Destinations Covered: Thiruvananthapuram - Alleppey - Kumarakom - Periyar - Madurai - Thanjavur - Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram - Chennai.Tour Package Duration: 16 Nights / 17 Days
Day 01 - Thiruvananthapuram
Upon arrival you will be transferred to a beach resort by our representative. You will have rest of the day at leisure. Overnight stay will be at the resort.
Day 02 - Somatheeram
After breakfast you will go for a sightseeing tour of the Trivandrum city.
Day 03 - Somatheeram
Day free to relax at the wonderful tropical beach and you can also set out for fishing with local fishermen on traditional and later rejuvenate yourself with the much acclaimed Ayurveda treatment at the each resort.
Day 04 - Alleppey
Drive through the green coastal belt and cashew plantations and reach Alleppey - the central hub of the Kerala backwater network. Stay in a traditional Kerala house opening right over the Vembanad Lake and surrounded by banana plantations. You will have free time to relax with the option of herbal oil massage. You will also have the option of relishing the wonderful Kerala cuisine in ethnic way. Overnight stay will be at the houseboat.
Day 05 - Alleppey
On the fifth day of the Kerala backwaters tour you will get chance to closely watch backwaters lifestyle. You will visit coir-making factory, nearby temples and watch elephants bathing at the Elephant Rearing Center.
Day 06 - Kumarakom
Sail through the backwater canals and reach Kumarakom- an island with a beautiful bird-sanctuary and extremely serene atmosphere. Overnight stay will be at resort/hotel.
Day 07- Kumarakom
At Kumarakom you are at one of the most beautiful places in Kerala. You will have enough time to relax and explore around. Overnight stay will be at Kumarakom.
Day 08 - Periyar
You will be driven through rubber plantations over forested mountains and finally reach the Periyar National Park- one of the wonderful wildlife sanctuaries in India to see wild elephants. You will have the whole day free to explore on your own. Overnight stay will be at hotel.
Day 09 - Periyar
After breakfast you will visit the Periyar National Park on boat over the Periyar Lake where several wild animals congregate at different times. Overnight stay will be at hotel.
Day 10- Periyar- Madurai
It is time now to drive out of the Kerala hills and reach the Tamil Nadu plains - the Dravidian heartland. There, you can visit the Thirumal Nayaka Palace and the Meenakshi Sundereshwar temple which is synonymous with the city of Madurai. Overnight stay will be at Madurai hotel.
Day 11- Madurai - Thanjavur
On the eleventh day of the Kerala backwaters tour we will drivie down to the fertile rice growing plains of Cauvery via Tiruchirapally. At Trichy/Tiruchirapalli you will visit the Srirangam temple and then continue to the erstwhile Chola citadel of Tanjore, where you can explore the World heritage Brihadishvara temple. Overnight stay will be at Tanjore.
Day 12 - Thanjavur - Pondicherry
In the morning you will be driven to the erstwhile French colony, Pondicherry- the land of beautiful boulevards, gothic structures and quiet beache . You will have the rest of the day free to relax and unwind. Overnight stay will be at hotel in Pondicherry.
Day 13 - Pondicherry
In the morning we will take you on a boat trip to see dolphins. During the day you will visit the Auroville (city of dawn) - the famous center for spiritual learning and meditation, named after Guru Sri Aurobindo Ghosh. Overnight stay will be at Pondicherry.
Day 14 - Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram
In the morning we will drive you through the fertile Coromondal coastline and reach Mahabalipuram- famous for its shore temples and other monuments which are in a form of epic recreated on stone.
Day 15 - Chennai - Mahabalipuram
In the morning you can enjoy a walk over the seashore and explore the temples on own. Later we will drive towards Chennai and en route visit Dakshinchitra - an art and craft heritage center. During the day you will be free to move around in Chennai for shopping. We will also take you to one of the many famous auditoriums for live performance of Indian classical dances.
Day16 - Chennai
After breakfast you will take a sightseeing trip of the Chennai city. You will also visit Kalakshetra, the world famous cultural center founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale and Theosophical Society with its huge Banyan tree (Theosophical Society of India was founded by Dr Annie Besant).
Day 17- Chennai
It is time to head towards your next destination as we come to the end of the Kerala backwaters tour. Our representative will transfer you to airport/railway station for your onward journey.
