Chennai-Madurai-Alleppey-Periyar-Kochi-Coonoor-Mysore-Chennai-Kanchipuram
-Chennai (18 Days / 17 Nights)
Day 1/ Arrive Chennai
Arrive Chennai. Meet assist
at the airport and transfer to hotel. Evening at
leisure. Night stay in Chennai.
.
Day 2/ Sightseeing Chennai
Morning after breakfast proceed for city sightseeing.
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. Night stay in Chennai.
Day
3/ Chennai - Madurai
Morning after breakfast transfer to railway station
to leave for Madurai. Meet assist at railway station
and transfer to hotel. Evening at leisure. Night
stay in Madurai.
Day
4/ Sightseeing Madurai
Morning proceed for city sightseeing. Situated
on the banks of the Vaigai River, Madurai is the
ancient capital of the Pandya Kings. 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. Night stay in Madurai.
Day
5/ Madurai, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Morning 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.
Night stay in Periyar.
Day
6/ Periyar, Alleppey Rice Barge (House - Boat)
Early morning view by boat before leaving by car
to 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.
Day
7 & 8/ The Fascinating Backwaters of Kerala
From Alleppey to Thottapally Village, on 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/ Sightseeing Kochi
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. Night stay
in Kochi.
Day
11/ Coonoor
Morning 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. Night stay in Coonoor.
Day
12/ Sightseeing, Ooty & Coonoor
Morning proceed for city sightseeing. 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. Night stay in Coonoor.
Day
13, 14 & 15/ Mysore
Morning 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. Night
stay in Mysore.
Day
16/ Mysore - Chennai
Morning transfer to railway station and entrain
to Chennai. On arrival meet assist and transfer
to hotel. Night stay in Chennai.
Day
17/ Excursions – Mammalapuram - Kanchipuram
Morning excursion to Mammalapuram. It is a retreat
amidst natural beauty. The monuments are hewn
out of solid rock, though ravaged by the
sea and the wind. The Shore Temple is one of the
oldest in South India. 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.
71km south of Chennai, Kancheepuram is called
the land of a thousand temples.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. Night stay in
Kanchipuram.
Day
18/ Chennai Departure
Morning leave for Chennai. Arrive & transfer
to hotel. Spend the day in shopping the rare art
and artefacts of south India. Later transfer to
airport for onward destination.
