SOUTH INDIA

Southern Sojourn

This tour takes in the best of South India combining its natural beauty with the diverseness of the cultural heritage of the three southern states. Starting from Bangalore, the distinctively hi-tech capital to the princely city of Mysore, we travel on to Coimbatore visiting the scenic hill station of Ootacamund (Ooty) at an altitude of 2268m en route. After visiting the historic town of Cochin in Kerala which bears the Portuguese, Dutch and British influences over the centuries, we move on to Kumarakkom for the sunset cruise and to explore its renowned bird sanctuary. Heading into the forested highlands, we reach Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, a ‘Project Tiger’ reserve, where we watch out for the wildlife during our boat trip through the park. Passing through India’s most ancient cities like Madurai situated on the banks of the Vaigai river, we visit the famous Rock Fort in Trichy and the finest rock carvings and sculptures in Thanjavur. Finally, we proceed to the wide sweeping beaches of Mahabalipuram on the Bay of Bengal, known for its exquisitely carved shore temples before reaching Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.


Day 01: Bangalore
Arrive in Bangalore. Transfer to the hotel.

Day 02: Bangalore – Hasan
Drive to Hasan (187 Km) visiting Shravanabelagola en route. Shravanabelagola is one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centers in India. The site of a huge 17m high and 1000 years old naked statue of Bahubali (Gomateshwara) is said to be the tallest monolithic statue and is considered as one of the most graceful sculptures in the world. Afternoon we reach Hasan, a small town northwest of Bangalore. Visit the Belur and Halebedu temples.

Day 03: Hasan - Mysore
Drive to Mysore (115 Kms) visiting monuments at Srirangapatna and Dariya Dowlath bagh (summer palace of Tipu Sultan) and Sriranganatha Swamy Temple (1000 years old, Dravidian style).

Day 04: Mysore
Visit Samnathpura Temple, the 12th century Hoysala period monument built in Soap stone, Mysore palace and walk through the Mysore market.

Day 05: Mysore - Ootacamund (Ooty) - Coimbatore
Drive to Coimbatore (205 Kms / 6 hrs) via Ooty, the erstwhile summer headquarters of the British government of southern India offering a cool retreat.

Day 06: Coimbatore - Cochin
Drive to the historical town of Cochin (215 Kms/6 hrs), which has a wealth of historical associations with its setting on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas.

Day 07: Cochin - Kumarakkom
Visit the Mattancherry palace built by the Portuguese in 1556; St. Francis Church considered to be the oldest in the region; the Jewish Synagogue built in 1568 with its preserved scrolls of the old Testament in Hebrew and the Spice market. Drive to Kumarakkom (70 Kms/2 hrs) located on the bank of huge Vembanad lake offering the beauty of Kerala’s backwaters. Sunset cruise in the evening to get a close up view of the countryside, quiet lagoons and the rural Kerala, preserved through the ages.

Day 08: Kumarakkom - Thekkadi (Periyar)
Morning visit the Kumarakkon Bird Sanctuary – a favorite haunt of migratory birds like the Siberian stork, egret, darter, heron and teal with other common varieties of like woodpecker, skylark, crane, water hen and parrots. Later on we proceed to Periyar (114 Kms/3 hrs), which is perhaps among the most picturesque drive on the earth through plantations of tea and spices, hills and river valleys. In the afternoon take a boat ride through the Periyar National park, a ‘Project Tiger’ reserve.

Day 09: Thekkadi - Madurai
Drive to Madurai (140 Kms/4 hrs)– the city of nectar, the most sacred pilgrimage town of South India. Visit Meenakshi Temple in the evening, which is spread over six hectares with four entrances - a fantasy of twelve tall Gopuram towers with garishly painted images. The thousand-pillared Mandapam of the temple has beautifully sculptured pillars.

Day 10: Madurai - Thanjavur (Tanjore)
Drive to Thanjavur (158 kms) via Tiruchirappalli (Trichy), the historic town with the famous landmark, Rock Fort and the Temple situated on 83m high rock. Trichy is described as Rome of the east.

Day 11: Thanjavur
Full day tour in Thanjavur. Visit Brihadishwara Temple - a world heritage monument built in the 10th century, the palace, museum, Dharasuram and Swami Malai temples.

Day 12: Thanjavur - Chidambaram - Pondicherry
Drive to Pondicherry (168 Kms) visiting the famous Lord Natraja’s (dancing Shiva) Temple in Chidambaram en route. The 1000 pillared hall in the temple complex is considered a divine sight.

Day 13: Pondicherry - Mahabalipuram (Mammallapuram)
Pondicherry, the former French colony, is a charming Indian coastal town with few enduring pockets of French culture and the Ashram. Drive to the historic town of Mahabalipuram (140 Kms/3.5 hrs) nestled amidst the stone sculptures, medieval architecture, pristine beaches, bright sun and crisp sand. Here visit the Shore Temple which is an architectural wonder created between 600 - 750 AD, Arjuna’s Penance - one of the world’s largest and finest relief carving constituting a rich and engrossing tale of Hindu mythology and the Ganesh Rathas.

Day 14: Mahabalipuram - Kanchipuram - Chennai
Drive to Chennai (140 Kms) visiting the golden city in Kanchipuram famous for its temples and silk Saris.

Day 15: Chennai - Departure
Transfer to the airport to connect outbound flight.