Kerala Leisure Tour
Duration: 15 Nights / 16 Days
Places Covered: Chennai - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry - Tanjore - Madurai - Kanyakumari - Kovalam - Alleppey - Cochin
Day 01: Arrival at Chennai
On arrival at Chennai Airport, you will be met by our representative who will take you to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day relaxing at the hotel or taking a tour of the capital of Tamil Nadu.
Day 02: Chennai- Mahabalipuram
You will be taken to Mahabalipuram via Dakshinachitra Cultural center, where you will be introduced to the arts, culture and crafts of Tamil Nadu. After reaching Mahabalipuram, you will be checked into a luxury hotel. Spend the day relaxing after your long journey. Visit the golden beaches of Mahabalipuram, or take in its many temples and heritage buildings.
Day 03: Mahabalipuram
Take a tour of Mahabalipuram's massive temples, each carved out of a single stone. Mahabalipuram is famous for its rock cut temples and "rathas", or chariots. Arjuna's Penance is a massive ratha, and it is hard to believe it was cut out from a single rock. Visit the tall Shore Temple, towering over Mahabalipuram's landscape.
Day 04: Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry
Drive to Pondicherry after breakfast. Visit the world famous Aurobindo Ashram, founded by Shree Aurobindo, the great humanitarian philosopher who wanted to build a model town for people from all religious, social and cultural backgrounds.
Day 05: Pondicherry
Once colonized by the French, the older parts of Pondicherry still have signboards written in French. Visit the model settlement Auroville, based on the philosophy of Shree Aurobindo.
Day 06: Pondicherry- Tanjore
Drive to the cultural capital Tanjore, famous for its temples and paintings. The route to Tanjore passes through Chidambaram, site of the famed Nataraja Temple; and Kumbakonam, famous for well over 30 large and small temples and monasteries in an around it. You will be booked into a luxury resort at Tanjore, with a magnificent view of a river and forests.
Day 07: Tanjore- Trichy
In the morning, go for a guided tour of the city. Visit the Brihadeshwara temple, with its elaborately carved gopurams, or pillars. After returning to your hotel, freshen up and have lunch. After lunch, leave for Trichy, 2 hours' away by road. After reaching Trichy, book into a hotel for the night.
Day 08: Trichy- Madurai
The morning will be spent in taking a tour of Trichy. The Sri Rangaswamy Temple of Trichy is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. After lunch at your hotel, you will be taken to Madurai, famed as the site of the Meenakshi Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati. Check into a hotel in Madurai for the night.
Day 09: Madurai
Spend the day touring this temple city. The Meenakshi temple attracts thousands of pilgrims from all over India and overseas. Its stone pillars and walls are carved with images of deities, divinities and animals. Also on the itinerary, is a visit to the Gandhi Museum, housing artifacts that once belonged to Mahatma Gandhi, the Apostle of Peace. The Tirumalai Nayak palace is the residence of the erstwhile Maharaja of Madurai, and designed by an Italian architect.
Day 10: Madurai- Kanyakumari
In the morning, drive to Kanyakumari, the southernmost point of India. The Vivekananda Rock juts out a little into the ocean. Also visit the temple where Swamy Ramakrishna Paramhansa, one of the great Hindu saints, found enlightenment. Later, check into a hotel for the night.
Day 11: Kanyakumari- Kovalam
Visit the Kovalam beaches after breakfast. After arriving at Kovalam, book into a hotel. Spend the rest of the day relaxing on the sandy beaches or undergoing Ayurvedic herbal baths and massage at your resort.
Day 12: Kovalam
Spend the day at your beach resort. Take a leisurely walk on the beach, or swim in the blue sea.
Day 13: Houseboat Cruise
After breakfast, you will be put on board a luxury houseboat that will be your home for the next 24 hours. Watch the clear lagoons, the fishing hamlets and the rice boats of Kerala go by as your houseboat gently cruises through the backwaters of Kerala. Dine on delicious traditional Kerala cuisine aboard the houseboat.
Day 14: Disembark at Alleppey
After disembarking at Alleppey, you will be taken to the Alleppey Beach, where you will book into a beach resort. After lunch, tour the places of interest in Alleppey, its beautiful lakes and palm groves. Stay for the night in Alleppey.
Day 15: Alleppey- Cochin
After breakfast, leave for Cochin, 2 hours away. After reaching Cochin, visit the old St. Francis Church, the Mattancherry Palace, the Dutch Palace and the Jewish Synagogue. Later, you will leave for Cochin Airport from where you will take a flight for back home.
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