Day 01 Arrive Cochin
Arrive Cochin and transfer to
hotel. Cochin, a city with a rich past, Cochin from time
immemorial had seen maritime trade with the outside world.
Biblical Ophir visited by King Solomon’s ships about 1000 B.C was
believed to be a village on the Malabar Coast. The Phoenicians
came here to trade for spices, ivory and sandal-wood. Galleys from
Greece and Rome, dhows from Arabia and great junks from China,
they all came here. The Portugese led by Vasco Da Gama arrived in
1502 and later the Dutch and the British. And descendants of the
Jews who arrived in ancient days still live here.
Afternoon sightseeing tour of Cochin takes you to the Jewish
section where the first emigration of Jews to Kerala is said to
have taken place in the 6th Century B.C (In the Ist Century A.D.
Jews had fled from Roman persecution and sought haven in
Cranganore, 50 miles away). The Jewish Synagogue in Mattancherry
was built in 1568 and rebuilt in 1664 with Chinese
willow-patterned tiles and gold crowns and has ancient scrolls.
Visit the Dutch Palace built by the Portuguese in 1510 and later
taken over by the Dutch. See St. Francis Church, the first
European Church in India, where Vasco Da Gama was buried until his
remains were taken back to Portugal, and the Chinese Fishing nets
named after the country of their origin. Overnight at hotel.
Day 02 Cochin / Munnar
Morning drive to Munnar (127 kms/03 hrs) Arrive Munnar and
check – in at hotel. Afternoon free for independent activities.
Overnight at hotel.
Day
03 Munnar
Day free for independent activities. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 Munnar/Periyar
Morning drive to Periyar (124 kms/03
hrs) Arrive Periyar and check – in at hotel.
Afternoon boat cruise at Lake Periyar. Periyar, famous for its
Wild life sanctuary and Tiger reserve stretching over 777 sq.km.
This tropical forest reserve has all the major birds, animals as
well as flora which a nature lover would like to see. Rare species
like the Malabar flying squirrel or the stripe-necked mangoose,
besides the tiger, elephant, leopard, can be spotted here.
Overnight at hotel.
Day 05 Periyar/Kumarakom
Morning drive to Kumarakom (118 kms/03 hrs) Arrive Kumarakom
and check –in at hotel. Twelve kilometres to the west of Kottayam
town lies a small village called Kumarakom. The village is a part
of Kuttanad, the wonderland which lies below sea level. The
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary, spread over 14 acres of lush greenery
and blue waters, is located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake. The
sanctuary is home to local varieties of waterfowl, cuckoo, and
water ducks, as well as migrating Siberian storks. An additional
attraction at Kumarakom is the backwater cruises in the Vembanad
Lake for which the boats are offered on rent by the Kerala Tourism
Development Corporation.
Day free for independent activities. Overnight at hotel.
Day 06 Kumarakom/Alleppey
Morning drive to Alleppey and board houseboat for overnight
stay. A boat cruise in the backwaters takes you in the midst of a
lush green setting of shady lagoons, wooded islands and canals.
You have the opportunity to see the life of the local people as
your boat goes winding past villages and houses on stilts, coconut
groves, and small-scale industries making coir rope and mats.
Overnight on boat.
Day 07 Alleppey/Kovalam
Morning drive to Kovalam (169 kms/04 hrs) Arrive Kovalam and check
– in at hotel. Day free for independent activities. Overnight at
hotel.
Day 08 Kovalam
Full day return excursion to Kanyakumari. Located at a
distance of about 87 kilometres from Thiruvananthapuram,
Kanyakumari is the southernmost part of the Indian mainland. The
place is the meeting point of the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal
and the Arabian Sea. Kanyakumari has great religious significance
for the Hindus. The place is dedicated to the Goddess Devi Kanya,
believed to be an incarnation of Parvati, Lord Shiva’s wife.
Pilgrims come here to visit the temple and bathe in the waters
here, as they are considered sacred. One of the major tourist
attractions at Kanyakumari is the Vivekananda Memorial. The
memorial is built about 400 metres offshore. It was here that
Swami Vivekananda meditated in 1892 before embarking on a journey
to usher in the religious reforms throughout the country. The
mandapam built here in his memory reflects the architectural
styles from all over the country. Overnight at hotel.
Day 09 Kovalam
Day free for independent activities. Overnight at hotel.
Day 10 Goa
In time transfer to Trivandrum airport/Station to board
flight/Train for onward destination.
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Ø You can have a choice
of 5 star hotels, 4 star hotels, 3 star hotels, budget hotels.
Ø
The above tour will be
organized with a "chauffeur driven" car / private coach.
Ø
The trip can be
organized for singles, families, couples, groups, universities.
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The package will
commence on a date convenient to travelers.
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Kindly contact us for further information & Costs. Please provide us with exact number of persons,
age of participants, month of travel, type of
hotels required, and if any changes required in the above tour program.
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