India – Classic Kerala

Transfer airport – hotel in Kochi (PVT)
Upon arrival you are met by our guest ambassador in the arrival area of the airport after you clear all immigration and customs formalities. Depart for your hotel where you will check in for your stay.

Note: Early check-in NOT included

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

City tour of Kochi
After breakfast at the hotel proceed for visit of Kochi. Visit the Jewish Synagogue which is the oldest synagogue in the commonwealth. It is an interesting little place with hand painted willow pattern floor tiles brought from Canton in China in the mid-18th century. The synagogue is in an area called Jew Town which also is one of the centres of the spice trade in the region. Also visit the ancient Mattancherry (Dutch) Palace built by the Portuguese in 1557. This palace was presented to the ruler of Kochi as a gesture of goodwill. The Palace’s alternative name “Dutch Palace” resulted from substantial renovations by the Dutch after 1663. The most important feature of the palace is the astonishing murals that adorn some of the palace rooms, depicting scenes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranic legends connected with Shiva, Vishnu, Krishna, Kumara and Durga. Another stop is made at the St. Francis Church (closed on Sundays), the oldest European built church in India. Constructed in 1503 by the Portuguese Franciscan Friars who accompanied the expedition led by Pedro Alvarez Cabral. He famed Vasco de Gama, the first European to reach India by sailing around Africa, died in Kochi in 1524 and was buried here for 14 years before his remains were transferred to Lisbon. His tombstone can be seen inside the church.

Note: The Synagogue is the place of worship for the entire Jewish Community of Kerala. Visitors to the Synagogue should be modestly dressed. Admission will be denied to men and women wearing short pants/skirts, sleeveless t-shirts/blouses. Bare shoulders and mid-riffs are not permitted and should be covered with shawls).

Evening Kathakali Dance show
This evening you will be picked-up from the hotel & proceed to a local theatre where you will learn about Kerala’s fascinating art from, Kathakali. The Kathakali performers begin to train for their art at a young age, and their study continues for a lifetime. Here you will enjoy a dance performance.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Kochi – Munnar (approximately 4 hours drive)
After breakfast at the hotel depart by surface to Munnar, on arrival check-in at the hotel. Munnar is a magnificent hill station in the Western Ghats at about 5000 feet above sea level and and is the major centre of Kerala’s tea industry. It is surrounded by about 30 tea estates, amongst the highest in the world and a forest that is still rich in wildlife that continues to survive the increasing commercial use of the hills. The luxuriant forest is hung with pepper vines. The hills around Munnar are covered with the rare Neelakurunji plant giving it a wonderful look, especially when the flowers bloom to cover the entire mountain range. It is said that this exotic plant flowers every 12 years and the next scheduled flowering time is the year 2006.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Visit to a Tea Plantation and Tea Factory in Munnar
After breakfast at the hotel, visit Talayar Bungalow, Talayar Tea Estate (approximately 40-minute drive), take a guided tour to the tea factory and learn the history of Munnar tea and the different process of tea making followed by tea tasting.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Munnar – Periyar (approximately 3 ½ hours drive)
Today you will be transferred to Periyar. Upon arrival proceed for Spice Plantation visit.

Spice plantation tour
Sprawling tea estates cover much of the landscape, but cardamom, rubber, vanilla and coffee plantations are also aplenty. Perhaps that explains the never-ending cups of green cardamom-flavoured tea proffered at any time of the day. Walk amidst the palate displaying variant shades of green, neatly arranged into terraced farms, the symmetry broken only by the sudden appearance of a gurgling stream. A lazy mist curls through the hills tuning life into a dreamy rhythm, as you find yourself renouncing to this sensual overflow. It is believed that the spice trade dates back three thousand years in Kerala. As for the many spices that find their home here, Pepper remains the king. Nevertheless, the slanting slopes also caress a variety of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric and curry leaves.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Periyar – Alleppey (approximately 4 hours drive)
After breakfast at the hotel you will be transferred to Alleppey. Upon arrival check-in at houseboat. Cruise through narrow lakes and canals towards Alleppey.

Board Houseboat for cruise on backwater
The backwaters in Kerala is a network of 1500 Kms of canals both manmade and natural, 38 rivers and 5 big lakes extending from one end of Kerala to the other. Before trucks became popular, the main cargo transportation was through backwaters by ‘Kettuvalloms’. Kettuvallom means, ‘stitched boat’. Kettuvalloms or Houseboats (Rice boats) are country boats that were used in the early days for the transport of goods from the isolated interior villages to the towns. With the advent of roads, bridges and ferry services, gradually the Kettuvalloms went off the scene. Now these Kettuvalloms are back again as a major tourist attraction. A ride on a Kettuvallom is a fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauty of the backwaters.
Once you are on the boat, you will cruise along the backwaters for a couple of hours. Pass small villages and see how the local people live. The lushness of coconut trees will astound you en-route you will visit villages to see coir making, tea shops, paddy fields, temples, beaches etc. till sunset. At night, the boat is anchored at a beautiful and quiet part of the lake. You will enjoy lunch and dinner on board.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast on board.

Transfer Alleppey – Mararikulam (approximately 30 minutes drive)
After breakfast disembark and drive to Mararikulam and upon arrival check-in at the hotel. Mararikulam is a beach village in the district of Alappuzha. It has the famous temple Mararikulam Mahadevar temple dedicated to Lord Siva (also called Marari by the locals). It has a very beautiful beach which is known by the name Marari Beach or Mararikulam beach.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Days at leisure
You will have these couple of days free. You can relax on the beach or you can choose one of the many Ayurveda treatments. Ayurveda is a holistic approach to toning the body. A relaxing massage with herbal oils is highly rejuvenating, an Indian system of medicine. Ayurveda means the science of life / health and employs naturalistic methods based on the theory of panchabhuta or five elements. Tone up the nervous system with the help of aromatic and medicinal oils used by expert masseurs.

Breakfast
Enjoy breakfast at hotel’s restaurant.

Transfer Mararikulam – airport in Kochi (approximately 2 hours drive)
Early in the morning you will be transferred to Kochi airport in order to board the ownward flight.