Enchanting Kerala

Begin the ‘Sun glided Coastal’ Tour. Our friendly Local Representative will be waiting for you at the Airport. We welcome you to the tropical Cochin – sometimes referred to as the Florida of India. Check into your hotel.

Till evening, the day is free for you to relax. In the evening, we take you to a superb private establishment in downtown Cochin to enjoy Kathakali – the exotic and universally popular performing art of Kerala. ‘Mudra & Make-up’ demonstration follows the performance. Ask the knowledgeable host questions about this magnificent art. The two hours pass too soon. Back to your hotel. Enjoy a Kerala dinner with seafood specialties. Overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, we take you on board a boat to see the backwaters and canals of Cochin. See the Dutch connection in Cochin – the Dutch Palace. Later, make a brief stopover at India’s only Jewish synagogue at Mattancherry. Next to the historic St. Francis Church. Get photographed in front of it. We proceed to have wonderful picture-postcard views of Chinese fishing nets at Fort Cochin. Reach back mainland Cochin by noon. Enjoy your lunch. Now get ready for an unusual detour – country craft canal cruise to experience the unhurried pace of life in rural Kerala. Back to your hotel by evening. Relax at the bar. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, leave Cochin behind to proceed to Marari – the inviting local-flavored village beach resort near Alappuzha. Arrive at Marari before noon. Check into the Marari Beach Resort. The rest of the day is for you to take in the extraordinary tranquility of this beach. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your resort.

After breakfast, experience first hand the globally renowned backwater sensations. Board a traditional houseboat for a day and night cruise to Kollam via Alappuzha. On reaching Alappuzha, feel enchanted as you glide under several arched bridges and pass by the provincial landmarks of this backwater gateway city, known as ‘the Venice of the East’. We continue our journey to Kollam as evening make way to night. Somewhere along your houseboat drops anchor for an unforgettable night in the backwaters. Enjoy to the brink this once-in-a-lifetime experience. As you know, you will remember your overnight stay aboard for the rest of your life.

Awake to find your houseboat still anchored. Experience what is called a backwater morning. Soon, after breakfast on board, you will be back on course towards Kollam. Before noon, arrive at Kollam – the land of cashew and home to Ashtamudi backwaters. Check into your backwater resort.

In the afternoon, we take you to a handloom production centre. See how manual artistry shape fabulous clothing. Buy some of these fine creations for yourself. Later, our scenic drive affords memorable views of Chinese fishing nets. We then take you for an Ayurvedic massage – one of the very effective and restorative treatments of that ancient medical science. You would feel younger and rejuvenated after the session.

Next we take you for an exotic country craft canal cruise to the interiors of Kollam - an experience you would choose again and again. Get back to your hotel. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel, and board your luxury coach to Varkala – the popular eco-friendly beach resort. Arrive at Varkala by noon and check into your resort. The rest of the day is free for you to survey the sprawling beach and the horizons beyond. If you are in an adventurous mood, climb the cliffs in the beach’s background and attempt hang-gliding. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your resort.

After or before breakfast, continue your romance with the ‘Papanasini Beach’. Enjoy the full day in the beach. Otherwise, an optional side tour to Sivagiri – the memorial of popular social-reformer Sri Narayana Guru – is for you to take. Drink in the tranquility. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your resort.

After breakfast, check out of your resort, and we drive to Kanyakumari – the Southern tip of India. The spot is also the confluence of three oceans – the Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. En route visit Kerala’s capital – Trivandrum. Marvel at the museums and palace of the city. We then continue our journey to Kanyakumari. On arrival at Kanyakumari in the afternoon, check into your hotel. Relax. But be present in time to witness the ethereally beautiful sunset view. If you have a good camera take your own pictures of the spectacle. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your resort.

Awake in time for a beautiful sunrise. After breakfast, board the ferry to the Vivekananda Memorial – a monument just offshore on a mammoth rock formation. See the spot where Sri Vivekananda - one of India’s great spiritual leaders – used to meditate. By forenoon, it is time to check out of your resort and we drive on to Poovar Islands – the first backwater island resort in India. En route to Poovar, visit Sri Padmanabhapuram Palace – the abode of the erstwhile Royal family of Trivandrum. Dwell in the historic splendor. An optional trip to Sri Sudheendram Temple is also available for those interested.

Arrive at Poovar Islands in the afternoon. Check into your resort. For the rest of the day, you are free to marvel at the exotic ambience of the blue backwaters. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, set out of your resort to have a deeper impression of Poovar. The whole day is at your disposal. Experience the magnificence of the scenery all around. A serene lagoon and the cool backwaters afford you a tryst with Mother Nature. Ensure that you have enough rolls of film with you. Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your resort.

After breakfast, we take you back to Trivandrum. We drive you to the airport.