Day 1 – To Bengaluru (Bangalore): Fly from
London to Bangalore with British Airways. (N)
Day 2 – To Mysore: Early morning arrival
and transfer to the Hotel Regaalis, Bengaluru
(or similar) for 1 night, including immediate
occupancy. After breakfast, transfer by road to
Mysore, visiting Srirangapatnam, the site of Tipu
Sultan’s summer palace, en route. Stay 2 nights
at the Hotel Regaalis, Mysore (or similar). (B)
Day 3 – Mysore: Morning visit to the
huge Nandi Bull on Chamundi Hill and the
magnificent Maharaja’s Palace. Afternoon at
leisure to visit the Mysore markets or take an
optional excursion to Somnathpur. (B)
Day 4 – To Coonoor: Morning drive to the
hill station of Ooty. Afternoon tour of Ooty
Botanical Gardens. Continue to Coonoor and
stay 2 nights at the Gateway Hotel Coonoor.
(B)
Day 5 – Coonoor: Take a scenic narrow gauge
train trip to Ooty, subject to the train being in
service. Afternoon at leisure or optional visit to
the British-built golf course (clubs available for
hire locally). (B)
Day 6 – To Kochi (Cochin): Full-day drive
to Kochi. Stay 2 nights at the Vivanta by Taj –
Malabar (or similar). (B)
Day 7 – Kochi: Morning cruise in scenic
Kochi harbour, followed by a visit to Jew
Town. Afternoon at leisure. This evening, visit a
Kalarippayatu studio to learn how an ancient form of martial art has evolved. (B)
Day 8 – To Kumarakom: Morning visit to
Mattancherry Palace, a gift from the king of
Portugal to the Raja of Travancore. Drive to
Alleppey for a cruise through the backwaters.
Transfer to Kumarakom Lake Resort / Coconut
Lagoon for 2 nights. Evening sunset boat trip
on Lake Vembanad. (B)
Day 9 – Kumarakom: At leisure. (B)
Day 10 – To Thekkady: Morning drive
through the Western Ghats mountain range
to Thekkady. After lunch, visit a spice garden
where you will be introduced to different
spices and shown how they are grown. Stay
overnight at the Spice Village (or similar). (B)
Day 11 – To Madurai: After breakfast, drive to
Madurai. This afternoon, visit the Meenakshi
Temple, an outstanding example of south
Indian temple architecture. Stay overnight at
the Gateway Hotel Madurai. (B)
Day 12 – To Kumbakonam: Morning drive to
Trichy to visit the imposing Rock Fort Temple, Sri
Ranganathaswamy Temple and St John’s Church.
Continue to nearby Kumbakonam for a 2-night
stay at Hotel Paradise Resort (or similar). (B)
Day 13 – Thanjavur (Tanjore): Morning
visit to Brihadeeswara Temple, the grandest
architectural achievement of the Chola era
and a world heritage site. Late this afternoon,
visit Darasuram, a temple noted for its fine
sculpture. Continue to a bronze casting centre
and learn from the master craftsman the
traditional lost-wax method used to create
iconic bronze statues. (B)
Day 14 – To Chennai: Full-day drive to
Chennai. Late afternoon arrival and transfer
to Trident Chennai (or similar) where you will
stay until departure to the airport. (B)
Day 15 – To London: Very early morning
transfer to the airport. Fly to London with
British Airways. (N)
Kalarippayattu: The origins of this ancient form of martial
art remain a mystery, however, the
travelogues of the 14th-century Portuguese
traveller Barbosa describe it as an integral
part of the Keralan society. Banned in the
18th century, a small number of masters
continued to secretly teach the art form,
and now you will have the opportunity
to learn how it evolved and see a short
demonstration.
Meal Basis: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner, (N) = No Meals
