-|| South India Cultural Tour
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Duration : 26 Nights / 27 Days
Places to Visit : Chennai - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry
- Swamimalai - Karaikudi - Trichy - Madurai - Kanyakumari - Kovalam-Alleppey
- Cochin - Ooty - Mysore-Bangalore - Negombo - Sigiriya - Kandy - Ella - Colombo
Day 01: Chennai
On
arrival you will be received by our representative and transferred straight
to your hotel. Rest of the free for leisure.
Day 02:Chennai
Morning sightseeing tour of Chennai visiting fort St. George - Old East India
Company now the house for state legislative assembly, Kapaleeswara temple &
Chennai Museum.
Day 03: Chennai-Kanchipuram-Mahabalipuram
After breakfast drive 70kms to Kanchipuram - one of the seven sacred cities
in India, visit Ekambeshwara Temple, Kailasanatha Temple and Vaikunda Perumal
Temple and visit the silk weaving centre option for shopping as Kanchipuram
is Famous for silk sarees later drive 70kms to Mahabalipuram check into Hotel.
Rest of the time completely on your desecration.
Day 04: Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry
After breakfast drive to Pondicherry check into your hotel. Relax for a while.
In the after noon visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram - The ashram, the spiritual tenets
of which combine yoga and modern science is quite popular within India and abroad
and visit working units, such as the Handmade paper factory, Cottage industries
Incense making section.
Day 05: Pondicherry - Swamimalai
After
breakfast drive 170kms to Swamimalai enroute visit Chidambaram Natarajar Temple
- the dancing God and Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Darasuram temples listed in
World Heritage Sites recently announced by UNESCO on arrival in Swamimalai check
into Sterling Resort evening watch the cultural programme in the resort overnight
in Sterling Resort (Heritage)
Day 06: Swamimalai
Morning witness the Rangoli - is one of the most popular art among Indian women,
which is mainly painted on the ground in front of their houses using different
color powders and also see Pooja (prayer) & attend Yoga class after breakfast
visit Brahadeeswara temple witness the huge Nandi weighing 80tons made of single
granite and visit Saraswathi Mahal Library evening visit the Swamimalai bronze
casting unit to see how statue are made:
Day 07: Swamimalai - Karaikudi
After a leisurely breakfast drive to Karaikudi and on arrival check in to your
hotel. There are many large and beautiful merchant's houses in the area which
the host family will show you, experience the local life and flavor of the distinctive
region visit the local villages, markets and the nearby historical sites Dinner.
Day 08: Karaikudi - Trichy
After breakfast drive to Trichy check into your hotel. Further visit magnificent
Ranganatha Vishnu Temple - dedicated to Lord Vishnu, a superb temple complex,
tallest temple complex in Asia and visit Rock Fort Temple perched 85m high on
a massive rocky out crop, you will have to climb to the top up the 437 stone
cut steps at sunset for panoramic views over the Cauvery River delta and Srirangam
Island.
Day 09: Trichy - Madurai
After breakfast drive to Madurai in your exclusive vehicle. Later visit Sri
Meenakshi Temple the enormous temple complex is dedicated to Shiva, known here
as Sundareshvara and his consort Meenakshi and visit Nayak Palace This Palace
was built in 1636 by King Thirumalai Nayak with the help of an Italian Architect.
The building we see today was the main Palace where the King lived.
Day 10: Madurai - Kanyakumari
After breakfast drive to Kanyakumari - the southern tip of India where Indian
Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal. On arrival check in to your hotel. In
the after noon visit Vivekananda Memorial and Tiruvalluvar Statue and visit
Kumari Amman Temple evening witness the sunset over the Arabian Sea.
Day 11: Kanyakumari-Kovalam
After
breakfast drive 85kms to Kovalam enroute visit Padmanabhapuram teak palace.
On arrival take a half day sight seeing of Trivandrum visiting Sri Padmanabhaswamy
temple, Sri Chitra art gallery and Napier Museum.
Day 12: Kovalam-Alleppey
After breakfast drive to Alleppey - known as Venice of the East board the houseboat
at 12.00noon cruise into the canals of Vembanad Lake to witness the traditional
Keralan village life remind unchanged for many years here your crew will prepare
you delicious Keralan meal on board overnight in Houseboat.
Day 13: houseboat
Continue to cruise towards Alleppey overnight in Houseboat
Day 14: Alleppey - Cochin
Disembark from the houseboat at 10.00am your exclusive vehicle will pick you
and drive to Cochin check into your hotel . In the after noon visit historic
Fort Cochin visiting Synagogue - the oldest Synagogue in the common wealth,
the Dutch Palace - houses lots of fresco paintings, and the St. Francis Church
- the oldest European Church in India where Vasco De Gama was originally buried.
A leisurely walk through the Fort Cochin area which gives you a close look at
the operation of the huge cantilevered Chinese fishing nets introduced by Chinese
traders which is still used in Kerala backwaters as a traditional way of fishing,
evening watch the performance of Kathakali Dance.
Day 15: Cochin - Ooty
After breakfast drive to Ooty enroute take a toy train journey from Coonoor
at 4.30pm enjoy the scenic beauty of Nilgiri hills you will arrive Ooty at 6.00pm
vehicle will pick you and transfer to your hotel. Rest of the time free for
leisure.
Day 16: Ooty
Full day sightseeing of Ooty - known as Queen of Hill stations. Take
full day Sight seeing of Ooty including Botanical Garden. There is a fossil
tree trunk 20 million years old in the midst of the garden and visit Totabetta
- It is the highest peak (2623 meters) in the Nilgiris, offers beautiful vistas
of the Nilgiri Hills ranges and boating on the lake.
Day 17: Ooty - Mysore
In the morning drive to Mysore in your exclusive vehicle. On arrival check in
to your hotel. Later visit
Maharaja's
Palace - built in Indo-Saracenic style with domes turrets, arches and colonnades,
the palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all
over the world and visit Chamundi hill where a big Nandi overlooks the city
The summit offers a panoramic view of Mysore's lakes, parks and palaces and
visit Devraja Fruit and Flower Market.
Day 18: Mysore-Bangalore
After breakfast drive to Bangalore in your exclusive vehicle. On the way visit
Srirangapatnam. Later check into your hotel. In the After noon visit Bull
Temple, Iskcon Temple and Vidhan Soudha.
Day 19: Bangalore-Chennai by train
After breakfast drive 200kms to Bangalore railway station board train 2008 departing
Bangalore 4.25pm travel by 1st class AC chair car you will arrive Chennai 9.25pm
car will pick you and transfer to your hotel and rest of the time for leisure.
Day 20: Departure from India
At appropriate time you will be transferred to the international airport
to board the flight for Colombo. On arrival you will be received by our representative.
Check in to your hotel at Colombo. Rest of the completely on your discretion.
Day 21: Negombo
Leave
for Negombo in the afternoon. Negombo is a characteristic fishing town north
of Colombo. Set amid lush groves of coconut palms, it breathes the spirit of
the sea. Negombo is a gourmet's paradise with sea food in plenty.
Day 22: Sigiriya
In the morning drive to Sigiriya in your exclusive vehicle. Leave on an excursion
for the medieval capital of Polonnaruwa in the afternoon. Polonnaruwa was the
capital of Sri Lanka from the 11th to the 13th century AD. This ancient city
is today one of the most beautiful centers of this island's cultural heritage.
Day 23: Sigiriya
In the morning climb the famed Sigiriya Rock Fortress. This is a masterpiece
of construction, irrigation & artistry. It was also a resort of pleasure,
a citadel of beauty & a fortress of strength. Sigiriya has been made famous
for the frescoes on its rock wall.
Day 24: Kandy
After a leisurely breakfast drive to Kandy in your exclusive vehicle. The capital
of the Sri Lankan kings, which fell to the British in 1815.
This hill capital is situated in a valley 1600 feet above sea level, surrounded
by mountains & virtually encircled by the scenic Mahaweli river; the longest
in Sri Lanka. Kandy is one of the most beautiful cities in Sri Lanka & is
famous for it's temple of the tooth, one of the most venerated Buddhist temples
in the world.
Day 25: Ella
Drive to Ella in mean while visit to the Nuwara Eliya. Nuwara Eliya is located
in the center of the hill country. This ruggedly picturesque location almost
6200 feet in elevation with its soft cool climate was favored by the British,
who made it their hill resort, during their rule in Sri Lanka, (then called
Ceylon). Proceed to Ella, Ella is blessed with some of the most beautiful views,
you could find in Sri Lanka. This small town is used as a base for plenty of
trekking expeditions to the surrounding countryside.
Day 26: Colombo
Drive to Colombo in your exclusive vehicle. Rest of the time completely on
leisure.
Day 27: Departure
At appropriate time you will be transferred to the International Airport
of Colombo to board the flight back to home.
South India Cultural Tour Reservation
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