Exotic Kerala (10days/9nts) (Kochi/Munnar/Thekkady/Kumarakom/Alleppey/Kovalam)
Day 1 :- Kochi: Arrive in Kochi. You will be met, assisted and transferred to your hotel. Kochi (colonial name Cochin) is a vibrant city, also referred to as the Gateway to Kerala. Overnight in Kochi.
Day 2 :- Munnar: Proceed for a half-day tour of Cochin. Visit Fort Cochin… walk to the church of St Francis, the oldest European-built church in the country. Continue with a visit to Mattancherry, where you will visit the historic synagogue in the Jewish Quarter. You will also visit the Mattancherry or Dutch Palace, with its fine collection of mural paintings depicting scenes from the Hindu epics. Thereafter, drive past the amazing Chinese Fishing Nets. Also drive past Willingdon Island. Later, drive to Munnar (128 kms / 3.5 hrs approx). Arrive Munnar and check in to your hotel and relax. Overnight in Munnar.
Day 3 :- Munnar: Proceed for a full day tour of Munnar. Visit the Tea Museum, which showcases some of the interesting aspects of tea plantations in Munnar. Also visit Mattupetty, known for its dam and the beautiful lake. Later visit the Kundala tea plantations and the Kundala Lake… the mountain slopes here are thick with undulating, evergreen tea plantations. Here you can view the entire process of making tea, right from plucking of tealeaves to their processing. Overnight in Munnar.
Day 4 :- Thekkady: Drive to Thekkady (90 kms / 2 hrs approx). Arrive Thekkady and check in to your hotel. Proceed for a full-day tour of Thekkady. Visit Periyar wildlife sanctuary, where herds of wild elephants have made Periyar Lake their favorite haunt for frolicking in the water. Later, take a spice plantation tour. Spices found in here include pepper, clove, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, vanilla and curry leaves. Enjoy an elephant ride in Periyar. Overnight in Thekkady.
Day 5 :- Kumarakom: Drive to Kumarakom (120 kms / 3 hrs approx). Arrive Kumarakom and check in to your hotel and relax. Kumarakom is Kerala’s Venice of the East… a heartland of lagoons and mangrove fields, inter-linked with hundreds of narrow winding canals. Overnight in Kumarakom.
Day 6 :- Kumarakom: Proceed for a tour of Kumarakom bird sanctuary. An ornithologist’s paradise, the sanctuary is spread across 14 acres, and is the favorite haunt of local birds like Waterfowl, Cuckoo, Owls, Egrets, and Wood Beetle. Overnight in Kumarakom.
Day 7 :- Alleppey: Drive to Alleppey (35 kms / 1 hr approx). Arrive Alleppey and board your houseboat. Alleppey, “Venice of the East” has a large network of backwater canals that meander through the town and surrounding villages. Overnight on houseboat.
Day 8 :- Kovalam: Drive to Kovalam (159 kms / 3.5 hrs). Arrive Kovalam and check in to your hotel. Rest of the day at leisure on the beaches of Kovalam. Overinght in Kovalam.
Day 9 :- Kovalam: Proceed for a full-day excursion of Trivandrum (11 kms / 30 min approx). Visit the Napier Museum, which houses a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts. Visit the Kuthiramalika Palace, built by the King of Travancore. The palace museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family. End your tour with the Veli Tourist Village… a beautiful picnic spot where the Veli Lake merges with the Arabian Sea. Overnight in Kovalam.
Day 10 :- Onwards: Drive to Trivandrum airport (11 kms/ 30 min approx) to board the flight for your onward destination.