Serenity of Kerala

Our friendly representative will be waiting for you at the Trivandrum Airport to welcome you. From the airport we drive to the world-renowned beach resort of Kovalam  – just 13 kilometres away. Check into your beach resort. The rest of the day is free for you to experience and know why Kovalam beach is so universally admired. Thanks to its natural location, Kovalam is also one of the safest beaches in the world. Enjoy your first Kerala dinner on this tour and overnight stay at your resort.

After breakfast, the day is free for you enjoy the inviting sun, sand and surf of Kovalam. Take a catamaran ride to experience the power of the sea first hand. Later opt for an Ayurveda massage at your resort. Feel good and look younger. Enjoy overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, we drive to Kanyakumari – the southern most tip of the Indian sub-continent. En route we make a detour to Sri Padmanabha Puram Palace – the former residence of the erstwhile Maharaja of Travancore. Marvel at the splendours of a royal past. We then continue our journey to reach Kanyakumari by afternoon. Check into your hotel. Later, we take you to the seashore to watch a spectacular sunset. Enjoy overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast we board the ferry to the offshore Vivekananda memorial – the monument in the name of Swami Vivekananda, the great Indian philosopher. He once sat on this rocky island in long deep meditation. The memorial is a blend of many architectural styles of India. Later, we leave Kanyakumari to proceed to Madurai – one of the most ancient human settlements in India. Arrive at Madurai by evening. Check into your hotel. Enjoy the overnight stay.

After breakfast, we take you to visit the Madurai Meenakshi Temple. Built 2000 years back, this shrine is an architectural marvel. Find one thousand magnificent pillars in the temple. Marvel at the towers that point skywards in arresting grandeur. Some of the stone pillars of the temple produce metal sounds on hitting them – they are the musical pillars. Try it yourself! Later, we drive to Thekkady where the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is located. Arrive by evening and check into your hotel. Enjoy overnight stay at your jungle resort.

After breakfast, we proceed to take a boat ride in the Periyar Lake to have a close up view of wildlife. Watch herds of elephants bask in the son. Bison is also commonly found on the banks. Less frequently, more exotic animals make their appearance. Be alert and watchful to spot them. Take your binoculars. Next we follow trekking trails to experience the wild. Later, visit a cardamom plantation. Thekkady is a prominent spice centre of Kerala. Enjoy overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, we drive to Kumarakom – the exotic backwater destination. Arrive at Kumarakom by noon. Check into your hotel. Later we take a boat trip to visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary. The sanctuary sprawls over a 14-acre area. It is home to many exotic varieties of birds. Take your binoculars to watch the birds. Feel enchanted by the exotic backwaters all around you. Experience total serenity; feel inspired enough to pen a poem. Enjoy overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast we proceed to Cochin to arrive at the port city by noon. Check into your hotel and relax. Later we take you on a backwater sightseeing trip to have a historical perspective of Cochin. Visit the Dutch Palace at Mattancherry, which was actually built by the Portuguese. Learn first hand the story behind the irony. Next see St. Francis Church at Fort Cochin – the first European-built church in India. Be back at mainland Cochin by evening. A trip a downtown cultural centre to watch Kathakali – the spectacular performing art of Kerala – is optional. Enjoy overnight stay at your hotel.

After breakfast, we take you to board a country craft powered by thrusting long bamboo poles into the bottom of the water channel. We are off to discover the rustic ways of rural Kerala. You glide past coir processing villages, waterfront shrines and paddy fields. Get back to the city by noon. After lunch and relaxation, we proceed to Marari – the village backwater resort and beautiful beach of Kerala. Arrive at Marari by late afternoon. Check into your resort. Later venture out of your hotel to stroll through the secluded and marvellous beach. Enjoy overnight stay at your resort.

After breakfast we take you on a trip to visit a coir village adjacent to Marari beach. See how coir – the golden yearn from the coconut shell – is made. After lunch get ready for a thrilling day and night backwater cruise by houseboat to Kollam. Gliding past superb scenery you reach Alappuzha – the Venice of the East. Feel enchanted to sail underneath the arched bridges of the town. We continue our unforgettable cruise to Kollam. As evening make way for night your houseboat drops anchor to spend the night in the middle of the backwaters. Experience this unusual occasion. Watch a starry sky, listen to strange but enjoyable night sounds…

Awake early enough to experience a backwater dawn. Soon your boat sets sail again. Enjoy breakfast and, later, lunch on board. Arrive at Kollam – the end of your dream cruise - by evening. Immediately we take you to your eco-friendly beach resort at Varkala – an hour away. Check into your resort. The rest of the day is free for you to enjoy the sprawling Varkala beach. Enjoy overnight stay at your hotel.

After or breakfast, continue your romance with the Varkala beach. If you are adventurous climb the cliffs in the background of the beach to attempt hang-gliding. Later, we take you to visit Sivagiri – the memorial of Sri Narayana Guru, the well-known social reformer of Kerala. An Ayurveda massage at your resort is optional. Enjoy overnight stay at your resort.

After breakfast, it is time to check out of your resort and proceed to Trivandrum – the capital city of Kerala.On time transfer to the aiport to catch a flight.