South India with Backwater River Cruise
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Duration14 Days
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Region
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Category
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Best Time
- September - April
Introduction
Far Horizon takes you on a journey through the heart of the Dravidian South. Visit the famous temples of South India with their elaborate carvings and architectural styles. Glide through the backwaters of Kerala – God's own country. The backwaters give you an opportunity to Experience the Living Cultures of Kerala at close quarters. The incredible festivals of the south, with gold caparisoned elephants and garishly decorated chariots moving in processions through the temple towns, complete the cultural experience. Visit the Periyar Sanctuary where you can see wildlife in its natural habitat. Walk through the Spice Plantations for a glimpse of the exotic spices used in Indian cooking. Kerala is known for its wonderful food, come enjoy the food and learn the secrets of this wonderful cuisine.
Tour Highlights
- Visit UNESCO World Heritage site in Mahabalipuram
- Visit the Silk weaving units in Kanchipuram
- Explore Pondicherry known as "The French Riviera of the East"
- Food trail in Pondicherry
- Bronze art work at Tanjore
- Grand temples of South India
- Nature walk and Bamboo Rafting in Periyar
- Cruising on the Kerala Backwaters
- Cooking class followed by Home hosted lunch in Cochin
- Kathakali Dance performance
Destinations Covered
Mahabalipuram
City of Seven PagodasPondicherry
The French Riviera of the EastPondicherry (also known as "Pondy", and now officially called Puducherry), is a city and capital of the Pondicherry union territory of Southern India. Though very small, Pondicherry was the largest French colony in India.
Thanjavur (Tanjore)
The Art Capital of South IndiaThanjavur properly situated in the Cauvery delta is the rice – bowl of Tami Nadu. A fertile land that was also fertile for art, architecture and culture. Here are the ochre foundation blocks of perhaps the most remarkable civilisation of Dravidian history, one of the few kingdoms to expand Hinduism beyond India, a bedrock for aesthetic styles that spread from Madurai to the Mekong.
Madurai
Athens of the EastOne of South India’s great temple towns, constructed in the form of a lotus, Madurai is famous for the awe-inspiring Sri Meenakshi Temple complex. It is an animated city packed with pilgrims, business-people, bullock carts and underemployed rickshaw drivers. It’s one of South India’s oldest cities and has been a center of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. A textile centre from way back, the city was also the setting for Mahatma Gandhi’s decision, in 1921, to wear nothing but khadi (homespun cloth), and tailors’ shops are everywhere in town.
Thekkady
Land of Spices and Periyar Tiger ReserveThekkady is home to lush landscape of spice plantations and tea gardens. Over twelve varieties of spices comprising ginger, garlic, cardamom, vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, tea, clove and nutmeg is cultivated in the blessed slopes of Western Ghats. These farms are an interesting place to visit. At these estates, tourists can enjoy blissful scenery, traditional lifestyle and the trade of these natural produces.
Alappuzha
Venice of the EastAlappuzha is the hub of Kerala's backwaters, home to a vast network of waterways, over a thousand houseboats and an important coir industry. Head out towards the backwaters and Alleppey becomes graceful and greenery-fringed, disappearing into a watery world of villages, punted canoes, toddy shops and, of course, houseboats.
Kochi
Queen of the Arabian SeaKochi (formerly Cochin) is a cosmopolitan city in the state of Kerala with a bustling commercial port. Kochi is the financial capital of Kerala and, with a population of more than 2 million, the biggest urban agglomeration in the state. It is one of the major tourist destinations in India.
Detailed Itinerary
- Day 1 Arrive Chennai & drive to Mahabalipuram
- Day 2 Mahabalipuram
- Day 3 Mahabalipuram – Pondicherry (approx. 2½ hours’ drive)
- Day 4 Pondicherry
- Day 5 Pondicherry – Chidambaram - Tanjore (approx. 6 hours’ drive)
- Day 6 Tanjore
- Day 7 Tanjore - Trichy – Madurai (approx. 6 hours’ drive)
- Day 8 Madurai
- Day 9 Madurai – Thekkady (approx. 5 hours’ drive)
- Day 10 Thekkady
- Day 11 Thekkady – Backwaters (approx. 4 hours’ drive)
- Day 12 Backwaters
- Day 13 Backwaters - Cochin (approx. 3 hours)
- Day 14 Departure