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   Highlights of Kerala

    Mumbai - Cochin - Thekkady/

    Periyar - Kumarakom - Cochin

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Kerala Highlights

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Kerala 5 nights / 6 days

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Day – 1 Mumbai / Cochin.
Meals Included : Breakfast.
Reach Cochin by flight ex Mumbai. On arrival in Cochin you’ll be met by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Check-In. Rest of the afternoon at leisure.

At sunset, you’ll enjoy a cruise on the Cochin Harbor, passing through Wellington Island, Bolgatty Islands, and fishing boats and ending up at the Chinese Fishing Nets. These huge cantilevered fishing nets are the legacy of one of the first visitors to the Malabar Coast. The best place to watch the nets being lowered into the sea and the catch being brought in is the Vasco da Gama Square, a narrow promenade that runs along the beach. Overnight in Cochin.

Day – 2 Cochin.
Meals Included : Breakfast.
A leisurely walk through the city is the best way to discover historic
Fort Kochi. An obscure fishing village that became the first European township in India, Kochi or Cochin has an eventful and colorful history. The town was shaped by the Portuguese, the Dutch and later the British. The result of these cultural influences is seen in the many examples of Indo European architecture that still exists here.

This morning you’ll proceed on a sightseeing tour of the Dutch Palace Museum and St. Francis Church. Walk through the Jewish Town and visit the Synagogue. Bargain in the lovely antique shops in the old part of the town. This afternoon will be at your leisure to stroll around town.

Evening witness a show of Kathakali, the popular art form of Kerala, referred to as the first theatre imagination of the world, owing to its elaborate costumes, ornaments and facial make-up. Witness the make-up session.

Overnight in Cochin.

Day – 3 Cochin / Thekkady (Periyar).
Meals Included : Breakfast.
After breakfast this morning, you’ll drive to Thekkady. The very sound of the name conjures up images of elephants, unending chains of hills and spice scented plantations. Here, in the crisp, cool air of the Western Ghats, you will experience the most enchanting holiday, with the animals of the wild and the simple unsophisticated mountain people. Thekkady is one of the finest wildlife reserves in India. The splendid artificial lake formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River adds to the charm of the Park. This is the only sanctuary in India, where you can have the unique experience of viewing wildlife at close quarters from the safety of a boat on the lake.
On reaching Thekkady you’ll check-into your hotel. This afternoon you’ll visit a plantation, followed by a sunset cruise on Lake Periyar for wildlife viewing. Overnight in Thekkady.

Day – 4 Thekkady/Kumarakom.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch.
After breakfast this morning you’ll commence your drive towards Kumarakom. You’ll stop enroute at Phillip Kutty’s Farm for a home cooked lunch with the family. Continue driving to Kumarakom an unbelievably beautiful paradise of mangrove forests, emerald green paddy fields and coconut groves interspersed with enchanting waterways and canals. Situated on the Vembanad Lake, in this small water world you’ll come across plenty of traditional country crafts, boats and canoes that will take you into the heart of the scenic lake. On arrival you’ll check into your hotel. Overnight in Kumarakom.

Day – 5 In Kumarakom.
Meals Included: Breakfast / Lunch.
After breakfast this morning, you’ll board a traditional rice barge that takes you through the colorful canals across Lake Vembanad. Lunch on board. You’ll return back to the hotel at sunset. Overnight in Kumarakom.

Day – 6 Kumarakom / Cochin / Next destination.
Meals Included: Breakfast.
After breakfast this morning, you’ll be transferred to Cochin Airport for your flight to the next destination.

 

About Kerala:

“If the immaculate beauty of nature intoxicates you, then Kerala is where you should be”.

Kerala, the southwestern tip of India is blessed with unique geographical and cultural features. Its overpowering tropical greenness, arcane rituals and spectacular festivals stimulate even the most jaded imagination. Strictly guarded by age-old traditions, this land at times seems almost ‘unearthly’.

In spite of being the most densely populated state in India, the quietude and calmness of the place is striking.

One of the most memorable experiences for any traveler, is the opportunity to take a boat journey on the backwaters of Kerala. This bewildering labyrinth of shimmering waterways, composed of lakes, canals, lined with dense vegetation preserves rural Keralan lifestyle that is completely cut off from the outside world. It is an intricate network of innumerable lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and the deltas of forty four rivers that drain into the Arabian Sea.

The kettuvelloms (houseboats) of Kerala are giant country crafts, measuring upto 80 feet in length. It took great skill and meticulousness to construct these giants by tying huge planks of jackwood together, without the use of a single nail. Today the goods carriers have been adapted to make the most exciting tourism product in India, the luxuriously furnished houseboat.

Festivals:
The Pooram festival that presents caparisoned elephants in hundreds, colorfully painted and lavishly decorated. Onam –The occasion that heralds the harvest season. The snake boat races of Kerala are magnificent fiestas that brings alive the tranquil Backwaters. Snake boat races are held in connection with Onam, the harvest festival in August/September. Scores of long snake boats and other smaller crafts participate in these Events. The largest team sport in the world, the snake boat races are preceded by colorful Water parades.

 
DATES
5 nights / 6 days

No fixed group departures but tailor-made private tours only! Why travel in a group when you can visit India on your own terms when you want to travel!

Follow the sample itinerary on this page, design your own or ask us to prepare one for you!

Land Costs

02 pax based on Standard Hotel/Ambassador car:

$813 per pax

02 pax based on Deluxe Hotel/Ambassador car:

$1117 per pax

02 pax based on Standard Hotel/Toyota Qualis car:

$932 per pax

02 pax based on Deluxe Hotel/Toyota Qualis car:

$1235 per pax

04 pax based on Standard Hotel/Mini Van:

$738 per pax

04 pax based on Deluxe Hotel/Mini Van:

$1042 per pax

 

Includes:

-5 night’s accommodation on twin share with breakfast and lunches indicated in the itinerary,

-airport transfers with assistance,

-transportation by air-conditioned vehicles,

-sightseeing with local guides and entrance fees. (Camera fees excluded).
-
4.08% India Service Tax

Supplements for upgrades to higher category rooms / suites as well as peak period / high season apply.


Hotels:
Standard:

Cochin: Fort Heritage, Thekkady Cardamom County,

Kumarakom: Kumarakom Lake Resort or Coconut Lagoon (Deluxe Hotel),
Note : The Kumarakom Lake Resort and Coconut Lagoon are not STANDARD properties. We have included them in Standard Category as we feel that you should stay at a good hotel in Kumarakom to enjoy the destination.
Deluxe:

Cochin: Brunton Boat Yard, Thekkady Shalimar Spice Garden,

Kumarakom: Kumarakom Lake Resort or Coconut Lagoon (Deluxe Hotel),
 

Internal Flights:
Chennai/Madurai: $116
Cochin/Chennai: 148
Cochin/Goa: $150
Cochin/Mumbai: $223

Difficulty Level

n/a

Single Supplement

Standard: $434

Deluxe: $693

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