South India Enlightenment

Tour Itinerary

Day 01: Arrival at Bangalore Airport - Hassan

Arrive Bangalore Airport. You will be met and transferred to Hassan (4 Hrs). Hassan is the 4th largest city in Karnataka and situated in the southern part of the state. Hassan is a base point to visit the 15th century Channakeshava temple at Belur and Hoysaleswara temple of Halebid another landmark in Hoysala architecture with sculptures of gods, animals and danseuses.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
Evening you can go for a village walk with your driver.

Day 02: Hassan

Morning enjoy a tour of Belur and Halebid temples with a guide. Belur and Halebid are two tiny but beautiful temple towns 16 km apart in the southern state of Karnataka. Once at the centre of a great empire ruled by Hoysala in the 12th century, Belur and Halebid are heritage towns and are home to several exquisite temples which reveal the artistry of Indian sculptors and the mastery of the temple builders of yore.

Day 03: Mysore

Morning after breakfast check out and drive to Mysore (3 Hrs). Visit the famous Jain pilgrim centre of Sravanbelgola enroute. Sravanbelgola is one of the most significant Jain pilgrimage places and is located in the Indian state of Karnataka. On one of the hills, Indragiri (also known as Vindhyagiri), stands an extraordinary eighteen meter high monolithic statue of a naked male figure, Gomateshwara, which is the largest freestanding sculpture in India. Later drive to Mysore.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
Evening visit the famous Devaraja daily vegetable and fruits market with your driver. Devaraja market is an apt place to get a flavour of the local people’s daily life. With more than 100 years of history, this market is well knitted into the heritage of Mysore. This is a good sample of a traditional Indian market place that is colourful, noisy, vibrant and a tad chaotic. There is no concept of ‘cold storage’ here; everything is raw, straight from the farm to the market to the homes.

Day 04: Mysore

Morning leave for the sightseeing of Mysore. You will visit the magnificent Mysore Palace-a kaleidoscope of stained glass, mirrors & gaudy colours, Chamundi hill and the Nandi Bull. The tour also includes visit to Srirangapatanam to see Tipu Sultans Summer Palace & Fort. Mysore, the capital city of the Wodeyar Dynasty has always enchanted its admirers with its quaint charm, rich heritage, magnificent palaces, beautifully laid-out gardens, imposing buildings, broad shady avenues and sacred temples. There's an old world charm about the city that reaches out and leaves no one untouched.

Day 05: Mysore - Wayanad

Morning after breakfast drive to Wayanad (5 Hrs). Today you will drive through the country sides for first half and later through the wildlife sanctuary to reach the state of Kerala. Waynad nestled in the mountains of the Western Ghats, which is considered as the biggest hill station of Kerala.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.

Day 06: Wayanad

Morning enjoy a sightseeing tour of Wayanad with your driver. Afternoon you will be taken to Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. Enjoy a jeep safari in the forest to spot wild animals.
Overnight at hotel.

Day 07: Wayanad - Calicut

Morning after breakfast drive to Calicut (3 Hrs). Calicut is a city in the Malabar Coast was once dubbed the "City of Spices" for its role as the major trading point of eastern spices. It recorded first connection with Europe when Vasco da Gama landed at Kappad north of Calicut.
Stay in Hotel for the night

Day 08: Calicut - Cochin

Morning after breakfast drive to Cochin (5 Hrs). Fort Cochin is the home to some of the oldest European architecture in India and has been a significant settlement ever since Cochin Harbour was discovered. Unlike the bustling Ernakulum, the twin cities of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry have preserved an extraordinary
wealth of early colonial architecture spanning the Portuguese, Dutch and the British eras a crop unparalleled in India
Stay at Hotel in Fort Kochi for 2 nights.
Rest of the day at leisure.

Day 09: Cochin

Enjoy a guided sight-seeing tour of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry. You will visit St. Francis Church, the oldest church built by Europeans in India where the Vasco Da Gama was buried, Chinese fishing nets, Fish markets and later you go to Mattancherry to see the Jewish Synagogue, quarters, old spice markets and spice warehouses. Evening enjoy a Kathakali Dance performance in a near-by theatre. Kathakali dance performance, the ancient pantomime dance drama of Kerala. The performance is for about 2 and half hours, with an hour of make-up, a short introduction about the dance and an hour of dance performance.

Day 10: Cochin - Periyar

Morning after breakfast drive to Periyar (3 Hrs). The Periyar wildlife Sanctuary, situated on the banks of the Periyar lake, is spread across 777 sq km, of which 360 sq km is thick evergreen forest.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.
Evening enjoy martial arts show in a nearby theatre.

Day 11: Periyar

Morning enjoy a boating in lake Periyar to spot wild animals. The artificial lake in the sanctuary was formed by the construction of the Mullaperiyar Dam across the Periyar River. The wildlife can be viewed at close quarters from the safety of a boat on the lake. The herds of wild elephant that come to water on the banks of the lake are a major attraction. The sanctuary is home to herds of elephants, sambars, tigers, gaurs, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. Later visit the spice plantation, where you can see the locally grown spices in Periyar like cinnamon, cardamom, pepper cloves etc. You will have a person to explain how they are grown, harvested and processed. Later enjoy an elephant ride through spice plantation.

Day 12: Periyar – Alleppey

Morning after breakfast drive to Alleppey (4 Hrs). By Noon board your AC Deluxe Houseboat from the Alleppey boat jetty for an overnight cruise with on board lunch and snacks and dinner, covering the nearby villages and the ethnic life around these villages to Alleppey, through the famous Vembanad Lake. This afternoon you’ll enjoy a relaxing cruise through the waterways which gives you an opportunity to observe
rural Kerala up close. You stop to look at paddy cultivation, watch local fishing, and see historic churches and local temples. Your Houseboat will have bedroom with en-suite facilities and exterior space to sit and relax. Bedrooms are air-conditioned although this is only usually switched on during the night (9pm to 6am.).

Day 13: Alleppey - Marari

Morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Mararikulam (1 Hr). Mararikulam is a beach village in the district of Alappuzha. It was rated as one of the worlds top five Hammock Beachby National Geographic survey. This picturesque destination is on the bucket list of every traveler, who is here to experience the natural beauty of Kerala and see its amazing villages, their culture, and their hospitality.
Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.

Day 14: Marari

At leisure by the beach

Day 15: Cochin Airport Departure

Like all good things, your tour in Kerala comes to an end but you will always carry memories of this unique and unforgettable holiday experience. Today you will be assisted and transferred (2.5 Hrs) to Cochin International Airport to connect your flight home.

The Tour Ends!!