Ayurvedic Tour of South India

About this Tour:

The south of India is exceptionally rich with its own distinct culture, architecture and art which may take ages to be fully understood. The tour is an attempt to introduce these distinct aspects in a way that they never seem enough. An attempt has also been made to involve the visitor in these aspects – to appreciate them deeply without ever going overboard. The natural diversity of the region has also been fully involved. The pristine tropical islands of Andamans add a different flavor to this tour. Overall, a different India within India

• Day 01 – Thiruvananthapuram: :
  Pick up and transfer to a beach resort at Somatheeram . Day at leisure.

• Day 02: Somatheeram : Day long sightseeing tour.
  Option I: Trip to Padmanabhapuram Palace
  Option II: Trivandrum city sightseeing tour.

• Day 03 : Somatheeram:
  Day free to relax at the wonderful tropical beach, set out for fishing with local fishermen on traditional kattamaran or rejuvenate yourself with the much acclaimed Ayurveda treatment.

• Day 04 – Alleppey:
  Drive through the green coastal belt and cashew plantations and reach Alleppey – the central hub of the BACKWATER network. Stay in a traditional Kerala house opening right over the Vembanad Lake and surrounded by banana plantations. Day free to relax with the option of a herbal oil massage. Also relish the wonderful Kerala cuisine in ethnic way.

• Day 05 – Alleppey:
  Day will be used to closely watch backwaters lifestyle. Visit coir-making factory, a temple and bathe the elephants at the Elephant Rearing Center.

• Day 06 – Kumarakom:
  Sail through the backwater canals and reach Kumarakom – an island with a beautiful bird-sanctuary and extremely serene atmosphere. Stay at Taj Garden Retreat- a wonderful resort providing restored tharawads as idyllic rooms.

• Day 07 – Kumarakom:
  Day free to relax and explore around.

• Day 08 – Periyar:
  Drive through rubber plantations over forested mountains and finally reach Periyar National Park – one of the best jungles in India to see wild elephants. Day free to explore on your own.

• Day 09 – Periyar:
  Visit the National Park on boat over Periyar Lake where several wild animals congregate at different times.

• Day 10 – Madurai:
  Drive out of the Kerala hills and reach the Tamil Nadu plains – the Dravidian heartland. Visit the Thirumal Nayaka Palace and the Dravidian masterpiece Meenakshi Sundereshwar temple which makes the city of Madurai so famous and pulsate with festivities.

• Day 11 – Thanjavur:
  Driving down to the fertile rice growing plains of Cauvery, reach Tiruchirapally. Nearby visit the enormous Srirangam temple and then continue to the Chola citadel of Tanjore. Visit the World heritage Brihadishvara temple- simply unparalleled!

• Day 12 – Pondicherry:
  Reach the erstwhile French colony Pondicherry of beautiful boulevards, gothic structures and quiet beaches. Day free to relax and unwind.

• Day 13 – Pondicherry:
  Morning head out for boat trips to see dolphins. During the day visit Auroville (city of dawn) – the famous center for spiritual learning and meditation named after Guru Sri Aurobindo Ghosh.

• Day 14 – Mahabalipuram:
  Drive through the fertile Coromondal coastline and reach Mahabalipuram (Mammalapuram) – famous for its shore temples and other monuments which are in a form of epic recreated on stone.

• Day 15 – Chennai:
  Morning walk over the seashore and explore the temples on own. Later drive towards Chennai and en route visit Dakshinchitra – an art and craft heritage center. Day free to move around in Chennai for the enormous shopping opportunity it offers. Also visit one of the many famous auditoriums for live performance of Indian classical dances.

• Day 16 – Chennai:
  Sightseeing trip of the city. Also visit Kalakshetra, the world famous cultural center founded by Rukmini Devi Arundale and Theosophical Society with its huge Banyan tree (Theosophical Society of India was founded by Dr.Annie Besant).

• Day 17 – Chennai:
  Assisted in check out for onward journey.

Silhouette of Peacock

Tirupati optional tour

• Day 16 – Tirupati:
  Late afternoon drive from Chennai to Tirupati and check in by late evening.

• Day 17 – Tirupati:
  Drive uphill to Tirumalai and visit one of the most revered temples of India – Lord Venkateshwara temple. The richest temple of India, it is second only to Vatican City in terms of wealth in the world. Also visit Govindrajswamy temple. Drive back to Chennai and check in.

• Day 18 – Chennai:
  Assisted in check out for onward journey.

   

Andamans Extension

• Day 17 – Port Blair:
  Reach Port Blair by flight in the morning and check in. During the day visit Samudrika Marine Museum, Anthropological Museum and the famous Cellular Jail (British India’s dreaded penal colony for Indian freedom fighters). Watch the informative sound and light show in the jail in the evening.

• Day 18 – Port Blair:
  Sail to Viper island and see the gallows made for the prisoners before the construction of Cellular jail. Later sail to Ross island – once beautiful town of British officers now a deserted scene of crumbling and decaying buildings. Back at Port Blair, visit Corbyn’s Cove beach in the evening.

• Day 19 – PortBlair:
  Drive to Wandoor and further sail to Jolly Buoy island (Part of Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park, it is famous for its spectacular marine life and corals). Day free to bask on sandy untouched beaches and snorkeling to see underwater life. Return back to Port Blair by evening.

• Day 20 – Havelock Island:
  Board the ship for Havelock island, a 4 hour journey. If lucky, dolphins can be seen on the way. At Havelock, check in at Dolphin Yatri Niwas or tented camps by the beach. Day free to explore the unspoiled, untouched virgin beaches and swim in clear blue waters. Hire a cycle and explore the island’s different beaches.

• Day 21 – Port Blair:
  Board the ship back to Port Blair. Day free to explore on own.

• Day 22 – Departure:
  Take the flight back to mainland India for Chennai or Calcutta.