Explore The Multi Cultural Heritage Of Southern India (20 days)

Arrive Cochin. You are met after you clear customs and immigration formalities and you are transferred to your private palace, your home for the next three nights

COCHIN

Kochi, better known as Cochin is Kerala’s most cosmopolitan city. It was the main trading centre for spices and seafood, the town is in fact a collection of narrow islands. Whilst the more modern Ernakulum boasts restaurants, new built modern shopping smalls and commercial complexes, the Mattancherri and Fort Cochin area is still traditional and retains much of its original architecture and old world charm. The area is a blend of Dutch, Portuguese and British architecture, narrow streets crowded with spice shops, galleries and cafes’ and the Jewish synagogue, the oldest in India. The architecture and cuisine reflects the influences of the many traders who came and visited and ultimately settled.

The morning is at leisure to recover from your flight and you can enjoy the privacy of your private palace with a spa treatment or enjoy the serenity of the views over the waters.

In the afternoon you can explore the heritage zone where your hotel is located. You can stop at art galleries and the walking tour will introduce you to the historical and cultural diversity of the area. You will walk along the sea front where local families gather. The area is lined with vendors selling food, brightly colored drinks, plastic toys and even wigs. It is a great panorama of life in the city.

Today you will take a tour of Fort Cochin. You stop at the dhobi Ghats (open air laundries), temples, churches, mosques and the beach. You continue past spice warehouses, the air rich with the smell of dried ginger, cardamom and pepper. This area is very diverse, home to a variety of communities. The architectural differences of the houses, dress and language are some of the aspects the guides will talk about and how these communities came to be associated with the area. You can do this either as a biking tour or driving/walking tour

You will visit the area still referred to as Jew Town. The narrow lanes a mass of antique and souvenir shops, leading to the main attraction of the area – the Pardesi Synagogue, amongst the oldest in India, the interiors are decorated with blue tiles imported from China.

cYou will stop at the Mattancherri Palace which was commissioned by the Portuguese for the Raja of Kochi in exchange for trading rights. The palace is two storey’s high and is built in the traditional Kerala style known as “nalukattu” (four buildings around a central courtyard). Made of wood and richly carved, the palace exhibits memorabilia from the Raja of Kochi’s collection, but it is best known for its outstanding murals painted on the walls. Fast fading, one can still see some of these excellent 16th century paintings illustrating episodes from the great Indian epic – The Ramayana.

You will depart today for a place little known by most visitors – Quiet by the River lies on the edge of a forest rich in flora and fauna. The lodge is arrived at traveling by Canoe on the Periyar River. You spend the next day and a half exploring this natural wonderland with your guide. You may just spot an elephant, and the birdlife is superb. You have the luxury of planning your own day, dining on delicious local home cooked cuisine and enjoying the quiet of nature

Same as Days 04

Your travels take you to the tea plantations lying on the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. A four and half hour drive takes you to the misty mountains, thick forests, hills covered in a quilt of tea plantations, deep valleys and sparkling streams and waterfalls. Munnar has a beauty and a charm that is unsurpassed in any southern hill station. It is a place where you open your eyes to birdsong. In the early morning with the mist covering the higher ranges, it has a surreal beauty.

You will stay at the four bedroom Talyar Bungalow located in the heart of a working plantation with stunning views over the forested valley and the Nilgiri hills.

Today you will drive to Talyar, a private tea estate, located in one of the most stunningly beautiful areas of Munnar. Here you will take a tour of the garden, walking down to the factory, learning to pick your own tea and most of all “making your own tea”. Later you will sit in the gardens overlooking stunning views. Later in the evening you take a walk through the surrounding wilderness taking in the wonderful scenery of the Nilgiri hills.

You depart after a leisurely breakfast and you drive to the famous Kerala backwaters. Tonight you can stay either in the elegant and very private two bedroom Vismaya with stunning views over Vembanad Lake

Today you will explore the famous Kerala backwaters today traveling the very narrow channels where no tourist visits. You will do this tour in a Shikara, or small boat. This is an interactive tour and you will stop at small villages and where you join fisherman throwing out nets to catch fish; women making thatch roofs and weaving mats; watch a toddy tapper who gathers the sap from the flower of the tree to make a local alcoholic drink, try making coir ropes and all the while interacting with the simple and very friendly who make the lives along these waters

After the tour you board a houseboat for a leisurely journey along the waters. Lunch and beverages will be served on board and you will disembark at sunset and return to your hotel

After lunch you transfer to Cochin airport and you will depart for Chennai. On arrival you stay overnight at the Trident close to the airport

After breakfast you will drive to the Indian Ocean and the UNESCO site of Mahaballipuram. Mamallapuram as it is known today is an extraordinary experience. This open-air museum of Tamil art in living rock is the work of students under the patronage of the Pallava rulers. Strewn along the coast are some outstanding examples of 7th century sculpture – cave temples, an enormous bas-relief depicting scenes from the Indian epic the Mahabharata, and an amphitheater of chariot shaped temples.

The landmark of this marvelous collection is the Shore Temple, a world heritage monument, and the only surviving one from a complex, the other’s having been claimed by the sea.

You continue to Pondicherry enroute after having lunch at a Taj Fisherman’s Cove.

Pondicherry served as the capital for the French territories in India and was established in the 17th century. Pondicherry has three distinct sections: The French quarters which runs along the Bay of Bengal has elegant colonial mansions, parks, bars and cafes. The Tamil quarters where the local population lived is demarcated by a now dry canal.

The third section is the Ashram which dominates the town. Founded in 1926 by Sri Aurobindo, who came to Pondicherry to escape being imprisoned by the British, he was drawn by its spiritual atmosphere. He established an Ashram here along with his disciple Mirra Alfassa who was later known as The Mother. Today this international commune encourages and helps local develop and sell handicraft, and the craft from Pondicherry is much sought after throughout India.

After breakfast you will travel today to the village of Veppathur (4 hours drive). Lying at the edge of the area which houses some magnificent temples, you will stay at Mantra Veppathur which incorporates the architecture of the nearby Chettiar area, which is a tribute to the region’s history and culture.

Kumbakonam lies in the rich delta of the Kaveri River, and o one of the mornings you will visit the farmlands and paddy fields and small hamlets of the area. The area is richly tropical with lush vegetations.

You will explore the great temples of Tamil Nadu and the local villages to see the rich heritage of craft many of them indigenous to this region. The days are a blend of art, craft and architecture.

You will drive Trichy airport and you will depart for Bangalore. On arrival you transfer to the departure terminal for your flight to Hampi.

It is a 45 minute drive to Hampi from the airport

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the fabled city of Hampi sprawls across a spectacular barren boulder strewn landscape. This city served as the capital for three generations of Hindu rulers for more than 200 years, and reached its zenith between 1510 AD and 1542 AD.

You spend the day exploring Hampi starting at the ruins of what was the urban core and includes the remains of the royal palaces and temples and ending at sunset at the Sacred Centre. The high point is the Vithala Temple which represents the epitome of Vijaynagar art and architecture. Throughout the area are strewn ruins of colonnaded bazaars, remains of temples and palaces, the intricate and skilful carvings still visible, and the spectacular stepwell. It is a fascinating day of exploring a rich history through some magnificent architecture.

Your path will take you to the Hemkuta Hill which reveals a rich collection of pre Vijaynagara temples and remains of statues. You visit the Virupaksha Temple and time permitting continue to the exquisite Krishna temple.

You will also visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of Pattadakal – temples which are both in the North Indian and South Indian styles is the climax to the artistic achievements of the Chalukya Kings. This was the site for royal processions and coronation ceremonies. Nearby the ancient town of Aihole, enclosed by fortification within which lie ancient sandstone temples of varying styles, the most striking being the Durga Temple

You continue to the 6th and 7th century capital city of the Chalukya Kings – Badami. Most of Badamis’ temples are situated on the imposing cliff, with four of the caves being the most impressive. Cave 1 is dedicated to Shiva and has the striking 12 armed dancing Shiva, one of the earliest and finest depictions of the Nataraja in Karnataka. Cave 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishu with superb friezes, included a magnificent four armed figure of Vishu. The last cave is simple and belonged to the Jains.

Tonight you stay at the simple but clean Badami Court

You may like to wake up early for a stunning view of the caves at sunrise, the red sandstone reflecting the light of the rising sun.

You depart for two days of R&R at Gokarna, five hours from Badami, Gokarna is where the hippies first came in the 70’s before they discovered Goa. Today the area is unspoilt, far from the crowds and the only intruders in the ocean are pods of dolphins and fisherman. You will stay at the lovely Kahani Paradise, a grand pan Asian style villa built by a British Family who visited this area and fell in love with it.

With a feel of staying in a grand home rather than a hotel, you can spend these two days enjoying the property (just six villas) with its quirky touches such as a Nagamese reclaimed boat used as a coffee table and giant Gujarati horses. You can lie by the pool shaded by palm trees, use the holistic spa or take a boat out and swim in sea. You will often see pods of dolphins which are common in this area

Same as Days 18

You drive three hours to Goa airport and connect with a flight to Mumbai where you are assisted with checking in for your onward flight