Classic South India

Arrival

Arrive at Chennai and drive through Chennai city to Mamallapuram ( 56 kms ). In the 7th century, Mamallapuram was a port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas and is believed to have been named after the Pallava King Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and 9th centuries and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Exploring sights of Mammallapuram

Today we visit the important monuments; Thirukadalmallai; Varaha Cave Temple – a small rock-cut temple dating back to the 7th century; Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) – five monolithic pyramidal structures named after the Pandavas (Arjuna, Bhima, Yudhishtra, Nakula and Sahadeva) and Draupadi. An interesting aspect of the rathas is that, despite their sizes they were not built rather each of these was carved from one single large piece of stone.

Drive to Puducherry via Mallapuram

Drive to Puducherry via Mallapuram – (140 kms) Morning drive to Puducherry, late afternoon visit to Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

Drive to Thanjavur (Tanjore)

Drive to Thanjavur (Tanjore) – ( 180 kms), en route we visit the ancient temples at Chidambaram and Kumbakonam. In the afternoon, we visit the famous Brahadeeswara Temple, (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) built by Rajaraja Chola, the first sailor King of India.

Karaikudi

After breakfast we leave for Karaikudi (140 kms), visiting en route the Rock Fort and Srirangam temples at Tiruchirapalli . This city, commonly known as Trichy and formerly also pronounced as Trichinopoly (under British rule), is the fourth largest city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (after Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai). It is home to many historic temples, monuments, churches and mosques.

Visit artisan’s workshops

Today consists of a walk to visit artisan’s workshops, admiring the splendid architecture of the mansions reflecting the opulence of a bygone era. Learn about the unique art of making Athangudi, manufactured in the nearby village of Athangudi, of sand, water, cement and pigments to form simple but unique patterns. tiles. Additionaly, we take a visit to Karaikudi and the surrounding villages.

Drive to Madurai

Drive to Madurai (92 kms), the second largest city in Tamil Nadu, after Chennai. Madurai, at over 2,500 years, is one of the oldest cities in India, a land so soaked in history that every sculpture in every temple tells a story. A city with marvellous monuments, places of worship and a fine blend of tradition and modernity. In the afternoon: we visit the Thirumalai Nayak Palace and the Sree Meenakshi temple

Thekkady - Periyar National Park

Thekkady - Periyar National Park is an important tourist attraction in Kerala. It is home to herds of elephants, samber, tigers, gaur, lion-tailed Macaques and Nilgiri Langurs.

Bird watching at Lake Periyar

Early in the morning, we take a short stroll near the lake to observe some of the birds. Later in the day we drive to Kochi

Kochi

Kochi is one of the principal seaports of the country and is located in the district of Ernakulam. Occupied by the Portuguese in 1503, Kochi was the site of the first European colonial settlement in India. It remained the capital of Portuguese India until 1530, when Goa became the capital. The city was later occupied by the Dutch, the Mysore and the British. Kochi was the first princely state to willingly join the Indian Union, when India gained independence in 1947. Today we will have a guided tour of Kochi city, visiting the Dutch Palace, Jewish Synagogue , St. Francis Church.

Backwaters

We head to Alappuzha town (also known as Alleppey) is considered to be the oldest planned town in this region and the lighthouse built on the coast of the town is the first of its kind along the Arabian coast. A town with picturesque canals, backwaters, beaches, and lagoons, it was described as the "Venice of the East" by Lord Curzon. The Backwaters of Alappuzha are the most popular tourist attraction in Kerala. A houseboat cruise in these backwaters is a delightful experience. We will board our private Deluxe Houseboat to explore the Kerala backwaters

Arabian Sea

After breakfast, we arrive at Alappuzha Jetty, and drive to Kovalam a quaint beach town on the Arabian Sea.

Kovalam

Kovalam is an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. It has been a favourite haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. Besides the scenic beauty of the place, the numerous beach activities in Kovalam are a major attraction of this beautiful beach on the Arabian Sea.

Departure

Transfer to the Trivandrum Airport