Kerala Backwater and Beach

Tour of Kerala � God�s Own Country: Complete Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Cochin
Arrive Cochin airport, meet & greet with our office representative, assistance and transfer to hotel. Rest day free for personal activities.

Evening enjoy Kathakali dance show. ‘Katha' means story and 'Kali' means dance. As the name suggests Kathakali is a beautiful amalgamation of dance and drama. More precisely, Kathakali is a harmonious blend of five forms of art namely, Sahithyam (literature), Sangeetham (music), Chithram (painting), Natyam (acting) and Nritham (dance). 'Total Theatre' is the word often used to describe this highly evolved art.

Kathakali dance-drama can also be described as a visual art because performers do not say any dialogues in this. Rather they are mime. Communication is made effective through the remarkable use of gestures and mudras. This also lends Kathakali its universal appeal. People of varied tastes all over the world appreciate and admire the beauty of this distinguished art. Another distinct feature of Kathakali is its elaborate costume and make-up. It is a magical sight to watch Kathakali artistes performing in their traditional attire. Their larger than life form transport the audience to a make believe wonderland. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02: Cochin – Munnar (140kms/ 3hrs approx)
Breakfast at hotel city tour of Cochin, one of South India’s most interesting towns, still largely comprises low rise, picturesque buildings. Visit Mattanchery Palace, built by the Portuguese (1557) as a gift for the Raja of Kochi in exchange for trading rights, it was largely rebuilt by the new occupants, the Dutch. Further visit Jewish Synagogue adjascent to the Palace. This gem of a synagogue dating from 1568 (rebuilt in 1662) at the heart of what is called locally Jew Town, now a fascinating mixture of shops (some selling antiques), wareshouses and spice auction rooms. Lateron drive to Fort Kochi beach area to visit St. Francis Church originally dedicated to Santo Antonio, the patron saint of Portugal, St. Francis Church is the first to reflect the new, European influenced tradition. Vasco da Gama died on the site in 1524 and was originally buried in the cemetery. Fourteen years later his body was removed to Portugal. Our final visit will be to huge Chinese Fishing Nets line the entrance to the harbour mouth.  Chinese traders are believed to have originally introduced them in the late 14th century although, today, parts of the nets are known by Portuguese names. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03: Munnar
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Munnar, check-out from Tree House, and transfer for check in at city hotel.
Later sightseeing of Munnar: situated at the confluence of three mountain streams – Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala, 1600mt above sea level surrounded by sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns & winding lanes. Among the exotic flora found in the forests and grasslands here is the Neelakurinji, this flower that bathes the hills in blue.

Visit Devikulam: An enchanting Hill station. The Sita Devi Lake with its mineral waters and picturesque surroundings. Powerhouse water falls, Anayirankal Dam. Nyamakadu water falls, Anaimudy view (South India Highest peak – 8841 feet from sea level = 2695 meters) Eravikulam National Park. Rajamala the Nilgiri tahr, a very rare type of mountain goat (Hemitragas bylocres), on the verge of extinction. Half the world population of this rare goat is seen in and around Rajamala. The kurinji flowers blooming once in twelve years abound here. The combination of these two rare sights will make any visitor come again and again to this place. Overnight at hotel.

Day 04: Munnar – Thekkady (110kms/ 3hrs approx)
Breakfast at hotel, proceed to Thekkady which offers diverse attractions like Wildlife Sanctuary, Hill Station and Spice Plantation. Natures own little hideout nestled in the hills of Thekkady. Reach & check-in at the hotel.

Afternoon, explore Pariyar National Park by boat cruise. The forests are rich in bird life and arboreal animals like giant squirrel and Nilgiri langur. The rafting is for about three hours and one gets a panoramic view of forest-clad hills reflected on the lake. Animals like elephant, gaur and sambar are sighted keeping close to the edges of the lake.

Set on attractive Periyar Lake side is in a beautiful setting and was designated a part of Project Tiger in 1973, though Tigers are very rarely seen and it is better know for its elephants, which are very likely to be seen until Mar/Apr. Most bull elephants here are tuskless. Bison, Sambar, Wild boar and the barking Deer are fairly common. In addition to 246 species of birds, there are 112 species of butterfly.

Explore the park by hiking through the buffer zone of the forest with tribal tracker as a local guide from the forest department. We return from our hike at 08.00hrs and back to hotel for breakfast. Further make a short drive to nearby plantations to know more about the spices of Kerala and the plantation crops. Evening again explore the sanctuary which offers a lovely and comfortable way to see the animals via boat rides on the man-made lake, which the wildlife area encircles. Overnight at hotel.

Day 05: Thekkady – Kumarakom (132kms/ 3hrs approx)
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Kumarakom, transfer to the hotel. Day free for personal activities & Ayurvedic massage etc.

Ayurveda: is the oldest surviving complete medical system in the world. Derived from its ancient Sanskrit roots - ‘ayus' (life) and ‘ved' (knowledge) – and offering a rich, comprehensive outlook to a healthy life, its origins go back nearly 5000 years. To when it was expounded and practiced by the same spiritual rishis, who laid the foundations of the Vedic civilisation in India, by organising the fundamentals of life into proper systems.

The main source of knowledge in this field therefore remain the Vedas, the divine books of knowledge they propounded, and more specifically the fourth of the series, namely Atharvaveda that dates back to around 1000 BC.Of the few other treatises on Ayurveda that have survived from around the same time, the most famous are Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita which concentrate on internal medicine and surgery respectively. The Astanga Hridayam is a more concise compilation of earlier texts that was created about a thousand years ago. These between them forming a greater part of the knowledge base on Ayurveda as it is practiced today.

Visit to Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary: This sanctuary is rich with a number of noteworthy species include the Dater or Snake Bird, Little Cormorant, Night Heroin, Golden- backed woodpecker, Crow Pheasant, White Breasted Water Hen and Tree Pie etc. The season for migratory birds are from November to March. Overnight at hotel.

Day 06: Kumarakom – Alleppey (52kms / overnight Cruise)
Breakfast at hotel, drive to Alleppey, also called the Venice of East, interlocked with a large number of canals and bridges. Board a houseboat from here and enjoy the cruise through the enchanting backwaters. Houseboat comprises twin bed room, with attached bathrooms, running water, and a lounge area in which to relax and enjoy the sights on the shore. Start our sail through scenic backwaters, passing through one of the few areas in the world where farming is done below sea level. The houseboat will cruise through the Chambakulam area by mid-morning and anchor to explore the boat yard, which displays the traditional long snake boats used in races. Visit St. Mary’s Church, established by St. Thomas in 1721. In the evening, catch a glimpse of village life along the backwaters and experience a way of life unique to this region. The boat will pass through picturesque stretches of the backwaters of Alleppey and moor up for overnight in Vemabanadu Lake. Overnight at Houseboat.

Day 07: Alleppey – Marari (40kms/ 1½hrs approx)
Morning after breakfast disembarks from the houseboat, drive to Marari, check in at hotel. Rest day for personal activities relax on the beach etc.

MARARI; Right in the heart of the "spice coast" just an hour from Cochin and even less to Alleppey (also Known as Alpuzzha) is the most fabulous stretch of soft sandy beach fringed with palm, an idyllic retreat for those who want to "get away from it all". Marari originates from "mararikulam", one of the local fishing villages, where life still goes on much as it did a hundred years ago, with the men going out to sea each day to earn a living bringing in the daily catch.    

Marari offers endless miles of superb sand beaches backed by swaying palms, virgin territory where you can experience to local charm and traditional Keralan hospitality at its best. The Marari Beach is built in the style of a traditional fishing village with thatched villas that have been designed to be in keeping with the local village style. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08: Marari
Breakfast at hotel, day free for personal activities relax on the beach etc. Overnight at hotel.

Day 09: Marari – Cochin (70kms/ 2hrs)
Breakfast at hotel, transfer to Cochin airport to board Indigo flight for your onward destination.