Discover Southern India and Kerala
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14 Days
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Southern India
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Steady pace
Lose yourself in a magical land of brightly-coloured temples, chaotic bazaars and delicious street food. Drift past backwater villages and bask in setting suns then barter with silk merchants and wander colonial streets.
Your journey starts here
Highlights
| VIP private home pick-up service |
| Flights |
| Transfers |
| Services of a tour director |
| Accommodation |
| Selected meals |
| Porterage |
| All airport taxes |
| VIP private home pick-up |
VIP private home pick-up
Book a 2018 holiday before 31 July and our home pick-up service is doubled to 100 miles.
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Overview
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Your detailed itinerary
Tour departing on 09th September 2017
Meals included: 12 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 3 dinners
Overview
Lose yourself in a magical land of brightly-coloured temples, chaotic bazaars and delicious street food. Drift past backwater villages and bask in the setting sun, then barter with silk merchants as you wander the colonial streets.
At a glance
- Chennai Take a Mylapore walk and see the sacred Kapaleeswara Temple.
- Pondicherry Visit the town’s many colourful temples and silk merchant bazaar.
- Tanjore Explore this interesting palace-fort and its 8th-century works of art.
- Madurai Experience a prayer ceremony at the Meenakshi temple.
- Kumarakom Watch the world go by on an overnight backwater cruise.
- Kochi Spot Dutch, Portuguese, British and Jewish influences on a heritage walk.
Extensions
- 3 night Marari beach stay - post tour
- 3 night Ooty & Mysore - post tour
- 7 night Kerala beach stay - post tour (2018)
Please call our Travel Specialists to book this holiday with an extension.
Day 1
Depart UK
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 2
Arrive Chennai
On arrival in Chennai you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Later in the afternoon enjoy a city sight seeing tour of Chennai that includes the Mylapore Walk of the religious and cultural epicentre of the Tamil people. This evening enjoy a welcome dinner.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 3
Chennai
This morning, enjoy a cultural tour including a visit to Kalakshetra and Dakshinachitra. Continue to Mahabalipuram, the major seaport of the ancient Pallava kingdom.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 4
Chennai - Kanchipuram - Pondicherry
Travel to Pondicherry with a stop en route at Kanchipuram for a visit to the city of 1,000 temples, famous for its silk industry with weavers making luxurious saris following designs which are hundreds of years old. Arrive in Pondicherry late this afternoon.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 5
Pondicherry
This morning, visit the Auroville, a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony regardless of creed, politics or nationality. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity. Continue to Pondicherry and visit the Pondicherry Museum, an excellent gallery with sculptures and has archaeological findings from the Arikamedu Roman settlement. Later, enjoy a 'Life of Pi' tour and heritage walk of the French quarters, and visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. One of the major highlights of Pondicherry, it is visited by thousands of people from all over the world. Evening at leisure.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 6
Darasuram - Swamimalai - Tanjore.
Continue to Tanjore in Tamil Nadu through rich and varied countryside. En-route visit the temple towns of Swamimalai and the Darasuram Temple. The rest of the evening is at leisure.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 7
Tanjore
Today, visit the famous Brihadeshwara Temple and Tanjore Palace. This evening, enjoy an introduction and interaction on Tanjore Paintings and Tamil cuisine cookery demonstration followed by dinner.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 8
Chettinad - Madurai
Drive to Madurai via Chettinad. In Chettinad, enjoy visit to a village market and a traditional meal served on banana leaves.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 9
Madurai
In the morning, enjoy a tour of the local flower market, followed by a sightseeing tour of Madurai. This evening, witness a prayer ceremony at the Meenakshi temple.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 10
Thekkady - Kumarakom
A long drive today to Kumarakom. Break the journey with a stop for a spice plantation visit and lunch in Thekkady.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 11
Kumarakom - Backwaters of Kerala Cruise
This morning, board a houseboat for an overnight cruise on the backwaters of Kerala. As your houseboat drifts along the shady canals, appreciate the scenic beauty, enjoy authentic local food, watch the villagers go about their local daily chores and marvel at the beauty of the backwaters. Lunch & dinner on board.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 12
Kerala Backwaters Cruise - Kochi
After disembarking your cruise visit to a local village before continuing to Kochi. In the evening, enjoy a sunset harbour cruise on the Arabian Sea.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 13
Kochi
This morning enjoy a sightseeing tour of Kochi that includes a heritage walk in Fort Kochi. This afternoon enjoy is free to explore. Later, see a Kathakali dance performance.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Day 14
Kochi - UK
Transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK.
Meals included
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Hotels
- Chennai: GRT Grand
- Pondicherry: The Promenade
- Kumbakonam: Paradise Village Resort
- Madurai: GRT Regency
- Kumarakom: Eastend Lakesong
- Kochi: Le Meridien
Notes
Accommodation will be as stated or similar standard.
Day 3: Some sights are subject to days of operation.
A visa is required to travel on this tour. Please refer to www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice prior to departure for the latest requirements and how to apply.
Latest customer reviews
06/03/2017
The car pick up was excellent. Qatar Airline was excellent. The tour itself involved a lot of travelling through areas that were very poor, which gave a good idea of what life is like for the rural population. The temples and museams weren't of great interest, we found them very basic. I wouldn't recommend this holiday. Overall the hotels were very good. The driver and bus boy were very good.
23/03/2017
Could have easily traveled the night before like other members of our party. Plus a direct flight again like others. Plus the promenade hotel looked very nice....but we will never know