| Day |
Place |
Date/Time |
Services |
| 1 |
Chennai |
|
Arrive Chennai. Transfer to hotel.
Overnight |
| 2 |
Chennai |
Morning |
Breakfast at hotel
City tour of Chennai; Visit Fort St. George, completed in 1653 and today filled with reminders of the past, including St. Mary’s, the first church consecrated on Indian soil. The National Art Gallery has many excellent bronzes including the famous Chola period bronze Nataraja, the God Shiva, in the cosmic dance pose. The Government Museum (closed on Fridays) which contains sculpture and architecture produced by the Dravidian dynasties. Drive along the Marina, an elegant promenade and proceed to the old Indian section of Mylapore. Visit San Thome Basilica - the culmination of the enduring legend of Thomas Didymus, the apostle who doubted and who is believed to have lived and preached on Mylapore’s shores. |
| |
|
Afternoon |
Mahabalipuram is a beautiful beach resort which consists of a the tiny village by the sea in which all else is dwarfed by a dream world of awesome Tamil art, an open air museum of sculpture in living rock. The piece de resistance is Arjuna’s Penance or the Descent of the Ganga, the world’s largest bas-relief, 764 ft. by 288 ft. (27m by 9m). It is a beautiful composition of hundreds of celestial beings, human and animals all hurrying to a natural rock cleft that divides the giant stone. The best known landmark of Mahabalipuram, is the Shore Temple which has stood by the sea for 12 centuries. Its twin spires are pure poetry in granite. The other wonders of Mahablipuram are the mandapams, ratham. Each temple though incomplete, remains a gem. Also in this area are a magnificent elephant and an exquisite Nandi, the sacred bull.
Overnight |
| 3 |
Chennai |
|
Breakfast at hotel.
Transfer to railway station. |
| |
|
13:05 hrs |
Depart by Vaighai Express for Madurai |
| |
Madurai |
20:35 hrs |
Arrive Madurai. Transfer to hotel.
Overnight |
| 4 |
Madurai |
Morning |
Breakfast at hotel.
City tour of Madurai; The `Temple City’ was the capital of the Pandya kingdom but it was during the reign of the Nayaks (10th to the 18th century) that the magnificent Meenakshi Temple and other buildings were constructed. Visit the Madurai Temple, believed to have 33 million sculptures. The four corner gopurams are the most striking. The Meenakshi Nayakkar mandapam hall has 110 pillars and a lamp holder with 1,008 lamps which are lit on festive occasions. Visit the Palace of Thirumalai Nayak, the most famous king of the Nayak dynasty. It has a great audience hall, a three-sided pavilion and a courtyard. Some of the original apartments still remain and there is a museum in one of the halls. |
| |
|
Evening |
Night ceremony at Meenakshi temple
Overnight at hotel |
| 5 |
Madurai |
Morning |
Breakfast at hotel.
Leave by road for Periyar |
| |
Periyar |
|
Arrive & proceed to hotel.
Overnight |
| 6 |
Periyar |
Morning |
Breakfast at hotel Periyar is spread out over an area of 777 sq. km. in the Thekkady district, on the Tamil Nadu border. Take a boatride on the lake to view wild life and water birds.. Occasionally a few elephants and bison come to the lake. Spotted deer and sambhar are also found here.
Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at hotel |
| 7 |
Periyar |
|
Breakfast at hotel
Leave Periyar by road for Kumarakom |
| |
Kumarakom |
|
Arrive and proceed to hotel
Rest of the day at leisure.
Overnight at hotel |
| 8 |
Kumarakom |
Full day |
Breakfast at hotel
At leisure. Enjoy the facilities offered by the hotel on direct payment. Kumarakom, quaint little place on the backwaters of Kerala. It lies on the eastern shore of the Vembanad Lake which is a bird sanctuary. Water fowl, cuckoo and wild duck can be seen in abundance here.
In winter, large flocks of migratory wild duck from Siberia come in spectacular formation to roost. Kumarakom lies in a timeless world of gentle, unhurried activity. Lazy boatrides can be taken along the backwaters in a modified kettuvallom (rice boat) to peer into the simple lives of the people who live along the banks.
Overnight |
| 9 |
Kumarakom |
Morning |
Breakfast at hotel
Leave Kumarakom by road for Cochin. |
| |
Cochin |
Afternoon |
Arrive and proceed to hotel
Visit the Mattancherry Dutch Palace - (closed on Fridays and public holidays), which was built by the Portuguese in 1555 and renovated by the Dutch in 1663. In the ancient rooms are 17th century murals that relate in vibrant colour the story of the epic Ramayana. Visit a Jewish Synagogue - open 10.00 to 12.00 hrs. & 15.00 to 17.00 hrs.(closed on all Saturdays and Jewish holidays) in Jew Town and Fort Cochin Area Legend dates Jewish trade with Kerala from the times of King Solomon. There are a couple of streets of picture-postcard houses out of another age, in 17th century Dutch and traditional Kerala styles. Visit St. Francis Church - open from 09.00 to 13.00 hrs. and 14.30 to 17.30 hrs.(closed for visitors on Sundays from 08.00 to 11.00 hrs.) the oldest European Church in India. It has several antiquities including a wealth of records. See the Chinese Fishing Nets, unique to this part of Kerala and living symbols of a centuries-old Chinese influence on this coast.
Overnight |
| 10 |
Cochin |
|
Breakfast at hotel
Transfer to airport
Depart for onward destination. |
| END OF SERVICES |
