Wildlife & Cuisine
Destination : Kothamangalam
- Cochin
- Thatteked Bird Sanctuary
Duration : 09 Days 08 Nights
Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary is spread over
25.16 sq. km. area. Set up in 1983 at the instance of Dr. Salim Ali,
the sanctuary boasts of 253 kinds of birds (identified by BNHS) which
include the rare frogmouth. Over 50 species of butterflies have been
documented here by Madras Naturalists Society The birds commonly
spotted are Indian roller, common snipe, crow pheasant, jungle
nightjar, kite, grey drongo, Malabar trogon, woodpecker, large pied
wagtail, baya sparrow, grey jungle fowl, Indian hill mynah, Robin,
babblers and darter. If you are lucky you may spot these rare birds
too. Crimson throated barbett, bee-eaters, sunbird, shrike, fairy blue
bird, grey headed fishing eagle, black winged kinte, night heron. Grey
heron, Malabar shama, Common grey hornbill and Malabar hornbill. The
sanctuary has its share of fauna too. The elephant is an occasional
visitor. Leopard, bear, porcupine, python and cobra are sighted.
Kerala cuisine has been enriched by the
various cultures that settled in Kerala. It is considered to be one of
the sophisticated cuisines in the world. The spices, herbs and
vegetable grown in this place are used very much in it. The basic
Kerala cuisine is vegetarian, served on banana leaves but the
Christian and Muslim cuisine is delicious non-vegetarian. Experience
all these at their typical centers. You will also get an opportunity
to learn and try out these delicacies for yourself and interact with
some of the best chefs. The tour takes you through the most scenic
areas in Kerala!.
DAY 01 DEPART LONDON
Depart London via Dubai by Emirates
DAY 02 ARRIVE COCHIN
& DRIVE TO KOTHAMANGALAM
Arrive Cochin by morning met
upon arrival and transferred to your hotel for wash & change and
for quick breakfast
After breakfast drive to Kothamangalam (03
hours), where we are going to spent our next six nights with Jose &
Daisy at their Home stay and will learn some Kerala cuisine
Arrive Kothamangalam and check in at Jose & Daisy-s Home stay
This home stay is located at Pindimana,
a small village 7kms away from Kothamangalam junction. This is the
proverbial home away from home offering you the exclusive experience
of living in a plantation. Nestling in the virgin hills of the Western
Ghats, this home is a cluster of rubber, pepper and coconut
plantations, surrounded by tiny villages in an area of 104 acres. The
plantation will give you the opportunity to see the methods of tapping
and processing of rubber at close quarters.
Afternoon visit to
the Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
The Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (also
commonly known as the Thattekad Sanctuary) is located in the
Kothamangalam Taluk of Ernakulam district on the northern bank of the
Periyar River. The sanctuary was notified in 1983 based on a
recommendation made by Dr. Salim Ali many years previously. Ali
described Thattekad in the 1930's as the richest bird habitat in
peninsular India, comparable only with the eastern Himalayas. Since
then much of the forest has been diverted to cultivation and teak and
mahogany plantation but what survives gives a glimpse of the
phenomenal bird diversity of the once widespread lowland forests of
Kerala.
DAY 03 KOTHAMANGALAM
Morning Birding at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
Cooking
class with Jose and Daisy in the afternoon
DAY 04 KOTHAMANGALAM THATTEKAD
BIRD SANCTUARY
Morning Birding at Salim Ali
Bird Sanctuary
Cooking class with Jose and Daisy in the afternoon
DAY 05 KOTHAMANGALAM
- THATTEKAD BIRD SANCTUARY
Morning Birding at Salim Ali
Bird Sanctuary
Cooking class with Jose and Daisy in the afternoon
DAY 06 KOTHAMANGALAM
Morning Birding at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
Cooking
class with Jose and Daisy in the afternoon
DAY 07 KOTHAMANGALAM
Morning Birding at Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
Cooking
class with Jose and Daisy in the afternoon
DAY 08 KOTHAMANGALAM
COCHIN
Drive to Cochin (03 hours)
Arrive Cochin and
check in at your hotel
Half day guided tour of Cochin
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.
Kathakali Dance show at evening
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.
Stay at Hotel Trident Hilton for tonight
The Taj Malabar is centrally
air-conditioned hotel. Each air-conditioned room is well appointed and
offers facilities like telephone, television and attached private
facilities. Other amenities include a swimming pool and an Ayurvedic
massage centre.
Location: Airport 5 kilometers: Ernakulam Railway Station
10 kilometers
Government
grading: Five-Star deluxe hotel
Our comments:
Five-star deluxe hotel A part of the prestigious Taj Group of Hotels
DAY 09 COCHIN
LONDON
Departure transfer to the airport to connect flight
to London via Dubai
END OF SERVICES
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