ROUND THE TRIP SOUTH INDIA TOUR

                               Option-1(CHENNAI-CHENNAI)

Chennai-Mysore-Ooty-Cochin-Houseboat-Kumarakom-Periyar-Madurai-Tanjore-Pondichery-Mahabalipuram-Chennai

18 Days/17 Nights

DAY 1

Reach Chennai

Day at Leisure

Our friendly  Representative will be waiting for you at the Airport

With a traditional 'Namasthe'- he will take you to the hotel at the city of Madras.

Rest of the Day at Leisure or Shopping

Overnight stay.

Day-2

Tour at Chennai

Today is an excursion day for you.
In the morning  get ready for a city tour in & around Madras - Visit Kabaleswar Temple, Santhome Cathedral, Marina Beach, Fort Museum, National Art gallery, St. Thomas mount, Little mount shrine, Valluvarkottam, sittrarengam etc. - back to the hotel by evening - enjoy the night stay.

DAY-3

Onto Mysore By Train

Visit Sreerangapattanam

In the early morning 96 AM) ,we will transfer you to theRailway station to catch the SAHATHABDI EXPRESS NON STOP  TRAIN to Mysore.

It will reach Mysore by noon.

Directly check into the Hotel & Relax.

Reach My sore by afternoon.

Rest of the day at your disposal.

DAY 4

Palace City Tour of Mysore

Wonders of the Royal Kingdom

After breakfast, we proceed on a city tour of Mysore. Enjoy the royal streets with broad tree-lined avenues. View of Mysore Palace in the night when it is illuminated is unforgettable.

Visit Chama Rajendra Art Gallery to marvel at some famous paintings.

Next take the road to Chamundi Hills, 1062 metres above MSL. Have a panoramic view of Mysore city below.

Get down to the city to visit the zoo. Take snaps.

Get back to the city – now resplendent in glorious illumination.

Back to your hotel. Relax and enjoy overnight stay.

DAY 5

Onto Ootty

Toy Train Journey

After an early breakfast, we leave the City of Palaces for cool Ootty – ‘the Queen of Hill Stations’.

Part of your journey to Ootty is through the Bandipur Forests.

Reach Mettupalayam and then continue the Travel in Mountain Train,an unforgettable journey in your life through the mountain ranges.

Arrive at Ootty by evening and check into your hotel.

Enjoy your dinner.

The fresh mountain air soon lulls you to sleep.

Overnight at your hotel.

DAY 6

A Charming day at Cool Ootty

Enjoy Day Excursion

After breakfast, we drive you in and around Ootty on a sight seeing tour. Take snaps of the picture postcard views.

Visit the botanical gardens, Rose Garden, Avmamore Palace, Govt. Museum and enjoy a boating through the enchanting ‘Lake’. Inhale deeply to get the best of Eucalyptus-scented air.

By the time you get back to your hotel in the evening, you would have shed an year or two.

Enjoy dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

DAY 7

On to Cochin

Kathakali show by Evening

After breakfast you can depart from the cool hill station and proceed to Cochin.Certainly it is a long journey and you can reach the destination by afternoon.

Check in to the Hotel & Relax.By evening get ready to visit the Kathakali Ambhi theatre to see a Kathakali performance with makeup demonstration.It will last for 3 hrs.

DAY 8

Experience Fascinating Cochin

Historical Tour in a Boat

Breakfast, and get ready for full day trip in and around Cochin that takes you to Fort Cochin and Mattancherry where you can trace the past of Cochin.

Visit the Jewish Synagogue at Mattancherry, considered to be the oldest in India. At Fort Cochin see the historic St. Francis Church built in 1510 by Portuguese priests.

Back to the mainland by noon. After lunch get ready for your final, and perhaps the most unforgettable, experience at Cochin. Set out on a country craft canal cruise. Amaze at life’s pace (or lack of it) in rural Kerala. Get a closer look at coir processing, duck farming and the tapping of toddy (country liquor from coconut palms). Drink tender coconut water – perhaps the world’s healthiest and sweetest natural drink. Or, get tipsy with a bottle of toddy.

After four hours of enchantment, it is time to get back to your hotel.

Enjoy dinner and overnight stay.

DAY 9

Onto Alleppey

Check into the houseboat

In the morning Proceed to Alleppey to catch a House boat to Alleppey.

The traveling time to reach Alleppey is just 1.300 Hrs.

It is a full day cruise with night stay at the mid of Backwaters.

Meander through narrow canals, come across huge acres of paddy fields, cause a flutter among children of a coir processing village, take deviation to avoid a tiny island in the middle of your way, go past Chinese Fishing Nets…Overnight stay onboard

In the morning the boat will reach at Kumarakom.

DAY 10

Onto Kumarakom

After breakfast, wewill check out from the Houseboat & directly check into the Resort at  Kumarakom – the spectacular and inviting backwater destination.

Rest of the day at Leisure.

Overnight stay

DAY 11

At Kumarakom

Visit the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

Again a day at Leisure along the Backwaters of Kumarakom.

We now take you to view the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary located in an island in the backwaters. Watch exotic birds, the migratory Siberian Stork among them, lead their normal lives unaware of you or your binoculars.

Enjoy dinner and overnight stay at your resort.

DAY 12

Onto Thekkady

Visit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

After an early breakfast, we drive you to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Arrive at the Sanctuary by noon and check into your hotel.

Enjoy your lunch.

A little later, we take you on a memorable boat ride through Lake Periyar in the heart of the sanctuary. Come across elephants and bison grazing on the banks.

You can also opt for an elephant safari through the forest, if you are interested.

Enjoy your dinner at the hotel. Overnight at your hotel.

DAY 13

On to Madurai

Visit Meenakshi Temple

After breakfast, we set out to Madurai. Sit back and relax in your coach seat. You are about to enter a very special city. Madurai is over 2500 years old and is the second largest city of Tamil Nadu. Ancient seat of learning, the city is planned in the shape of a lotus.

Check in to your hotel at Madurai by noon.

After lunch, in the afternoon, visit the famous Madurai Meenakshi Temple. There are four entrances to this amazing temple complex set in six hectares. Marvel at the truly majestic towers, twelve of them, pointing skywards at 45 to 50 metres.

Beat some of the stone pillars in the complex with any hard object and feel incredible on hearing sweet metal sounds. You now know why they are called musical pillars. By the way, the total number of pillars in the temple is a staggering one thousand.

Enjoy a light and sound spectacle and back to the hotel by 8 p.m.

Enjoy a fine dinner.

You had an exciting day. Go to bed early.

DAY 14

To Tanjore

Visit Brahadeswara temple

In the morning get ready for departure to Tanjore

Enroute visit the Rock fort Temple at Trichy

Reach Tanjore by noon

we take you on a tour of this historic town. Ancient capital of the Cholas - one of the greatest dynasties of South India - Tanjore is dotted with no fewer than seventy-four temples. Enjoy a sumptuous lunch at the resort.

In the evening, we visit the Brahadeswara Temple - a World Heritage Monument. Enjoy the architecture. Also be awed by the majesty of the palaces and art gallery attached to this temple.

Back to the Hotel by evening.

Overnight stay

DAY 15

On to pondicherry

Visit Aurobindo Ashram

After breakfast, we drive to Pondicherry - a city with a unique Anglo-French background.
Reach Pondichery with in 3 Hrs.
Check into your resort and relax.

After lunch, visit the world famous Aurobindo Ashram - abode of the twentieth century saint and philosopher Sri Aurobindo.

Later, visit Auroville town - an oasis of peace and enlightenment designed by the French architect, Roger Anger. You would find the town living up to its designer's mission of making people realize the merits of human unity.

Back to your resort by evening.

Enjoy dinner and a deep sleep in the comforts of your room

DAY 16

On To Mahabalipuram

Enroute visit to Kancheepuram

In the morning you will be transferred to a dream beach resort at Mamallapuram.

Enroute you can visit the Temples at Kancheepuram.

Check into  the Resort & Relax

Overnight stay

DAY 17

At Mahabalipuram

On a sightseeing tour, marvel at the stone-made sculptures, caves, chariots and temples of the Pallava period.

You will also visit Arjuna's Penance - the largest bas-relief in the world.

In the morning after break fast, set out to enjoy the seventh century town, which has a vast beach line.

Overnight stay at the Resort

Day 18

To Chennai

Catch Return Flight

Today you will be directly transferred to Chennai Airport (1.30 Hrs)to catch the Return flight to Home

END OF THE TOUR.

                            PACKAGE HIGHLIGHTS

Accommodation

Accommodation will be on Twin share basis.