Day
1 -
Bangalore
WELCOME TO SOUTH INDIA (D)
On arrival at Bangalore International airport, our representative will meet you at the Airport and later escort you to your hotel at Bangalore. Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka and Asia’s fastest growing cosmopolitan city. It is home to some of the highest tech industries in India. Bangalore offers something for everyone-music and dance concerts dramas, exhibitions, carnivals, conferences and more. If time permits you will explore the famous shopping areas of Bangalore. Enjoy your special evening city walk guided by well-informed, world-travelled, fluent English speaking guide. These walks are inspired by similar walks at London and Boston. Come and be surprised by what this city has to offer.
Overnight: Bangalore
Day
2 -
Mysore
BANGALORE TO MYSORE (B)
Drive to Mysore. You will be charmed by the faded grandeur of Mysore, the former capital of the much loved Wodeyars dynasty who reigned from the 16th century. A city rich in heritage, make sure you discover its royal palaces, sacred temples and majestic buildings but leave time to stroll through some of its many parks and gardens or along with a wide leafy boulevard. Evening you will be taken to Devaraj Market by Tonga (A two-wheeled cart driven by a horse). The market is one of the favourite places in India because of the beautiful fruit and vegetable stalls, friendly vendors, and the air of vibrancy and decay that makes India feel both old and new all at once.
Overnight: Mysore
Day
3 -
Mysore
MYSORE (B)
Start your day with a visit to Chamundi Hill for panoramic views of the city spread out below before exploring the exquisite hilltop temple dedicated to the goddess- Chamundi and dominated by a 40mhigh gopuram (tower). Make a short stop at the huge statue dedicated to Nandi, the bull of Lord Shiva, on the way down. Our next stop is the Mysore Palace. At Mysore Palace you can't fail to be impressed by this vast palace, with its turrets, domes and arches and an opulent interior with intricately carved doors and ceilings. Wander through the luxuriously furnished rooms, once home to the royal family, and admire this treasure trove of works of art from all over the world. If you are in Mysore on a Sunday or national holiday don't miss the spectacle of the palace illuminated by thousands of light bulbs. Evening enjoy High Tea at Royal terrace at the second-biggest palace of Mysore, Lalith Mahal palace.
Overnight: Mysore
Day
4 -
Wayanad
MYSORE TO WAYANAD (B,D)
Drive to Wayanad. You are sure to get awestruck by the dramatic scenery surrounding the tiny hill station of Wayanad, located high up in the mountains of the Western Ghats. The slopes and valleys of the undulating mountains are littered with tropical rainforests, mist-clad peaks, green meadows, impossibly blue lakes and bubbling streams. Late afternoon you will be taken to an organic farm to explore spices, fruits and other plants growing in the form. This garden walk will educate about different types of plants growing in this region and diverse farming practices of Wayanad, Northern Kerala.
Overnight: Wayanad
Day
5 -
Wayanad
WAYANAD (B, L, D)
After breakfast, you are proceeding to the royal family from North Kerala to have a cooking demo with Lunch. Your host is living in the middle of the beautiful coffee plantation, 300 acres tea plantation and many more spice plantations. Afterwards you are going to visit one of the tribal villages of Wayanad to learn their custom and tradition. Wayanad has the largest inhabitants of aborigine people in Kerala, where tribes live in the thatched roof, mud, bamboo and brick houses set in swampy valleys and plateaus.
Overnight: Wayanad
Day
6 -
Palakkad
WAYANAD TO PALAKKAD (B, L, D)
Drive to Palakkad. Distinguished as the Granary of Kerala, Palakkad is a vast stretch of fertile plains interspersed with hills, rivers, mountain streams and forests. Today you are going to stay at the authentic homestay in Palakkad. The house set in a rustic village outside Palakkad town takes you back to a bygone era. Away from the busy traffic and into a countryside that is quiet and calm.
Late afternoon you will be taken for a village walk to explore paddy fields, village temple, local houses and tiny shops for chai and grocery items. After that you are going to visit the traditional school for Kalaripayattu, martial arts of Kerala.
Overnight: Palakkad
Day
7 -
Athirapally
PALAKKAD TO ATHIRAPALLY (B, D)
You will then be taken to Athirapally, a green paradise, nestled among the mountains of the Western Ghats, forming the border world of the greener part of Kerala. Clean and pristine, enchanting and hypnotizing, this land is filled with history and culture. The Athirappilly Falls is situated at 1000 ft above sea level on the Chalakudy River, at the entrance to the Sholayar Range of the Western Ghats.There are many treks conducted around the hilly area to explore what is considered the Niagara of India! You would not want to leave the place and would want to enjoy the falls and the sounds of nature even after the sunsets.
Overnight: Athirapally
Day
8 -
Alleppey
ATHIRAPALLY TO ALLEPPEY (B, L, D)
After a relaxed breakfast, we head to Alleppey, known for its serene backwaters. The route passes through country roads and small villages where we will see coconut husk being processed and made into coir ropes and mats. We hit the backwaters and cycle along the paddy fields until we reach the Heritage Homestay. Your host will take you out for green walk on leisurely trips around the village, stopping to chat with people along the way or have a cup of chai at the open-air tea shop/shacks. People are very friendly, and the further into the backwaters you get, the less they are accustomed to seeing foreigners and the sunset canoe ride would be another highlight of the tour. Host will cook wonderful fresh Keralian food three times a day that is served at a large communal table.
Overnight: Alleppey
Day
9 -
Alleppey
ALLEPPEY (B, L, D)
Early morning you will be taken out for a morning walk to spot many birds from the backwaters and enjoy the enchanting morning beauty of the backwaters. In the afternoon you are going to enjoy houseboat cruise with lunch (day cruise for 4 hours). A houseboat is waiting to take you on a tour through the backwaters, a splendid area full of canals, lakes and coves. You can sunbathe on the deck or observe the landscape from the protection of the cabin. The population’s whole life takes place here on the water. The people sail, fish, swim and bathe here. They do their washing and their washing up. They are so adapted to the water that you can see people talking for an hour, while they are up to their necks in water. Peddlers take care of the supplies and the public transport goes on the water. Countless water birds wait for their chance to catch a fish. The trip goes through a wonderful area full of palm trees, rice fields and floating water plants that surround the boat like emerald Green Island.
Overnight: Alleppey
Day
10 -
Cochin
ALLEPPEY TO COCHIN (B, D)
Drive to Cochin. Kochi is a colonial port town of Kerala whose diverse architecture acts as a reminderof the foreign traders who came over the centuries to buy spices. Portuguese, Dutch and British influences combine to bring a colonial twist to a city that is cosmopolitan and absorbing. After check-in, you go for a spice trail at Fort Kochi. A walk across Fort Kochi where you will discover the real beauty of this place and get to know why for millennia this place has attracted travellers from around the world. Hear enthralling stories about the explorers and the fascinating journeys that they undertook to reach this coastline. Perceive how trade has influenced not just the culture of this place but also local cuisine. All this and more in what is possibly one of the most interesting port towns in the East.
Overnight: Cochin
Day
11 -
Cochin
DEPARTURE TRANSFER (B)
After breakfast, it's time to bid farewell to South India. You will be dropped at the Cochin airport to connect your onward flight.
Bangalore
