Kerala God’s own Country

Best time to visit: September to March
Duration: 09 Nights / 10 Days
Routing: Cochin – Munnar - Periyar – Alleppey – Trivandrum - Kovalam – Kumarakom - Cochin

Best available hotels:

Places	Best Available Hotels
Cochin	Brunton Boatyard
Munnar	Chandys Drizzle Drops
Periyar	Spice Village CGH Earth
Kumarakom	Taj Kumarakom Resort & Spa
Alleppey	Premium Houseboat
Kovalam	Niraamaya Retreats Surya Samudra

Highlights
Cochin	Jew Town, synagogue, Spice market, Chinese fishing nets, Hill Palace, Willingdon Island, Kathkali Dance
Munnar	Eravikulam National Park, Tea Museum, Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point, Kundala Dam, Tea Factory, Photo Point, KFDC Garden and Blossom Park.
Periyar	Wildlife Reserve, Boat Safari, Spice Plantation
Kumarakom	Backwater
Alleppey	Houseboat
Trivandrum	Padmanabhaswami Temple, Chitra Art Gallery
Kovalam	Beach Shore

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Cochin
Arrive by International flight, after traditional Indian style ‘Swagat’ (Welcome) by Exceptional Escapes representative, he would assist you at airport & transfer to airport hotel for check in.
Cochin always had a very popular & historical sea trade connection with Middle East, Mediterranean Europe & Dutch. It has one of the finest natural harbours on the Arabian coastline. Its cosmopolitan character is reflected in the buildings & structures representing different regions of the world.
Overnight Hotel – Cochin

Day 02: Cochin
Visiting: Jew Town, synagogue; built in the year 1568, is magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles & Belgian chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here.

Spice market, where the air is filled with the pungent smell of spices & history that brought the world to its doorstep.

Chinese fishing nets, (Cheenavala) are distinctly unique to Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here.

Hill Palace is an archaeological museum and palace located in the Tripunithura neighbourhood of Kochi city in the Indian state of Kerala. It is the largest archaeological museum in the state and was the imperial administrative office and official residence of the Cochin Maharaja. Built in 1865, the palace complex consists of 49 buildings in the traditional architectural style, spreading across 54 acres.

Willingdon Island is the largest artificial island in India, which forms part of the city of Kochi, in the state of Kerala. Much of the present Willingdon Island was claimed from the Lake of Kochi, filling in dredged soil around a previously existing, but tiny, Natural Island. Willingdon Island is significant as the home for the Port of Kochi as well as the Kochi Naval Base, the Southern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.

Later in time transfer to hotel for check in. In the evening we take you to view a Kathakali dance performance (time for photography of a lifetime) Enjoy and observe the elaborate pre dance make up ritual.

Rest of the day at leisure to explore the FORT area & Shopping.
Overnight Hotel – Cochin (B)

Day 03: Cochin – Munnar (128 Kms / 3-4 hrs)
Post breakfast drive to Munnar, On arrival transfer to Munnar, most popular hill stations in South India, situated at the confluence of three mountain streams Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni & Kundala. It was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British officers in South India. Sprawling tea plantations, picture book town, winding lanes, trekking & holiday facilities make Munnar a unique experience.

Rest of day is at leisure.
Overnight Hotel – Munnar (B)

Day 04: Munnar
Post breakfast @ 09 AM proceed for private guided sightseeing of Munnar visiting Eravikulam National Park, Tea Museum, Mattupetty Dam, Echo Point, Kundala Dam, Tea Factory, Photo Point, KFDC Garden and Blossom Park.
Overnight Hotel – Munnar (B)

Day 05: Munnar – Periyar (160 Kms / 5 Hrs)
Post breakfast driven to Periyar Wildlife Reserve; Set on an attractive lakeside, it is South India's most popular Wildlife Sanctuary. Periyar is a place to cruise on the lake & gives an opportunity to see wildlife. It is home to tigers, leopards, elephants, bison, antelopes, Sambhar, wild boar, monkey, a wide variety of birds.

Next we explore the sanctuary to experience the beauty & ecological pattern, followed byvisit to the spice garden where you can see how spices like pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg are grown.

Overnight Hotel – Periyar (B)

Day 06: Periyar– Alleppey (A/C Houseboat) (161 Kms / 2-3 Hr approx.)
Post breakfast drive to Alleppey, Alappuzha, also known as Alleppey, is a town in Kerala. A town with picturesque canals, backwaters & lagoons, it was described as the Venice of the East. It has a wonderful past; it owes its existence to the sagacious Diwan Raja Kesavadas in the second half of 18th century. Kuttanad, the rice bowl of Kerala with the unending stretch of paddy fields, small streams & canals with lush green coconut palms, was well known even from the early periods of the Sangam age. History says Alappuzha had trade relations with ancient Greece & Rome in BC & in the Middle Ages. Alleppey now is the hub for backwaters tourism in Kerala.

On arrival we board the houseboat, locally called Kettuvallam, cruise around backwaters of Kumarakom – Alleppey to observe & experience the daily life of the villagers along the backwaters.

Overnight Houseboat (B, L, D)

Day 07: Alleppey – Kovalam (Drive 160 Kms – 06 Hrs)
Disembark from the houseboat and drive to Kovalam en-route visiting the Padmanabha Swami Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu is held sacred by the Hindus from antiquity. The temple has a large complex with a huge Gopuram. It has a tank beside it for ritual bathing. Next we visit It is situated north of the city, at Museum road & 400m east of Indian airlines. It displays an eclectic assortment of historical & contemporary ornaments, temple carts, ivory carvings & life-size figures of Kathakali dances in full costume. It has a famous collection of 8th-18th century south Indian bronze.
Sri Chittira Art Gallery, an excellent collection of Indian art with examples from early to modern schools. Paintings by Raja Ravi Varma & works from Mughal & Rajput miniature paintings & Tanjore paintings embellished with semi- precious stones are displayed.
Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 08: Kovalam
Day is at leisure on the beach shore
Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 09: Kovalam – Kumarakom (Drive 175 Kms / 3-4 Hrs)
Post breakfast drive to Kumarakom, located near Kottayam city in Kerala, is a breathtaking peninsula of ‘God’s own country’. From spectacular flora and fauna to a paradise of lagoons, backwaters and mangroves, it undeniably offers nature’s paramount platter of peace and beauty. Apart from being declared a Special Tourism Zone by the State Government of Kerala, Kumarakom is also the first Indian tourist spot which implemented ‘Responsible Tourism’ practices wherein localites are actively employed in the hospitality sector.

Overnight Hotel – Kumarakom (B)

Day 10: Kumarakom – Cochin (77 Kms / 1.5 Hrs)
Transfer to airport to board the flight for home country taking back wonderful memory of Kerala Gods won Country.

Tour Concludes: Exceptional Escapes Manager will assist you with your transfer to the airport for boarding the onward flight.

Highlights & Inclusions:         

• Tried and tested stylish hotel accommodation for 09 Nights.
• Breakfast, Lunch & dinner at Houseboat.
• Welcome soft drink on arrival at the hotel.
• All airport transfers and sightseeing as per itinerary by private vehicle with friendly English speaking chauffeur.
• Kathakali dance in Cochin.
• Local English Speaking guide at Cochin & Munnar.
• Periyar boat ride & Spice plantation tour.
• Mineral water throughout the tour.
• IGST (Integrated Goods & Service Tax). A 24x7 customer care representative at your disposal throughout your stay in India.

Package does not include: Any Monument entry fee & camera fee, Any English Speaking Local Guide, Any International or Domestic airfare, Any optional service, Any expense of personal nature such as hard/soft drinks, laundry, one/fax calls, tips etc, Any other expense not mentioned in the “Package includes”.