Path Finder

It is a Unique package with all attractions as your choice.You can select  whatever you like from this lot.

                       KERALA@ YOUR FINGER TIPS

This is one of the rarest  packages IDT has designed in its entire period of operation.We are sure that no other Tour operator took such a chance to Deliver the best to its clints with out any compromise on his Desire!
Now the Main speciality of this Kerala package is the optional selection of  programmes  by the Guests themselves.Usually we ,Tour operators present a package with fixed Tours & cruises to the Guests and they accept it.Here we present all options available in the all the popular destinations of Kerala and the Guest can select what they want!...with out any extra cost!
By this opportunity the Guests will be much Happy as a reslt of getting the product exactly he wants/wish.
All the best for a Happy Tour to  KERALA

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Assuming that You prefer to Reach Cochin as Gateway  for this Wonderful Kerala Tour.

Day 1 & Day2

Welcome to Cochin

Our Representative will receive you at the Airport/Railwaystation. With in 45 Minutes you can check into theHotel.
During these TWO days you can
1.Undergo a Boat Tour to see the Destinations of Cochin covering Mattanchery & Fort Cochin(3 Hrs-Half Day)
2.Go for a Country craft canal cruise to see the village life of Kerala(3 Hrs-Half Day)
3.Enjoy a Kathakali Programme in an Amphi Theatre(Evening only)
4.Enjoy a Gastronomy Tour where you can go to a traditional House ,see how kerala traditional food is prepared,then enjoy a Lunch or Dinner from there(3 Hrs-Half Day)
5.Enjoy a Kalaripayattu Demonstration Programme (Kalaripayattu is the Traditional Martial Art of Kerala-Evening only)
6.Enjoy a Day trip to Guruvayoor Temple (Full Day Programme)
7.Visit to Kerala Kalamandalam -the pioneer art centre of kerala to see the majestic 'A Day with Masters 'progranmme(Full day)
(CHOOSE ANY OF THE 4 PROGRAMMES AT YOUR DISCRETION)

Day 3 & Day 4

Welcome to Periyar

We can depart from Cochin in the Morning & Reach Periyar by noon.With in 1/1/2 Days You can enjoy a Maximum of 3-4 Programmes.Choose it from Below
1.Boating through Periyar(One time)
2.Spice plantation Tour with Guide(Half Day)
3.Bullock Cart Safari(Half Day)
4.Pachyderm Moments (Elephant safari & Spend time with Elepant,its bathing etc)-Half Day
5.Jungle safari(Half day)
6. Rive rrafting through periyar (Half Day)
7.Night trekking(Night programme)
8.Tribal Visit(Half Day)
(CHOOSE ANY OF THE 4 PROGRAMMES AT YOUR DISCRETION)

Day 5  Day 6

Backwater Resort Stay & houseboat Cruise

From Periyar you can move on to the Famous Backwater Destination of Kerala-either kumarakom/alleppey.You can reach the Destination in 3-4 Hrs.from Periyar.
The options are
1.You can stay one night in a Kumarakom Backwater Resort/Alleppey Backwater Resort(Deluxe class/First class Resort) & then on the next Day
You can enjoy a Houseboat Cruise cum night stay (A/C /Non A/C  Houseboat) either from Alleppey to Kumarakom or Kumarakom to Alleppey or Alleppey Round or Kumarakom Round.
2.Two Nights stay in a Kumarakom Backwater Resort.
3.Two Nights stay in a Alleppey Backwater Resort.
4.Two Day Cruise & 2nights cruise in a Houiseboat from Kumarakom top Alleppey or Alleppey to Kumarakom

(CHOOSE ANY ONE OF THE PROGRAMMES AT YOUR DISCRETION)
After Enjoing the Backwater Destination you can return Home either  from Cochin or Trivandrum.Cochin is just 1-1.30 Hrs from Alleppey/Kumarakom,but Trivandrum is 4 Hrs drive.

                               BASIC TOUR ENDS HERE!

If you want to extend the  holidays  in Kerala by incorporating the Hill station or Beach ,the following Addon Tours for MUNNAR HILL STATION or KOVALAM BEACH or both of them can be chosen.

ADD ON-1(02 Nights)
Munnar Hillstation Visit

On Day 3 you go to munnar from Cochin(3 Hrs) or On Day 5 You can go to Munnar from Periyar (3.30 Hrs) or on Day 7 You can go to Munnar from Kumarakom/Alleppey (3.30 Hrs from Kumarakom & 4.30 Hrs from Alleppey).
Options are
1.Eravikulam NationaL PARK Visit to see wild goat Nilgiri Tahr(Half Day)
2.Mattupetty Dam Visit(Half Day)
3.Top station visit which is the highest point in Munnar (Half day)
4.Visit to Marayoor-The destination famous for Sandal wood forests
5.Visit to Tea Museum run by TATA
(CHOOSE ANY OF THE 4 OPTIONS AT YOUR DISCRETION)

ADDON 2

kovalam-kanyakumari visit(02 Nights)

You can start the Journey from here by reaching Trivandrum international Airport.Kovalam beach  is 13 KMs away from trivandrum.Other vise on Day 7 you can proceed to Kovalam from Kumarakom/Alleppey (4 Hrs) and also depart from Trivandrum Airport.
Options are
1.Fullday Kanyakumari Tour covering Padmanabha puram palace,Vivekananda Memmorial rock & unforgettable SUNSET at Land's end!
2.Half Day Trivandrum City Tour covering Museums & palaces.
3.Day tour to Ponmudi Hill resort(small hill resort at the outskirts of Trivandrum with 16 Hairpin curves)
4.Day Tour to Varkala Beach
(CHOOSE ANY OF THE 3 OPTIONS AT YOUR DISCRETION)

  PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Accommodation

1.Accommodation on Twin share in the following Hotels and resorts (Deluxe means 5 star or Luxury Heritage and First class means 3 star or eqv.)

Transport

-The Vehicle will be with the guests through out the Tour(Except for the beach holidays at Kovalam). They can make it use round the Clock if needed.
- Well experienced English speaking Driver cum Guide will be appointed for the Tour. who can also act as an Escort.
-One Driver, One Vehicle for the entire Tour .If there is no Land journey break in the Tour, the same Driver & Vehicle will be with the guests for the entire journey.
Mobile communication facility with the Driver can be used by the guests to communicate with our office as and when needed.

Food

In all Hotels & Resorts Food will be on Bed & Breakfast Basis ( CP) unless specified .But as  Houseboat is included in the Tour,three times Meals will be served onboard as there is no chance to get Food from elsewhere.
The Guests have to specify the Type of Food they need before they check into the Houseboat.

Tours & Cruises

Tour optins as given above included.

Others

Included
Entry Fees,  Service & other Taxes, Toll Charges ,Bata & Night halting Charges ,Local Guides at Selected locations
Not Included
Airport tax, Air fares, Food cost other than specified, Phone call charges & other personnel expenses of the Guests.

                            Package Price per person in USD & INR

             (Valid from 1st May 2008 to 30th sept 2008)

Munnar Add On Cost(02 Nights) (All inclusive)

Kovalm Add on cost(02 Nights)(All inclusive)

                  Package Price per person in USD & INR

(Valid from 1st October 2008 to 30th April 2009 except 15th Dec 2008 to 15th Jan 2009)

Munnar Add On Cost(02 Nights) (All inclusive)

Kovalm Add on cost(02 Nights)(All inclusive)

                             TOUR  ILLUSTRATIONS

Sightseeing is the integral Part any Tour Programme.Common sightseeing progrmmes are offered by all but those who wish to explore something More from each Destination,then we are the only  pathfinders. Some Exclusive Tour programmes offered by India Destination Tours will be an add on gift for our Guests.

          COCHIN  SIGHTSEEING THROUGH BACKWATERS

Exclusively for you a guided double decker Tourist boat tour in and around Cochin will be a rare experience for you.. This is possible because our sights are all accessible by water.

See the historic Dutch Palace - actually built by the Portuguese! Learn first hand the story behind the irony.

We also make a stopover at the only Jewish Synagogue in India at Mattancherry. Built in 1568, the Portuguese destroyed this shrine in 1662. Within two years, the Dutch rebuilt it. Quite an eventful past, isn't it?

Later, at Fort Cochin, marvel at the historic St. Francis Church - the oldest church constructed by the Europeans in India.

Reach back mainland Cochin by evening. The rest of the day is free for you to relax or to venture out on your own to watch the city by night.

            COUNTRY CRAFT CANAL CRUISE AT COCHIN

an unusual detour - country craft canal cruise through the narrow canals of Cochin  to experience the unhurried pace of life in rural Kerala.Through the Coconut plantations,Coir Villages and Duck farming centres ,you will become a true Keralite atleast for the Day!

Itinerary : Visit coir village & traditional coir making. A rare chance to see spices like pepper, coffee, cahewnut, coca, pineapple, nutmeg, beatlenut etc. Watch birds like kingfisher, woodpecker, drongo, egrets, bee-eaters etc.

Village Walk : 15 minutes walk around the village under coconut palm trees. Also watch traditional coconut plucking                                   

Refreshment : Fresh tender coconut juice

                            GASTRONOMY TOUR AT COCHIN

                   (KERALA COOKERY PRESENTATION)

Here is an opportunity to learn Traditional Kerala Cookery and Sample Authentic Home Cooked Food.We provide an opportunity for you to

Spend half  Day with the famous Cookery specialist Mrs. Nimmy paul and her Husband Paul and enjoy cooking Kerala cusines in a traditional way.You can taste the Lunch prepared by you and can get a knowledge about how the south Indian dishes becme more delicious & tasty!

                             A DAY WITH THE MASTERS

A Day with the Masters"is a unique tourism experience based on the cultural wealth of Kerala. "A Day with the Masters" is a structured visit to the Kerala Kalamandalam, the premier cultural institution in the state. The salient features of the product are as follows:

-An Audiovisual Presentation on the Kalamandalam and the performing ArtsofKerala

- Presentation of the 'Koothambalam', the temple theatre

-A detailed guided tour of 10 to 15 'kalaris' (training classes), featuring Kathakali  - acting, music, make up and 'cholliyattam'; dance classes of Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi; Koodiyattam and Koothu; percussion instruments like Chenda, Maddalam, Mridangam, Mizhavu, Thimila; Ottanthullal; Carnatic music; Cholliyattam etc.

-A presentation on the mural painting - "nrittyolpathi", the origin of dance

-Visit to the costume gallery where the dresses, head gear and jewellery are displayed

-Visit to the Old Kalamandalam campus, on the banks of the river Nila

-Traditional Kerala lunch at a nearby resort

                         RIVER RAFTING AT PERIYAR

This is a dawn to dusk range hiking and rafting programme through some of the richest forest tracts of Periyar Tiger Reserve. Starting at 8 am from the boat landing, a mosaic of habitats will be traversed before the party gets into rafts made of bamboos.

The forests are rich in bird life and arboreal animals like giant squirrel and Nilgiri langur. The rafting is for about three hours and one gets a panoramic view of forest-clad hills reflected on the lake. Animals like elephant, gaur and sambar are sighted keeping close to the edges of the lake.

The team hitchhikes back to the boat landing by about 5 pm. An armed guard and 4 guides will accompany a maximum of 10 tourists. Tea, snacks and packed lunch will be served enroute

          BULLOCK  CART SAFARI AT THEKKADY

Visit the farmlands of a village hidden in the valley behind the mountains of Periyar Tiger Reserve in a bullock cart.

The village is rich in bird diversity (New explorations for a serious bird watcher, also wonderful beginning for a novice)

With vineyards, diverse agricultural crops of mangoes, tamarind, onions, sunflower, jasmine and a score of other vegetables, the village will take your breath away when the guides start to interpret how farming has woven delicately with the culture and the life of the natives.

To feel the slow pace of the village life, to be part of the innocence, to take away you between cock and stick fights, to quench the thirst with the nectar from tender coconuts.

Conducted by a group of people who were encaged in sandalwood smuggling, later surrendered before the Forest Department .The profit from this programme goes to rehabilitate this group of people.

The programme starts at 6 am in the morning and at 2.30 pm in the afternoon and is a half -day package.

                  PERIYAR TIGER TRAIL AT PERIYAR

The programme is unique in being conducted by a team of poachers who turned protectors of the forests. The team members are hardy and dependable with an intimate knowledge of the forest terrain. The programmes are 1 night/2 days and 2 nights/3 days. The first day's trek starts at 12 noon and ends by noon in the second or third day. The team consists of a maximum of 5 visitors, 5 guides and 2 forest officials. Normally 20 to 35 kms. of trekking distance will be covered, depending on the route chosen.

Here, one may chance to encounter much indigenous wildlife like Nilgiri langur, giant squirrel, elephant and who knows, even the tiger! The trek route passes through hills and valleys with a variety of tropical plants and wide-open spaces. Enroute vegetarian meals will be prepared and served and country tents will be pitched for holing up in the night. Trekking groups are accompanied by armed forest guards with good communication equipments, and geared to face any emergency situation. Remember to listen to unusual and strange adventure stories of the former poachers, now your guides and protectors of the forests.

Visitors who are medically fit and aged between 15 - 65 are advised to take the tiger trail. Visitors should be serious nature lovers willing to sacrifice some of the luxuries and comforts of a hotel.

NATURE WALK AT THEKKADY

Different nature trails traversing diverse habitats form the trekking routes, generally 4 to 5 km. in length. This is an interpretive programme offering excellent opportunity to watch birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The trails often pass through evergreen and moist deciduous forests interspersed with marshy grasslands.

The programme is offered between 7.00 am. and 10.30 am. and between 2.00 pm. and 3.00 pm. and lasts for about 3 hours. A maximum of 5 persons can go for trekking at a time along each nature trail, accompanied by a trained tribal guide. The Nature walk is the right programme to feel nature, hear her whispers and smell her flowers.