|
(14
Nights - 15 Days)
Chennai
- Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Chidambram
- Gangekondcholapuram - Tanjore - Trichy
- Madurai - Periyar - Kumarakom - Alleppey
- Kochi- Kovalam - Chennai |
|
|
|
| |
| Day 01 : Chennai |
| Fly from your country to Chennai,
arrive and check in at the hotel for overnight
stay. |
| |
| Day 02 : Chennai |
| After breakfast leave for a
sightseeing tour of Chennai, the first major
British settlement in India. Visit Kapleshwara
temple, St. Thomas Church, Art Gallery, St.
George Fort, Marina beach (the second longest
beach of the world after California). Return
to the hotel for the night. |
| |
| Day 03 : Chennai/Kanchipuram/Mahabalipuram
(130 km, 05 hrs) |
| In the morning leave for Mahabalipuram
en route stop at Kanchipuram, once the Golden
city of India, to visit Shiv Kanchi and Vishnu
kanchi temples. Continue your drive to Mahabalipuram,
arrive and check in at the hotel for overnight
stay. |
| |
| Day 04 : Mahabalipuram |
| In the morning visit the rock
cut caves built by the Pallavas between the
6th -8th centuries, Panch Ratha temple and
the 7th century Shore Temple where both Vishnu
and Shiva are enshrined under one roof. Also
visit the soap stone workers in the market
who design and make sculptures using a chisel
and a hammer. You can enjoy your afternoon
on the beach. Overnight stay at the hotel. |
| |
| Day 05 : Mahabalipuram/Chidambram/Gangekondcholapuram/Tanjore |
| In the morning leave for Tanjore,
your first stop will be at Chidambrum Golden
Natraja temple. Then travel to Gangekondcholapuram
to visit the Shiva temple built between 1012-1044
AD by King Rajendra I. The specialty of this
temple and of the engineering that is more
than a 1000 years old is that, the rays of
the sun fall on the Nandi (bull) and this
is reflected on to the Shiva Lingam and provides
it with light from dawn to dusk. Your next
stop will be the Kumbakonam water tank. It
is believed that after every 12 years, the
waters of the 9 sacred rivers including the
Ganga meet here. And when this happens thousands
of pilgrims take a dip in the tank to wash
away their sins. The next stop is the 13th
century Shiva temple at Darasuram. Reach Tanjore
check in at the hotel for an overnight stay. |
| |
| Day 06 : Tanjaore/Trichy |
| In the morning visit the Brideshwarar
Shiva Temple at Tanjore that was build by
King Raja Raja Chola between the years 985-1010
AD. This temple is an example of the excellent
architecture of the Chola dynasty. Then visit
the Raja Raja Chola art gallery to view the
bronze and stone sculptures made between the
9th-16th centuries. Return to the hotel and
after a short rest drive to Trichy. Arrive
and check in at the hotel. In the afternoon
visit the Srirangam Vishnu temple that has
21 gopurams (towers). The Rajagopuram that
was built in 1983 is 236 ft. tall and is the
tallest temple tower in the world. Then visit
the Rock Fort that is 83 meters above the
ground and has 344 steps to the top. On the
top there is a Vinayaka temple. Return to
your hotel for overnight stay. |
| |
| Day 07 : Trichy/Madurai
(131 km, 03 hrs) |
| In the morning leave for Madurai,
arrive and check in at the hotel. In the afternoon
visit the 16th century Thirumalai Nayak Palace.
The visit the enormous Meenakshi temple, the
temple has two main shrines, one is dedicated
to the Goddess Parvati (Meenakshi) and the
other to Sunereshwara (Shiva). The gopurams
of both the shrines are gold plated. Visit
the 1000 pillared hall built by the Nayaka
in the 16th century. The pillars are of pure
granite. Return to the hotel to spend the
night. |
| |
| Day 08 : Madurai/Periyar
(140km, 04 hrs) |
| After breakfast leave for Periyar,
arrive and check in at the hotel. In the afternoon
visit the different spice plantations like
cardamom, cinnamon, peeper, clove and ginger.
There will be a visit to tea, coffee and vanilla
plantations as well. Periyar is about 1000
meters above seal level and spices are its
main crop. 95% of the peeper grown in India
is produced here. Then visit the Periyar Tiger
Reserve by boat to watch a variety of animals
like tigers, panthers, bison, wild elephants
and a wide variety of birds. |
| |
| Day 09 : Periyar/Kumarakom |
| After breakfast drive to Kumarakom
to board the Houseboat Cruise. Take this cruise
to enjoy the backwaters of Kerala. Cruise
through the splendid greenery of God's Own
Country and catch a glimpse of the daily routine
of those who live on the banks of the Backwaters.
Dinner and night stay on the Houseboat Cruise. |
| |
| Day 10 : Houseboat Cruise/Alleppey/Kochi
(60km, 01 ½ hr) |
| The Houseboat Cruise will drop
you off at Alleppey to board your vehicle
& drive to Kochi. Arrive and check in
at the hotel. In the afternoon visit the Dutch
Palace, Jewish Synagogue, Chinese fishing
nets and St. Francis Church, which is one
of the oldest Churches built by the Europeans
in 1503 AD. Late in the afternoon watch the
traditional dance of Kerala- the Kathakali.
Spend the night at the hotel. |
| |
| Day 11 to Day 14 : Kochi/Kovalam
(235 km, 05 hrs) |
| In the morning leave for Kovalam,
arrive and check in at the hotel. Relax and
enjoy the sun-bathed beaches till day 15. |
| |
| Day 15 : Kovalam(Trivandrum)/Chennai |
| Transfer to Trivandrum airport
to board flight for Chennai. In Chennai after
a little sightseeing and dinner transfer to
Chennai International airport to board the
flight back to your country. |
