Walking through the beautiful hills and tea plantations of Munnar to the colourful temple town of Madurai, we discover the two southern states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Kerala is a true tropical paradise with idyllic beaches, fertile forests and plantations of spice and tea, and it is here where we reach our highest point, (Anamudi peak 2694m). We then cross into the barren landscape of Tamil Nadu to Sri Meenakshi Temple at Madurai. A trip to Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary boasts an array of wildlife and an abundance of colourful birdlife, and a cruise on a traditional houseboat offers the chance to relax on the tranquil backwaters of Kerala.
HIGHLIGHTS OF TOUR:
DESTINATIONS:
Kochi – Munnar – Anamudi - Madurai – Periyar – Alleppey - Kochi
BEST TIME TO VISIT:
October to March
Day 01: Arrive Cochin
Arrive Cochin Airport
Day 02 : Kochi - Munnar 1890 mts (135 Kms / 5-6 hrs)
Today we leave the tropical city of Cochin and head towards the hills of Munnar. Afternoon proceed to Kundla Dam. Overnight hotel.
Day 03: Munnar - Anamudi - Munnar
We take a day hike to to Anamudi peak 2694m, later we return back to Munnar.
Day 04/07: Trekking around Munnar
We shall be trekking around Munnar Hills for next few days, Average duration of 5-6 hrs of daily walking.
We shall be visiting Silent Valley, Nagamalai Coffee Plantation etc and exploring various other peaks on the way.
Day 08: Drive to Madurai (145 kms / 4-5 Hrs)
Today we drive to Madurai. Afternnon we visit Beautiful city of Madurai The Sangam age or the Golden age of Tamil literature - produced masterpieces way back in the Pre christian era and in early 1st millennium . Madurai was the seat of the Tamil Sangam or Academy of learning. The entire city of Madurai, is built around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple - the temple par excellence. Concentric rectangular streets surround the temple, symbolizing the structure of the cosmos.
Day 09: Madurai - Periyar (Thekkady) (150 kms / 4-5 hrs)
After breakfast start for Thekkady. Drive through paddy fields and vast spice plantation. Thekkady - one of India's most fascinating natural wildlife sanctuaries, where you can watch wildlife at close range. The vegetation, the flora and fauna and the birds of Thekkady are uniquely rich, vast and varied that it does not bear semblance to any other wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Even a casual visitor to this place will not fail to observe the special ecological pattern of Thekkady. Afternoon experience the mind bowing view of calm crystal clear Periyar lake to view the wildlife. Overnight stay at Thekkady.
Day 10: In Periyar
Today we do 2-3 hrs walk around Wildlife Sanctuary. Periyar is a place to cruise on the lake and gives an opportunity to see wildlife. It is home to tigers, leopards, elephants, bison, antelopes, Sambhar, wild boar, monkey, a wide variety of birds. Later we visit spice plantation farms where we learn about the varieties and plantation of different spices.
Day 11: Drive to Alleppey (155 kms / 4-5 Hrs)
We drive to Alleppey and take a house boat cruise, which gives one a fascinating insight into the life of a Keralan Backwater Village. As the boat glides along the backwaters one can see the daily life in the backwater villages: the daily life in villages on narrow strips of land, fisherman fishing, children swimming & playing in the water, women doing their daily chores, mobile shops in tiny canoes, the cultivation of paddy & its harvesting (during harvest season) huge country barges ferrying the coconuts, rice, coir etc. people traveling to the mainland for work and numerous small market places, tiny temples & churches etc. Note: The cruise commences at 1230 hrs with lunch served on board and continues till dusk. At dusk the boat will anchor in a wide waterway or lake for the night (The backwaters close to boat traffic at dusk as the fisherman lay their nets in the backwaters. Other boats are not allowed to play in the backwaters after dusk. On the following day the cruise commences again after breakfast and the guest will be dropped at Alleppey .We stay overnight on a traditional houseboat on the famous Vembanad Lake.
Day 12 : Allepy -Cochin
Today we drive back to Cochin, a very popular and historical sea trade connection with Middle East, Mediterranean Europe, Dutch and British. It has one of the finest natural harbours on the Arabian coastline. Its cosmopolitan character is reflected in the buildings and structures representing different regions of the world. Afternoon we visit Jew Town, synagogue, built in the year 1568, is magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here. Also visit the spice market, where the air is filled with the pungent smell of spices and 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. In the evening see Kerala's most popular classical dance, Kathakali.
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Health Requirements
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Generally most tours enlist the Health- risks if there are any.
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