Take a tour of the south India and marvel at the Unique Blend of East & West!

HIGHLIGHTS: CHENNAI - MADURAI - ALLEPPY - PERIYAR - KOCHI - COONOOR - MYSORE - CHENNAI - KANCHIPURAM - CHENNAI ( 3 STATES, 18 Nights / 19 Days OF SHEER DELIGHT)



DAY 1 - CHENNAI Arrive Chennai. Pick up at airport/railway station by tour executive and transfer. A day of leisure.

DAY 2 - CHENNAI TOUR The sublime view of the fourth largest city of India, unrolls pomp to visitors. The cosmopolitan capital of Tamil Nadu is a mélange of colours, moods, cultures and religious fervour.

DAY 3 - CHENNAI-MADURAI Entrain on Vaigai Express. Destination Madurai. Pick up at railway station by tour executive and transfer to Hotel. A day of leisure.

DAY 4 - MADURAI TOUR Situated on the banks of the Vaigai River, Madurai is the ancient capital of the Pandya Kings. Legend has it, that the divine nectar falling from the locks of Lord Shiva gave the town its ancient name, Madhurapuri-the land of nectar. Today, it is an important business center.

The crowning glory of Madurai is the Meenakshi Sundareshwara Temple Complex, which is dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, her consort Lord Sundareshwara, and her celestial brother, Lord Vishnu. The Meenakshi Temple has a thousand-pillared hall. In the evening, listen to the distinctive temple music at Thiruppa Rakundram. Overnight at Hotel.

DAY 5 - MADURAI, PERIYAR WILDLIFE SANCTUARY On the fifth day, travel to Periyar, best known for its 800 sq. km. wildlife sanctuary. The Periyar Lake lies at the heart of the sanctuary. Take an elephant ride around this lake to see tigers, deer, wild dogs, lion-tailed macaque, Malabar squirrel and sloth bears. The lake attracts all kinds of water birds. In the vicinity are lofty observation towers, and a medieval palace, now a hotel. A quick lunch at Thekkady and back to Periyar crowns the day.

DAY 6 - PERIYAR, ALLEPPEY RICE BARGE (HOUSEBOAT) Early morning cruise by boat. Leave by car for the rice barges- originally cargo boats but now refurbished as comfortable live-in houses on boat. Two men using tall bamboo poles push the barge through the water and they notch up a speed of 18-20 km/day.

Facilities on the boat include lounge + dining area, double bed with mosquito net, bathroom with WC and wash basin. Pretty, thatched awnings let in the breeze, while lanterns provided at night create a magical ambience. Overnight at Hotel.

DAY 7 – THE FASCINATING BACKWATERS OF KERALA From Alleppey to Thottapally Village, cruise on your own house-boat, through a unique network of lakes, coconut shaded canals and estuaries, offers an exhilarating experience. This is the best way to experience the tranquility of Kerala and reach the wonderful coastline of Kochi, a splendid cluster of islands.

DAY 8 9 &10 – KOCHI TOUR One of the largest ports of India, Kochi is a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas. Here you can see the oldest church in India, congested Portuguese-built colonies, Chinese fishing nets, an ancient "white Jewish" community who settled here 1000 years ago, a fabulous 16th century synagogue, a palace which contains the most beautiful murals, and the oldest European fort in India.

DAY 11 – COONOOR Drive to the hill-station of Coonoor, which, along with Udhagamandalam (popularly called Ooty), is called the Twin of the Nilgiris. Rest of the day in leisure.

DAY 12 – OOTY & COONOOR TOUR Gorgeous hill-top views, endless walks and cool, cool weather throughout the year make the 12th day rejuvenating for the mind and body. The waterfalls are simply amazing and there is a mini-gauge railway train too.

DAY 13, 14 & 15 – MYSORE, KARNATAKA. Drive north to Mysore. The city got its name from Mahishasura, the buffalo headed demon king. Chamundeswari, an incarnation of Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva, killed the demon. It is also the capital of sandalwood, musk and rosewood. Mysore emerged as the capital of the Wodeyar kings, in 1399 AD. The original wooden palace was destroyed in a fire in 1897 during a marriage ceremony. Henry Erwin, a British architect, designed the new palace and handed it over to the king in 1911-12, at a cost of Rs. 4.2 million. Though royalty no longer exists in its accepted form, the descendants of the royal family still live here. The palace is a blend of Indo-Saracenic, Mogul and Hindu architecture styles. The entire effect is magnificent. Other attractions include the Lalit Mohan Palace, at the foot of the Chamundi Hill. E. W. Fritchley, a British architect, built it in 1931. Then there is the Jagan Mohan Palace, built by Krishnaraj Wodeyar IV in 1861 as a royal auditorium. Today, it is a famous art gallery, containing royal paintings.

DAY 16 – MYSORE – CHENNAI Transfer and entrain to Chennai. Pick up and transfer.

DAY 17 - EXCURSIONS: MAMMALAPURAM / KANCHIPURAM These are two exciting detours from Chenni will serve to offer you a glimpse of unmatched temple architecture and the ancient art of silk weaving. Mamallapuram is an ancient seaport of the Pallava Dynasty. It is a retreat amidst natural beauty. The monuments are hewn out of solid rock, though ravaged by the sea and the wind-a magnificent heritage of Dravidian architecture. The Shore Temple is one of the oldest in South India. It stands on the seashore with its paved forecourts. An immense, intricately carved, bas-relief, 27 meters long and 8 meters high, depicts Arjuna’s penance. Arjuna was the third Pandava prince in the epic of the Mahabharata. Early rock-cut temples excavated from the hillside have large carved panels depicting scenes from the Mahabharata and the Goddess Durga killing the buffalo-headed demon. A Crocodile Farm nearby is quite interesting.

71 km south of Chennai, Kancheepuram is called the land of a thousand temples, the erstwhile capital of the Pallavas and the Cholas. Adi Sankaracharya, the Hindu Revivalist, set up his Kamakotipeetham-a seat of learning and center of culture. The Ekambareswara Temple, a Shiva shrine, depicts the Lord as Prithvi or Earth. The temple is famous for its 1000-pillared hall, which is a huge ornamental chain carved out of a single piece of stone. Other famous temples are the Sri Kamakshi Amman Temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati, Sri Vaikuntha Perumal Temple, Kailashnathar Temple and the Devarajaswamy Temple built on an elephant shaped rock.

DAY 18 - Back to Chennai Transfer to city hotel. Spend the day in shopping for the rare art and artifacts of south India.

DAY 19 - DEPARTURE DEPARTURE FROM CHENNAI - Transfer to airport and "au revoir"!