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Day 01 Airport/Cochin (-)
Upon arrival in Cochin airport, our representative will meet and greet, transfer you to hotel, check in, refresh and proceed for sightseeing. Cochin is the Queen of Arabian Sea, a vibrant city situated on the southwest coast of the Indian peninsula.
From time immemorial, the Arabs, British, Chinese, Dutch, and Portuguese have left indelible marks on the history and development of Cochin. The sea and the mountains provide a rich experience of a moderate equatorial climate due to its proximity to the equator.
Enjoy sightseeing tour of Old Cochin, starting with the Mattancherry Palace, also known as the Dutch Palace which is situated at Palace Road built by the Portuguese and presented to Veera Kerala Varma (1537-65), Raja of Kochi, in 1555 AD.
Proceed to the nearby Paradesi Synagogue or the Jewish Synagogue constructed in 1568, today known as the Jew Town.(Synagogue means Church). It is the oldest active synagogue in the Commonwealth of Nations, located in Kochi, Kerala, only one of the seven synagogues in the area still in use.
Stroll alongside the antique shops in the meandering alleys of Jew Town, most of whose inhabitants have since migrated to Israel. The Mattancherry jetty and bus stand are behind the Palace. The area is full of shops attracting tourists hunting for mementoes to carry back home.
The Pazhayannur Bhagavathy Temple, the ancestral deity or Paradevata of the Cochin Royal Family is situated in between the Mattancherry Palace and the Paradesi Synagogue. The temple with royal patronage which shares its wall with the Jewish synagogue tells volumes about the religious tolerance and inter cultural amity that existed during the time of the Kingdom of Cochin built in 1568 and is one of the oldest synagogues, Jew Town, Spice Market where the air is filled with the smell of spices.
Head on to the Chinese fishing nets at Fort Kochi, located in the Kochi city of Kerala, which makes up a very popular tourist attraction for its very unusual method of fishing, operated from the shore, set up on bamboo and teak poles and held horizontally by huge mechanisms, which lower them into the sea. It was introduced by the Chinese explorer, Zheng from the court of Chinese emperor, Kublai Khan and have been in operation here since then.
Evening, enjoy Kathkali dance, a 300-year-old dance and display of martial arts and concerts on Indian classical music. This center also has an art gallery where exhibitions are organized from 8 AM to 8 PM.
Dinner and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Cochin.
Day 02 Cochin/Alleppey-Houseboat (B/L/T/D)
After breakfast, check out and transfer to Alleppey jetty for overnight cruise in and around Alleppey, with Houseboat accommodation having one or two bath attached bedrooms, depending on the size of the group, one living room, kitchenette, an open lounge, deck and a crew comprising oarsmen, a cook and guide. A/C functions from 09.00PM to 06.00AM.
Day 02 Cochin/Alleppey-Houseboat (B)
Alleppey lying along the coast of Kerala is a beautiful backwater destination magnets attracts tourists from all over the world for Alleppey houseboat tours. The networks of indispensable lakes, canals and logons that make everything here is exciting with the scenic backwater world, called the Alleppey. The backwater are the source of the livelihood of the people of this city.
The fascinating cruise with natural maze of canals crisscross the city, mesmerizes and offers you exotic treat to the eyes while slowly floating through the world of wonderments passing through the scintillating natural beauty, beautiful temples, churches and emerald green paddy fields that offers sight that one can hardly forget.
The eco-friendly houseboats in Alleppey offers a perfect blend of modern and traditional Keralan living lifestyles, designed and craft with deluxe rooms with contemporary facilities, open sit out area, sun-deck and attached bathroom that form the common sight.
The in-house restaurants, delicious delicacies made by the experienced chefs offer to enjoy authentic Kerala delicacies to delight amidst the true and enchanting Keralan beauty.
Stopover at the riverside Massage centers for an hour. You can stop over for a leisure Ice cream at the riverside corner. After 5.30pm, the boat will cruise back to parking spot. Every houseboat companies have certain allocated parking spots, where they park their boats together in the evening.
Later, take a short walk around Alleppey village to explore the lifestyle of the backwater's residence. After village tour, walk back to the Houseboat, freshen up and have dinner prepared by the houseboat cook. Overnight in Houseboat.
Pictures of houseboat is similar. Different boats have different designs and fittings
Day 03 Alleppey Houseboat/Trivandrum (152kms/4hrs) Kanyakumari (86kms/3hrs 30mins) (B)
After breakfast, check out and drive to Trivandrum. Spend the whole day in Trivandrum.
Trivandrum is known for its rich cultural heritage which is surrounded by Arabian Sea and by the Western Ghats.
Drive to Aruvikkara Dam, situated along the banks of the Karamana River, located at a close proximity of 23kms from the Kollam city. It is known for its verdant greenery and awe-inspiring ambience with boating facilities at the reservoir of the region.
There is a Durga Temple nearby constructed on top of a rock and a stream flowing beside it abundant fish in it, where visitors travel round the year not only to the temple, but also to feed the fish with rice, flower and peanuts, believed this could heal warts in skin.
The Kanakakunnu Palace, (16kms) 30mins is magnificent architecture & intricate craftsmanship, the Kanakakunnu Palace stands testimony to the rich heritage of Trivandrum back in the days. Standing tall next to the Napier Museum, the palace was built during the reign of the then Travancore King, mainly to hold royal banquets & ceremonies.
Napier Museum complex reveals a glimpse of Kerala's rich cultural heritage named after the former Madras Governor General, John Napier, also called the Government Art Museum. The Museum building is a combination of the Kerala, Mughal, Chinese and Italian architectural styles.
Both Museum and Art Gallery are situated in the Napier Museum compound, right in the heart of the city, near the zoological park. This Indo-Saracenic structure built in the 19th century, boasts a natural air-conditioning system and houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artefacts, bronze idols, ancient ornaments, a temple chariot and ivory carvings.
The Sree Chitra Art Gallery, features a rare collection of paintings by Raja Ravi Varma and Roerich among others, and fascinating works from the Mughal, Rajput and Tanjore schools of art. An oriental collection consisting of paintings from China, Japan, Tibet and Bali offers a visual treat and are a tribute to the art and culture of these countries.
Visiting hours are 10.00am – 04.45pm, closed on Mondays, Wednesday forenoons. Use of plastic is banned in the museum premises.
Science and Technology Museum Complex and the Observatory (3kms) 10mins was established in 1984, situated in Thiruvananthapuram, exhibits science, technology and electronics. The Planetarium has 40-minute science-related shows in English in the noon daily.
The Observatory is situated at an altitude of 60m above sea level affords a bird's eye view of the city, is one of the highest points in the city near the Museum complex, opposite the Kanakakkunnu Palace.
The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm, on all days of the week except Mondays.
The Government Secretariat (3.5kms) 15mins, is a popular landmark and located in heart of the Thiruvananthapuram City, in MG (Mahatma Gandhi) Road.
The Secretariat complex was originally constructed as Durbar Hall for Travancore Kingdom, built in Roman architectural style, can be enjoyed while taking a walk on M.G. Road.
Padmanabha Swamy Temple (3kms) 10mins, built in the 18th century by the King Marthanda Varma. Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple gave its name to Kerala’s state capital Thiruvananthapuram. ‘Thiru’ ‘Anantha’ ‘Puram’ means Sacred Abode of Lord Anantha Padmanabha.
Sree Anantha Padmanabhaswamy Temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams of Lord Vishnu and the holiest abodes of the Lord Mahavishnu that are mentioned in the works of the Tamil Azhvars (saints). Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple is also one of the seven Parasurama kshetras in Kerala. The city of Thiruvananthapuram is named after the Lord.
Next, visit the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple (3kms) 15mins, one of the ancient temples dating back to 9th - 10th century AD of South India, popularly described as Sabarimala of the Women, as women form the major portion of devotees. Dinner and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Trivandrum.
Day 04 Trivandrum/Kanyakumari (85kms/2hrs) (B)
After breakfast, proceed to Kovalam Beach as early for the pleasant weather. This natural beauty and scenic beach attracts people from far and wide for its facilities like sunbathing, swimming, Ayurvedic massages and plenty of other options.
There are two beaches, the Eve's beach and Lighthouse beach. The Eve's beach is a semicircular beach and is a secluded spot lined with palm trees. The Lighthouse beach has a famous lighthouse that has been fighting the tempests since the British rule.
The fishermen in the beach offer to take you out in the sea while they go out to claim their catch for the day. Sail with them during sunrise and come back as the sun sets (At your own cost and desire).
Vizhinjam Rock Cut Cave temple (3kms) 15mins, 18th century rock cut sculptures a single-celled shrine with a sculpture of Vinandhara Dakshinamurthi – an aspect of Lord Dakshinamurthy.is an ancient rock cut cave temple in Vizhinjam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Organize your timing and corporate with the driver to beat the timing to watch the Kanyakumari sunset in time.
Drive to Kanyakumari, southernmost tip of the main land of India or India's Land’s End.
Watch the Sunset and the Tiruvalluvar Statue at night. Thiruvalluvar, is a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher who contributed a work on ethics, acknowledged throughout the World. He was born in Kanyakumari district.
The Thiruvalluvar Statue is a 133 feet tall stone sculpture. Dinner and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Kanyakumari. (Sleep early if you want to watch the Sunrise before 4.30am, not far from hotel).
Day 05 Kanyakumari/Madurai/Kudaikanal (360km) 6hrs 30mins (B)
Wake up at dawn to watch the sunrise, otherwise sleep till breakfast time.
After breakfast, check out and proceed to Kanyakumari Amman Temple, famous for its architectural beauty and picturesque located on the shore where the three oceans meet- the Indian Ocean, the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, dedicated to goddess Bhagavathy Amman, an incarnation of goddess Parvati. The foundation of the temple was laid by the Pandyas and later the Nayaks made some new additions. Two rocks rising out of the ocean, one of the rocks has footprints of the virgin goddess.
Swami Vivekananda, known in his pre-monastic life as Narendra Nath Datta, born in 12 January 1863. Vivekananda Rock Memorial was built in 1970.
Just beside is the Memorial Thiruvalluvar Statue, the 3 tier pedestal known as Atharapeedam (base) is surrounded by an artistic Mandapa known as Alankara Mandapam with 38 feet height. Surrounding the Alankara Mandapa stand 10 elephant statues signifying 8 directions with earth and space down. The entire sculpture (resembles the immortal poet of Tamil Nadu and has given to the world, Thirukkural, one of the Tamil books of Law.) which requested translation in many languages such as - Bengali, Assamese, Burmese, Chinese, Czech, Dutch, English, Fijian, Finnish, French, German, Gujarati, Hindi, Japanese, Kannada, Latin, Malay, Malayalam, Oriya, Punjabi, Polish, Rajasthani, Russian, Sanskrit, Saurashtra, Sinhala, Swedish, Telugu, Urdu.
[To help the tourists to worship the holy feet of Thiruvalluvar 140 steps are constructed inside the Mandapa. The pedestal with a height of 38 feet represents the 38 chapters in the Book of Aram (Righteousness) in Thirukural and the statue of 95 feet on the pedestal represents the total chapters in Porul (Wealth) -70 chapters and Inbam (Love) -25 Chapters. Thus the statue symbolically, and artistically signifies that the theme of Porul and Inbam are based on Aram.]
Next, visit Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (600m) 5mins, completed in 1956, situated as a memorial to the Father of the Nation. In 1948 his ashes were immersed in the sea waters in Kanyakumari. Its central shape is 79 feet high representing the age of the Mahatma.
After temple and memorial tour, drive to Kudaikanal via Madurai. Arrive Kudaikanal before sunset. Transfer to hotel, check in and refresh, have dinner. Overnight in Kudaikanal.
Day 06 Kudaikanal (B)
After breakfast, proceed for tour and sightseeing in Kudaikanal, a Princess of Hill stations and one of the beautiful hill stations at 2133metres in the Palani Hills, in Tamilnadu state. There are many places of interest not to be missed, the breathtaking view of this valley, the eye soothing hill views, the charming sightseeing locations and scenic points.
Stroll along the Lake and Boating, encircled by lots of tea stalls, bazaar shops and restaurants. Towards the area of the Kodai Lake, there are small stores selling Tibetan clothing and wares.
Walk around the Coaker’s Walk, enjoy the Green Valley View, Pillar rock Lake, Pine Forest, Bryant Park, and the Kurinji Andavar Temple (3kms from the lake)- a famous shrine dedicated to Lord Murugan, associated with the Kuriniji flowers which carpets at hillsides, blooms once in 12 years.
[If you are going in winter, go boating in the evening, as it's an amazing experience to boat through fog settling on the lake. The lake is very near the bus stand. This is a star shaped lake and walking around it during the night is a nice feel. Be cautious, there are lots of dogs around this lake and some places are extremely dark. Walk between 6 and 7 pm, not later than that!]
(OPTIONAL) Berijam Lake - perhaps the most pristine of the three lakes in Kodai. This is a plastic free zone and it is beautiful and serene. The lake lies within a reserved forest region. You need to get permission to visit this lake. Permissions need to be obtained a day in advance (morning) from the forest office to visit the Lake.
Usually the person who arranges the vehicle will arrange the permit. Moreover, in peak season, a limited number of vehicles are allowed in per day. It’s about 20-25kms from Kodaikanal with narrow roads and tough mountain terrain within a dense forest area, but the view is worth it.
On the way to Berijam Lake, you can stop at Silent Valley and Caps fly Valley, both of which are beautiful. Silent valley has a very enchanting and scary feel about it. There's a sheer drop covered with mist that takes you straight to the pearly gates if you don't watch your step. Wear good shoes, it's very wet and slippery mountain trails.
A small roadside attachment on the way, gives a breathtaking view of 'Berijam lake view', from above the mountain.
A barricade that keeps all the taxis and busses out, you have to go on foot on the 25kms perimeter lake, a source of pure natural mountain water deep inside the forest and away from civilization with notice of panthers besides varieties of deer. No boats or fishing but there are some tents and campers and a government rest house near the lake.
Evening, visit Lord Murugan temple also known as the Kurinji Andavar Temple, about 4 km from the lake. The flowers inside the temple is in full bloom around December once in 12 years, and it bathes the valley in a beautiful sea of blue. It was last in full bloom in 2006; its next bloom is expected in 2018.
One can get a view of the Palani Hills and the Kodaikanal Town from this temple. During the winter, the view of Kodai city and Palani from the two ends of the temple is blocked. However, in summer, the visibility is good and hence the experience, too. Have dinner and transfer to hotel. Overnight in Kudaikanal.
Day 07 Kudaikanal/Cochin (270km) 6hrs (B)
After breakfast, check out, drive to Cochin for overnight stay near International Airport for departure. Overnight in Cochin.
Day 08 Departure
After breakfast, check out from hotel, you can go for a short sightseeing, if it’s an evening flight, Aluva is well connected from other major towns, and it is 12kms away from Kochi.
The Periyar River flowing through Aluva is simply scenic, the Shiva Temple and the Marthanda Varma Bridge offers a good view of Aluva. Transfer to airport for onwards destination.
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Package includes:-
Return airport transfers.
A/C Vehicle for transportation throughout the tours and sightseeing.
(Insurance and Medical claim from country of origin from departure till arrival date end of tour implies only for Malaysians)*.
English speaking drivers cum guide throughout the tour.
2 nights - 3* hotel with breakfast in Cochin.
Cochin Kathakali dance entrance
1 night Houseboat with full board (Breakfast/Lunch/Tea/Dinner)
1 night - 3* hotel with breakfast in Kovalam.
1 night - 3* hotel with breakfast in Kanyakumari.
2 nights -3* hotel with breakfast in Kudaikanal.
All sightseeing as mentioned in the itinerary.
All entrance fee as hghlighted in the itinerary.
All taxes, Fuel, parking, toll fee and vehicle taxes as per the itinerary in hotel/resorts or similar as specified.
Package excludes:-
International/Domestic Airfare and Visa application.
All Lunch and Medical claim.
All Lunch and Dinner.
Tipping for driver/Guide.
All Calls, Laundry, alcoholic or Non Alcoholic beverages or bottled water used in hotel, items ordered on room service, mini bar etc.
Any departure tax.
All others specifically not mentioned in the includes.
Remarks:
Package rate will be calculated according to your group size upon request.
Extra surcharges/person for peak season/festival and public holidays.
Reservation and bookings of hotel has not been made till further confirmation and payment received from guest.
Itinerary mentioned above is subject to changes according to your flight timings.
Full payment shall be made at least 3 weeks in advance before travelling date, for accommodation and transportation bookings.
Rates will be revised if any less or more guest upon confirmation.
(Insurance and Medical claim only for Malaysian citizens from departure till arrival date end of tour implies).
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