Southern Retreat

13 Nights 14 Days

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Cities : Chennai, Cochin, Kanchipuram, Karaikudi, Kumarakom, Madurai, Mahabalipuram, Munnar, Pondicherry, Thanjavur, Trichy

Day 1

Chennai: Arrive at Chennai. You will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel. Formerly known as Madras, the city of Chennai is nourished by its rich traditions… classical music, architecture, art and dance form an indigenous part of the citys identity. Overnight in Chennai.

Day 2

Mahabalipuram: Drive to Mahabalipuram (60 Kms / 1 hrs 30 mins). En-route visit Kanchipuram, the Golden City of a Thousand Temples. Arrive Mahabalipuram and check into your hotel. Later, visit the temple complex. Mahaballipuram was the main port of the Pallava Dynasty from 5th to 9th century. Today it has been declared a world heritage site by UNESCO, boasting some of Indias most sublime rock-cut art. Overnight in Mahabalipuram.

Day 3

Pondicherry: Drive to Pondicherry (100 Kms / 2 hrs 30 mins). The city is referred as the ‘Quintessence of French Culture’. Arrive Pondicherry and check in to your hotel. Later, visit the Shri Aurobindo Ashram. The nearby Auroville is a universal township for a population of up to 50,000 people from around the world. . Later, take a rickshaw ride through the Tamil and French colonies and local markets. Overnight in Pondicherry.

Day 4

Tanjore: Drive to Tanjore (187 Kms / 5 hrs). En- route visit the famous 9th century Shiva Temple at Chidambaram - one of the most ancient and most celebrated shrines in India. Arrive in Tanjore and check in to your hotel. Later, proceed for tour of Tanjore. The Brihadeshwara temple has a gigantic lingam cut in a monolithic rock is about 8.7mtrs height. Continue your tour with a visit to Tanjore Palace & Museum. Overnight in Tanjore.

Day 5

Tanjore - Trichy : Drive to Trichy (60 Kms / 1 hrs 30 min).Proceed to visit the Rock Fort Temple, a spectacular monument perched on a massive rocky out crop which rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. Visit Thiruvanaikkaval, which is one of the most revered temples to Shiva sanctum. Later, drive back to Tanjore. Overnight in Tanjore.

Day 6

Karaikudi : Drive to Karaikudi (100 Kms / 2 hrs 30 mins). Arrive Kairakudi and check in to your hotel. Later, visit a typical Chettinad village, and see some of the local temples to appreciate the culture and architecture. Overnight in Karalkudi.

Day 7

Madurai: Drive to Madurai (100 Kms / 2 hrs 30 mins). Arrive Madurai and check in to your hotel. Later, visit the Meenakshi Temple- the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old city of Madurai. Continue to the Palace of Tirumalai Nayak, an Indo-Saracenic building constructed in 1523. The Swarga Vilasam, which served as the audience hall, features a dome that rises to a height of 20m without support of any kind. In the evening, re-visit the Meenakshi Temple to witness the evening prayer ceremony at the temple. Overnight in Madurai.

Day 8

Munnar: Drive to Munnar (170 Kms / 5 Hrs) hills situated at an altitude of 5000 to 8000 Ft above sea level and are situated at the confluence of three mountain streams Arrive Munnar and check in to your hotel. Overnight in Munnar.

Day 9

Munnar: Day at leisure to walk around the tea plantations, enjoy small treks and savour the beauty of this lovely tea town. Overnight in Munnar.

Day 10

Kochi: Drive to Kochi (150 Kms / 4 hrs 30 mins) Kochi (colonial name Cochin) is a vibrant city, also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala. Arrive Kochi and check in to your hotel. In the evening, witness a Kathakali dance performance. The most spectacular form of dance- drama in India, the origins of Kathakali go back 500 years. Overnight in Cochin.

Day 11

Kochi: DProceed for a half day tour of Kochi. Visit Fort Kochi… walks to the church of St Francis, the oldest European-built church in the country. Also explore the 282-year-old Dutch Cemetery in Fort Kochi. Continue your tour with a visit to Mattancherry, where you will visit the historic synagogue in the Jewish Quarter, built over 400 years ago. Thereafter, drive past the amazing Chinese Fishing Nets, strung out along the tip of the peninsula Overnight in Kochi.

Day 12

Kumarakom: Drive to Kumarakom (110 Kms / 2hrs 30 mins) Arrive Kumarakom and check into your hotel/ houseboat. Kumarakom is Kerala’s Venice of the East… a heartland of lagoons and mangrove fields, inter-linked with hundreds of narrow winding canals, Overnight in Kumarakaom.

Day 13

Kumarakom: Morning at leisure. After lunch, the boat will take you to through the backwaters to Alleppey. Enjoy the spectacle of the vast paddy fields that surround these beautiful backwaters. The boat will stop in villages for you to experience a glimpse of the village life in rural Kerala. The villagers will be happy to invite you to sip a freshly picked raw coconut from their own fields. Overnight in Kumarakom.

Day 14

Onwards: Drive to Kochi Airport (110kms/ 2hrs 30 mins) for your onward destination.

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