assist you with your arrangements and can provide a proposal on request.
Note: Meal Basis (N) = No Meal; (B) = Breakfast; (L) = Lunch; (D) = Dinner
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