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Grand South India Tour
Duration : 23
Days 22 Nights
Destination : Mumbai
-Chennai - Covelong
- Pondicherry - Trichy - Chettinadu - Madurai - Periyar - Kottayam - Alleppey
- Cochin - Coimbatore
- Coonnoor - Ooty - Mysore - Hassan - Hospet - Badami - Goa -
Mumbai
DAY 01 : LONDON - MUMBAI
Depart USA.
DAY 02 ARRIVE MUMBAI
-CHENNAI
Arrive Mumbai. You will be met on
arrival and taken to domestic Airport for flight to Chennai (flight
timings depending on the international flight)
You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel for one night.
Enjoy a sightseeing of the city in the
afternoon.
(This will include Fort St George, St Mary's Church
and the markets)
Drive through the bustling city
of Chennai visiting Fort St George, built by the East India Company in
1653 and said to be the first bastion of the British power in India,
St. Mary's Church and the oldest Anglican Church in the country. Visit
the National Art Gallery - formerly the Victoria Memorial Hall &
Technical Institute, designed and built by Henry Irwin in 1909. The
Kapaleeswarar - an ancient Shiva temple is a masterpiece in Dravidian
architecture, fragmentary inscriptions in the temple date back to 1250
A.D. The Parthasarthy temple built in the 8th century A.D. by the
Pallavas is devoted to lord Krishna and houses the Five Avtars of
Vishnu (of which Krishna was one).
DAY 03 CHENNAI
- COVELONG
Drive from Chennai to Covelong (about an hour
drive) enroute visit Kanchipuram.
Kanchipuram:
Kanchipuram is a small rural town about 75 kilometres from Chennai
(Madras) in the state of Tamilnadu. It also serves as the district
head quarters for the Chengalpattu district. Its economy is entirely
dependent on tourism and the well established handloom industry. Silk
sarees manufactured here are one of the best in the entire world. Is
one of the Indias seven sacred cities it was the historical Capital
of the Pal lavas. This city is also a well-known centre of the finest
silk.
Interesting tourist places include Kamakshi Amman
Temple, Varadharaja Perumal Temple, Vaikunda Perumal Temple,
Kailasanathar Temple, Ekambaranathar Temple, Ulagalandha Perumal
Temple, Yathoktakari Perumal Temple, Deepaprakasa, Perumal Temple,
Kandakottam Subramanya Swami Temple, Kachapeswarar Temple, Sankupani
Vinayakar Temple, Pandava Thoodha Perumal Temple, Vijayaraghava
Perumal Temple at Tirupputkuzhi, and Jain Temples at
Tirupparuthikkundram
Upon arrival check in at your hotel for two nights
DAY 04 COVELONG
Enjoy an excursion to Mahabalipuram
(To see
the 10th century Pallava Dynasty Shore Temple & Rock carvings)
This relaxing coastal village some 57 kms south of Chennai (Madras) is world famous for its romantic shore temples, which have World Heritage listing and are probably the most photographed monuments in India. The village was once the second capital and port of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram, but today it's a favourite travellers' haunt with the fascinating remains of a 1300-year-old Indian kingdom. The temples are refreshingly uncluttered. Highlights include Arjuna's Penance, the mythical story of the River Ganges carved in relief on the face of a huge rock; eight mandapams (shallow rock-cut halls) with figure sculptures; the Rathas, architectural prototypes of all Dravidian temples; and the beautiful wind and sea-ravaged shore temples, which represent the final flowering of Pallava art.
Afternoon free.
DAY 05 COVELONG - PONDICHERRY
Drive to Pondicherry (about 3 hours)
Check in at your hotel for one night
This restored, attractive former French colony exudes a Mediterranean aura, with its chic streets, whitewashed residences and ornamental gardens. Apart from the charming atmosphere, excellent restaurants and cheap beer, most travellers come to Pondicherry to visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot, Auroville, 10km outside town. The ashram, whose spiritual tenets combine yoga and modern science, is one of the most popular and affluent in India.
Enjoy half day sightseeing tour of Pondicherry city in the afternoon
Colonial buildings which trace back to the 18th century, line along a grid of straight clean streets and house the French institutions, private homes and businesses, and the sprawling premises of the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The visitor is greeted by mellow colours of cream, yellow, pink and grey with flamboyant bougainvillea bursting over gates and compound walls of cool courtyards.
DAY 06 PONDICHERRY - TRICHY
Drive from Pondicherry to Trichy. Enroute visit
Tanjore.
The Chola kings built the majority of Tanjore's
(also known as Thanjavur) 93 temples. The enormous gopurams of the
Briha¬deeshwara Temple built in the 10th century by Raja Chola
dominate Tanjore. The temple itself, between the Grand Anicut Canal
and the old town, is surrounded by fortified walls and a moat. The old
town, too, used to be similarly enclosed, but most of the walls have
now disappeared. What remains are winding streets and alleys and the
extensive ruins of the Palace of the Nayaks of Madurai. The Raja
Museum and the Art gallery is a house of large collection of Chola
sculptures in bronze and granite. The Sarawa¬ti Mahal library
contains over 40,000 rare books and palm leaf inscriptions.
Upon arrival at Trichy check into the
hotel for one night.
Situated on the banks of River Cauvery,
Tiruchirapalli is the fourth largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Trichy came to be occupied in turn by the Nayaka of Madurai, the
Marathas, the Navabs of Carnatic, the French and finally the British.
Trichy is fine blend of tradition and modernity built round the Rock
Fort.
DAY 07 TRICHY - CHETTINADU
Morning enjoy the city tour.
In the
afternoon drive to Chettinadu.
Karaikudi is the heartland of the
old Chettiar trading community, in an area known as Chettinad. The
town is characterized by the eccentric mansions of the Chettiars,
which are well worth a visit.
The people who became the Chettiars of Tamil Nadu were originally gem and salt merchants and ship-chandlers operating on the coasts of the state when it was a Chola kingdom. In course of time the coastal merchants became financiers and, thanks to their reputation for scrupulous integrity, acquired wealth and power. From being mere Shetty or Chetty merchants, derived from the Sanskrit -shresthi,- the most powerful group among them were accorded the respectful suffix -ar- to their caste names. They became the -Chettiars-.
For some unknown reason, the Chettiars had decided to settle in a rather parched and arid land extending westwards into the hinterland of the Bay of Bengal. Here, their great trade-financed mansions rose, spurring the growth of villages into urban centres.
Then as the riches of distant lands continued to pour in, and most of the men spent much of their time overseas, it became necessary to secure their wealth, and ensure the safety of their families, by building high walls around their mansions.
Thus, the mansions of Chettinad are not
just the extravagant follies of a rich community. They are assertive
expressions of their history and lifestyles.
Check into the hotel
for an over night stay.
DAY 08 CHETTINADU - MADURAI
Morning drive to Madurai (about 4- 5
hours drive)
Check in at your hotel for one nights
The city of Madurai is synonymous with
this temple that is dedicated to the consort of Shiva, it is one of
the biggest temple complexes in India. The five gopurams that surround
the temple are known for the stuccowork and the 48.8 meters high
southern gopuram is the tallest. Exquisite sculptures are found
throughout the temple complex. The Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal is another
temple built in the Indo-Saracanic style by the Nayaks. The main
attractions here are the musical pillars and the pathway.
The
Koodal Alagar Temple, devoted to Vishnu is as old as Madurai itself.
Enjoy a half day sightseeing of the town
in the afternoon.
(Including the famous Meenakshi Temple and the
busy bazaars)
The life of Madurai revolves around the Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple. This magnificently carved temple is the main attraction of Madurai and its huge Gopurams towers over the city. Meenakshi temple has a thousand pillared 'Mandapam'. Precisely there are 985 pillars and each of them is delicately and exquisitely carved. Among these are the musical pillars, which produce music when tapped. Surprisingly, these musical pillars are carved out of a single granite rock. The temple has been a hub of Tamil culture and has been sponsoring literature, art, music, and dance in the region for a long time. The temple also has an art museum.
DAY 09 MADURAI - PERIYAR
Drive from Madurai to Periyar (about 4- 5 hours
drive)
Check in at your hotel for one night
116 kms from Kottayam and 285 kms from Trivandrum, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is set on an attractive lakeside. The sanctuary occupying 780 sq km area was designed as a part of Project Tiger in 1973. Wildlife includes elephants, tusk less bull, bison, sambar, wild bore, and spotted deer and rarely a tiger or a leopard. Birds include owl and hornbilss.
Afternoon enjoy a boat-ride on Lake Periyar to spot herds of wild elephants.
One of the largest wildlife reserves in India, the sanctuary is spread over an area of 777 sq. kms of the Cardamom Hills region of the Western Ghats. The greatest attractions are the herds of wild elephants that come to the lake to frolic in its waters. Besides elephants, Sambar, Bison, Spotted Deer, Tigers and Leo¬pards are also found among others. Exotic flowers and trees abound.
DAY 10 PERIYAR - KOTTAYAM
Drive from Periyar to Kottayam (about
4 hours drive)
Board a private rice boat for a cruise
along the backwaters for two nights.
(Boat built in traditional
style)
The House Boat traditionally known as
'Kettuvallam' is made entirely of natural materials; wood, rattan and
bamboo, in harmonious tones of brown and honey. It has neither engine
nor machinery of any other sort on board. Sixty eight feet long and
ten feet wide, with a slightly unturned prow and rear, it sits low in
the water. In front, roofed but otherwise open to air, is the living
and dining area, its sides shaded by shutters props open at midway by
bamboo poles.
This comfortable space is covered with coir
matting and is furnished with four rattan chairs and a little table.
Although the superstructure was only few years old, the boat itself is
century old - until it was reconditioned as a house-boat, it has
transported rice and wood. Two handsome dark, broad wooden thwarts -
original features of the boat - lay across the space like benches.
Lashed to the ceiling were wooden paddles and a couple of life
preservers.
DAY 11 ON HOUSEBOAT
At Leisure
DAY 12 ALLEPPEY - COCHIN
Disembark from houseboat at Alleppey and drive to
Cochin (about 1 ½ hours drive)
Check in at your hotel for
one night
Enjoy a sightseeing of the town in the
Afternoon.
(This will include the Synagogue, Dutch Palace and St
Francis' Church)
Cochin - formerly a princely state beckoned travelers from distant shores. This commercial city, also called -The Queen of the Arabian Sea- is famous for its exquisite designer Gold Jewelry. The Indian Navy, the Port and the Airport share the largely man-made Willingdon Island. The sightseeing includes the visit to Dutch Palace built by the Portuguese for a local King in 1555 A.D. The famous Jew Street, a cul-de-sac leading to the beautiful Parsi Synagogue built in 1568. A walking tour of Fort Cochin will take you through the streets still graced with traces of Portuguese, Dutch & British colonial architecture, including a few old trad¬ing factories, the only ones still standing anywhere in the world.
OPTIONAL (Kathakali Dance)
The most popular and sacred dance-drama of Kerala, Kathakali evolved
across the last 400 years. This classical dance requires lengthy and
rigourous training to attain complete control of the body and
sensitivity to emotion so as to be able to render all its nuances
through facial expressions and hand gestures. Themes centre on the two
great Indian epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. We suggest
arriving early in order to witness the artists putting on their
make-up.
DAY 13 COCHIN
- COIMBATORE
Drive from Cochin to Coimbatore.
Coimbatore is a large industrial city known for textile
manufacturing and engineering goods, and is full of -suitings and
shirtings- shops. It can make a convenient overnight stop if heading
up to Ooty or the other Nilgiri hill stations. The city owes its rapid
growth in the last 50 years to the development of Hydro Electricity
from the PYKARA FALLS. This led to a boom in cotton textile milling,
Coimbatore often being called the Manchester of South India. The city
also has a noted agricultural university.
The VOC Park and
Zoo near the stadium has a toy train circuit. Botanical Garden
surrounded by fields and with the backdrop of the Nilgiris behind it
is a most attractive setting.
Check into the hotel for one night.
DAY 14 COIMBATORE - COONNOR -
OOTY
Drive from Coimbatore to Coonnor.
From Coonnor railway station board Toy Train to Ooty (Udagamandalam)
(Departs at 1040 hrs & arrive at 1200hrs.)
OOTY (UDHAGAMANDALAM):
At a max. speed of 33 km. per hour, this "toy train" treks
across plains, plantation and forest clad hills. The 16 tunnels and
tall girder bridges on the way, along with the breathtaking view, make
this toy train journey to Ooty, something not to be missed.
Access to Ooty: Ooty is connected by a narrow
guage line from Mettupalayam, which serves as the railhead for
mainline trains.
Also sometimes called the Queen of Indian Hill
Stations , this little hill resort in Tamil Nadu nestles about 2,600 m
above sea level and has a pleasant climate all the year round.
The journey up begins at Mettupalayam and covers the distance of 46
kms in 4 hours. Mettupalayam is on the railway mainline to Chennai.
Coimbatore, 90 kms away, is a major railhead.
Upon arrival drive
to Ooty and check into the hotel for an over night.
Ooty, the queen of the hill stations located in the Nilgiri mountain ranges of Tamil Nadu, is situated at the junction of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, at a height of 2268 meters. By virtue of its salubrious climate and scenic beauty, it attracts countless tourists from all parts of India.
BOTANICAL GARDEN - The numerous varieties of ornamental trees and plants are attractions for all tourists visiting Ooty. The Flower Show is held in the month of May every year. The OOTY LAKE is a major attraction for tourists visiting Ooty. DODDABETTA - This is the highest peak in the Nilgiri range and offers the tourist a panoramic view of the hill ranges and plateaus around Ooty. A micro telescope has also been installed here.
KOTHAGIRI - This is the oldest hill station in the region located 20 Kms from Ooty and is noted for its favourable climate and natural scenery. In Kothagiri, Rangaswami Rock and Pillar, Kodanand View Point, St. Catherine Falls and Elk Falls are worth seeing.
KUKURTHI PEAK - located around Ooty, this peak is 2600 meters above sea level and with its dam and the river offers a fascinating sight.
All Indian festivals are observed in Ooty with lot of enthusiasm by the residents of the hillstation.
DAY 15 OOTY - MYSORE
Drive from Ooty to Mysore (about 4 hours drive)
Check in at your hotel for overnight stay
Mysore: Also called the city of Palaces, combines traditional grandeur with modernity and emerges as one of the most beautiful and best planned cities in India. Mysore's sightseeing includes the Maharaja's Palace, the lush Brindavan Gardens with its danc¬ing fountains built on the terraces of Krishnarajasagar Dam, St.Philomena's Church built in an imposing Gothic style, the Jagan¬mohan Palace which was converted into an art gallery in 1875 and the Chamundi Hills.
DAY 16 MYSORE - HASSAN
Morning drive to Hassan visit Sravanbelgola
enroute.
Upon arrival check into your hotel Metropole for
01 night.
Hassan is the base for visiting Belur and Halebid. Hassan is a picturesque town in the heart of Malnad with rich vegetation and pleas¬ant climate. The Hoysala temples in Belur & Halebid symbolize the confluence of Dravidian, Chalukyan and Chola art. At the same time, one sees the Hoysala originality in every stone. The seren¬ity of Belur is attributed to the celebrated temple of Channa¬keshava, built by the Hoysala King Vishnuvardhan in 1117 A.D. A short distance away from Belur lies the magnificent Halebid, which has several strikingly beautiful Hoysala temples, and Jain Shrines. The Hoysaleswara temple, standing on a platform like a casket, is a sculptural extravaganza, richly smothered with most finely detailed scrollwork in stone. Another famous temple is the Kedareswara temple, where the sculptor's virtuosity seems to have surpassed even the goldsmith's skill in its sheer intricacy.
DAY 17 HASSAN - HOSPET
Drive from Hassan to Hospet. Hospet is used as a
base by many visitors to Hampi since it offers a variety of
accommodation.
Upon arrival check into the hotel for 2
night stay.
DAY 18 HOSPET
Full day tour to Hampi.
The remains at
Hampi are very scattered and need at least 2 days to see fully. The
town of Victory, Vijayanagara, is 13 km ENE of Hospet town. Hampi was
once the seat of the Vijayanagara Empire and a great centre of Hindu.
The city was enormously wealthy greater than Rome with a market full of jewels and palaces plated with gold. It was very well fortified and defended by large army. The site for the capital was chosen for strategic reasons but the craftsmen adopted an ingenious style to blend in their architectural masterpieces with the barren and rocky landscape.
DAY 19 HOSPET - BADAMI
Morning drive to Badami enroute visiting the Aihole
& Pattadakal (Petrigal).
Upon arrival check into the
hotel for overnight stay.
Badami set in beautiful countryside
amongst the sandstone hills, artificial lakes and peaceful farmlands.
It is magnificently settled in a canyon, and all over the sides and
tops of the surroundings hills are temples, fortifications, and
carvings.
Badami the town is best known for its cave temples. They display the full range of religious sects, which have grown up on Indian soil. Two of them are dedicated to Vishnu, one to Siva and the fourth is a Jain temple. There is also one natural cave, which is a Buddhist temple.
DAY 20 BADAMI - GOA
Drive from Badami to Goa.
Upon arrival
transfer to hotel for 02 nights stay.
DAY 21 GOA
Day at leisure
DAY 22 GOA-MUMBAI
Morning at leisure.
Later assisted
transfer hotel to airport o board flight to Mumbai.
(Flight 9W
472 dep 1405 : 1505 hours)
Upon arrival transfer from airport to
city hotel.
DAY 23 MUMBAI
Morning enjoy half day sightseeing tour of Mumbai city.
Mumbai a
cluster of seven islands, derives its name from Mumbadevi, the patron
goddess of the Koli fisher folk, its oldest inhabitants. Once a "Portuguese
princess" dowry and later an adornment of neo-gothic British
architecture, Mumbai today, is more than just a metropolis. It is in
fact an enigma of mud huts and skyscrapers, age old traditions and
high fashions, the industrialists haven and movie makers hollywood.
The sightseeing of Bombay includes a visit to the Gateway of India,
The Prince of Wales Museum, the Victoria Terminus, Dhobi ghats and the
hanging gardens. The Gateway of India was built during period
1924-1927 to commem¬orate the visit to India of King George V of
England in 1911. Its the most enduring symbol of the city. Next to the
Gateway of India is the Prince of Wales Museum built in 1911 - one of
the biggest museum in the country. The Victoria Terminus, popularly
known as VT is the major railway station and is considered the most
beautiful edifice in the city. From Nariman Point to Malabar Hill is a
winding stretch of road along the sea with tall buildings on one side,
known as the Marine Drive.
Later in the evening transfer to
the international airport to board flight to onward destination.