Romantic Kerala

Duration: 10 nights - 11 days
Locations: Cochin – Alleppey – Kumarakom – Periyar – Kovalam – Kanyakumari - Trivandrum

Tour Highlights
Cochin	St. Francis' Church, Dutch Palace (Built by Portuguese), Jew Town, Jewish Synagogue, spice market, Chinese fishing nets & Kathakali Dance Show
Alleppey	Houseboat
Kumarakom	Backwaters & Bird Sanctuary
Periyar	Wildlife Sanctuary, Boat Cruise & Spice plantation tour
Kovalam	Beaches
Trivandrum	Padmanabha Swami Temple, Shri Chitra Art Gallery & the Museum
Kanyakumari	Vivekananda Rock Memorial & the Temple of Virgin Goddesses

 

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Cochin
Arrive Cochin, after a traditional 'Swagat' (Welcome) our representative would assist you at the airport & transfer to hotel for check in. Cochin, always had a very popular & historical sea trade connection with Middle East, Mediterranean Europe & Dutch. It has one of the finest natural harbours on the Arabian coastline. Its cosmopolitan character is reflected in the buildings & structures representing different regions of the world.

Half Day Tour
Later we visit Jew Town, synagogue, built in the year 1568, is magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles & Belgian chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here. Also visit the spice market, where the air is filled with the pungent smell of spices & history that brought the world to its doorstep. Chinese fishing nets, (Cheenavala) are distinctly unique to Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here.

Evening see Kerala's most popular classical dance, Kathakali
Overnight Hotel – Cochin (B)

Day 02: Cochin - Alleppey (70 km - 01½ hr)
Alleppey- Kumarakom (Overnight Houseboat)
Today we drive to Alleppey, Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, is a town in Kerala. A town with picturesque canals, backwaters & lagoons, it was described as the Venice of the East. It has a wonderful past, it owes its existence to the sagacious Diwan Raja Kesavadas in the second half of 18th century. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala with the unending stretch of paddy fields, small streams & canals with lush green coconut palms, was well known even from the early periods of the Sangam age. History says Alappuzha had trade relations with ancient Greece & Rome in BC & in the middle Ages. Alleppey now is the hub for backwaters tourism in Kerala.

On arrival we board the houseboat, locally called Kettuvallam, cruise around backwaters of Alleppey to Kumarakom to observe & experience the daily life of the villagers along the backwaters.
Overnight Houseboat (B, L, D)

Day 03: Arrive Kumarakom
Morning after breakfast we disembark the houseboat in Kumarakom.  It is a cluster of little islands, on the Vembanad Lake in Kerala. Kuttanad, the 'Wonder Land' believed to have been lying below the sea level, sprang out into the marshes when the sea receded later. The land of lakes, canals & paddy fields, Kumarakom transports you to sheer ecstasy. Holiday on the houseboats, traditional Kettuvallam, are an out-of-this-world experience. Furthermore Vembanad Lake is home to several types of marine life exclusively the Karimeen (Pearl Spotted Fish), Chemeen (Prawns) & Konju (Tiger Prawns).

Later we visit Kumarakom Bird sanctuary. There are two seasons for birds: between October & February there are cormorants, teals, & other ducks & from February to July there are darters (snake birds), night herons, egrets, & Siberian storks. It also has golden backed woodpecker, crow pheasant, white-breasted water hen, tree pie etc.
Overnight Hotel – Kumarakom (B)

Day 04: Kumarakom - Periyar (135 km - 04 hr)
Today we drive to Periyar (Thekkady), one of India's most fascinating natural wildlife sanctuaries, where one can watch wildlife at close range. The vegetation, the flora & fauna & the birds are uniquely rich, vast & varied that it does not bear semblance to any other wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Even a casual visitor to this place will not fail to observe the special ecological pattern. The very sound of the name conjures up images of elephants, unending chains of hill & spice scented plantations. The sanctuary is one of the best in the country for watching & photographing wild life. Notable among the inhabitants are the tigers, majestic Asiatic wild elephants & distinctive Nilgiri Langur. A cruise through the waters of Periyar lake around which the wild -life sanctuary is situated, offers a soul stirring pleasant experience.

Next we explore the sanctuary to experience the beauty & ecological pattern.

Overnight Hotel – Periyar (B)

Day 05: Periyar
Early morning before breakfast leave for a wildlife viewing to the sanctuary on Lake Periyar by boat cruise. After two hours of wildlife viewing get back to the hotel for breakfast. 

Later we visit the spice gardens & spice market. In hale the smell of these spices which soothingly pervades the natural surroundings. These spice gardens would give you perfect way to trek the grounds of Kerala.
Overnight Hotel - Periyar (B)

Day 06: Periyar – Kovalam (250 km - 06hr)
Today we drive to Kovalam, South of Trivandrum. There are two main beaches at Kovalam, separated by a high cliff. It is finding a new significance in the light of several Ayurvedic salons, & recuperation & regeneration resorts which provide a slew of Ayurvedic.
Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 07: Kovalam
Day at leisure, Explore water sports / Ayurvedic salons on own

Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 08: Kovalam – Excursion to Trivandrum (16 km - 30 mins one way)
Today we take an excursion Trivandrum (Thiruvananthapuram), an ancient city with trading traditions dating back to 1000 BC. It was a trading post for spices like the rest of ancient Kerala. However the ancient political & cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The early rulers of the city were the Ays. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad. Thiru-v-anantha-puram is a three syllable name meaning the abode of the sacred snake god "Anantha".  Lord Vishnu of the ancient Indian mythology rests on this huge serpent.

Here we visit the Padmanabha Swami Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu is held sacred by the Hindus from antiquity. The temple has a large complex with a huge Gopuram. It has a tank beside it for ritual bathing. Next we visit It is situated north of the city, at Museum road & 400m east of Indian airlines. It displays an eclectic assortment of historical & contemporary ornaments, temple carts, ivory carvings & life-size figures of Kathakali dances in full costume. It has a famous collection of 8th-18th century south Indian bronze. Sri Chittira Art Gallery, an excellent collection of Indian art with examples from early to modern schools. Paintings by Raja Ravi Varma & works from Mughal & Rajput miniature paintings & Tanjore paintings embellished with semi- precious stones are displayed.
Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 09: Kovalam - Excursion to Kanyakumari (100 km - 03 hr)
Today we take an excursion to Kanyakumari, situated at the shore on the confluence of the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean & the Arabian Sea. got its name from the Kumari Amman or the Kanyakumari Temple According to the local lore, Kanya Devi, an avatar of Parvati, was to marry Shiva, but he failed to show up to the wedding. The rice & other grains meant for the wedding feast remained uncooked. Today tourists can buy tiny stones which look like rice, in remembrance of the marriage that was never solemnized.

Next we visit Kanyakumari Temple: The temple overlooks the shoreline. It is dedicated to Parvati as Devi Kanya, the Virgin Goddess who did penance to obtain the hand of Lord Shiva. The deity, Devi Kanyakumari is' the protector of India's shores' has an exceptionally brilliant diamond on her nose ring which is supposed to shine out to sea. Also visit Vivekananda Memorial, about 500 meters away from mainland. This memorial stands on one of two rocks separated by about 70 meters. It was built in the year 1970, memorial is dedicated to Swami Vivekananda, the greatest social reformer. He was supposed to have medicated on the rock where the memorial stands today. A meditation hall is also attached with the memorial. It houses a statue of Vivekananda. The divine foot print 'Pada Parai' of Devi is also seen here. Ferry service is available to reach the memorial.
Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 10: Kovalam (100 km - 03 hr)
Day at leisure, Explore water sports / Ayurvedic salons on own
Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 11: Kovalam – Trivandrum Airport (16 km - 30 mins)
Our tour concludes: Caper thanks you for your patronage & look forward serve you again in near future.

Package includes:

• 10 Nights accommodation on twin sharing basis.
• Breakfast as per the itinerary
• All meals in Houseboat.
• A/C transportation as per the itinerary (No transportation on leisure days).
• English speaking Guide for the Tour
• Kathakali dance show in Cochin.
• Boat safari in Periyar

Package does not include:

• Any airfare or airport tax.
• Any Monument entry fee & camera fee.
• All presently applicable taxes.
• Optional Tours
• Any expense of personal nature such as hard/soft drinks, laundry, phone/fax calls, tips etc.
• Any other expense not mentioned in the "Package includes".