Itinerary Day 1 | Fly to Chennai Fly overnight from your chosen airport to Chennai. Day 2 | Explore Chennai and transfer to Mahabalipuram Transfer to hotel for breakfast, with wash and change facilities available. Visit the Government Museum of natural history, archaeology, and geology; the Fort St. George and Anglican Church of St. Mary; and Marina Beach. Travel to Mahabalipuram for two nights at the 5-star Radisson Resort Temple Bay. (B) Day 3 | Enjoy Mahabalipuram city before visiting nearby Mamallapuram Visit the Shore Temple and the 7th-century Five Rathas pagoda temples. Continue to neighbouring Mamallapuram for the world’s largest open-air rock relief, Arjuna’s Penance, and the adjacent Krishna Mandapam. (B) Day 4 | Travel to the landmarks of Pondicherry, continuing to Tanjore Drive to Pondicherry (3hrs) and visit the Pondicherry Museum of art and history, and the Catholic Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Continue to Tanjore (4hrs), an important centre of learning and religion in its glory days, its heritage continuing now as a university town. Overnight at the 4-star GRT Great Trails River View Resort. (B, L, D) Day 5 | Explore Tanjore before travelling to Madurai View traditional paintings in the Tamil Tanjore Art Gallery; visit the Royal Palace Museum and the legendary Brihadeshwara Temple, dedicated to the god Shiva. Leave Tanjore and travel (5hrs) to Madurai. Two nights at the 4-star Heritage Madurai Hotel. (B) Day 6 | Enjoy a rickshaw ride and visit the local monuments Enjoy a rickshaw ride to the Meenakshi Amman Temple. Visit the 17th-century Thirumalai Nayak Palace and the Gandhi Memorial Museum, housed in the Rani Mangammal Mahal, and listed as one of the United Nations Peace Museums. (B) Day 7 | Travel to Periyar, enjoy a spice plantation visit and a local performance Drive into the Western Ghats to Periyar (5hrs). Soak-up the scents and scenery on a visit to a spice plantation and later experience a performance of Kalaraipayattu. Two nights at the 4-star boutique hotel ‘CGH Earth’ Spice Village. (B, D) Day 8 | Enjoy a boat ride in Periyar National Park Periyar National Park is one of seven Protected (biodiversity) Areas in India, and on the Project Tiger list of reserves. Nilgiri langur, lion-tailed macaques and barking deer share the ground with the starring predators. View the scene on a morning boat ride on the lake. Afternoon at leisure in Periyar. (B) Day 9 | Visit a rubber plantation for lunch, before travelling to Kumarakom Visit a rubber plantation, with lunch at a plantation house; before travelling to Kumarakom (4hrs), an intriguing backwater village. Overnight at the 4-star ‘CGH Earth’ Coconut Lagoon, accessible only by boat. (B, L) Day 10 | Enjoy a cruise on a Keralan houseboat Take to the water on a Keralan houseboat, with canoes to explore the smaller canals. Overnight on the houseboat. (B, L, D) Day 11 | Transfer to Cochin for a city tour and a local dinner Disembark and drive to Cochin. A walking tour of Fort Cochin
includes the Mattancherry Palace, Paradesi Synagogue, and St. Francis Church and Chinese fishing nets. Enjoy a cooking demo and dinner with a local family. Two nights at the 4-star hotel The Fragrant Nature. (B, D) Day 12 | Visit Kumbalanghi village with the afternoon at leisure Visit the village of Kumbalanghi, an Integrated Tourism Village. Afternoon at leisure in Cochin. Enjoy an evening performance of Kathakali classical Indian dance. (B, L) Day 13 | Travel by train and road to Ooty to explore the local sights Travel by train to Coimbatore (4hrs) and continue by road to the town of Ooty (3hrs). Visit one of Ooty’s fourteen churches, the local market, and Government Botanical Gardens. Two nights at the Fortune Resort Sullivan Court Ooty. (B) Day 14 | Experience the Toy Train and visit a tea plantation for lunch Travel to Coonoor (1hr) on the Nilgiri Mountain Railway ‘Toy Train’. Visit a working tea plantation to enjoy lunch, then explore Sim’s Park. (B, L) Day 15 | Travel to Bandipur National Park Travel to Bandipur, boasting the largest elephant habitat in south Asia. Discover the park on a jungle safari by ‘canter’ open bus. Overnight at the 3-star Windflower Resort & Spa. (B, L, D) Day 16 | Enjoy a morning safari before continuing to Mysore Bandipur is home to sloth bears, guars, langurs, four-horned antelope, and 200 species of birds. After a morning canter safari, drive to Mysore and visit the railway museum and the historic Devaraja market. Two nights at the 5-star Radisson Hotel. (B) Day 17 | Visit the local landmarks before an evening Mysore Palace illumination Visit the UNESCO listed palace; the Jaganmohan Art Palace gallery; and Chamundi Hills, crowned by the Chamundeshwari Temple. After lunch at the Lalitha Mahal Palace hotel, visit Tipu Sultan’s grand summer palace. This evening, see Mysore Palace illumination. (B, L) Day 18 | Travel to Hassan and visit the local monuments Drive to Hassan (3hrs) and visit the 12th-century temples of Belur and Hoysaleswara. Overnight at the 3-star Hoysala Village Resort, Hassan. (B) Day 19 | Visit Sravanbelagola Temple and continue to Bangalore Visit the nearby Sravanbelagola Temple and continue by road to Bangalore (4hrs) for two nights at the 5-star ITC Windsor Hotel. (B) Day 20 | Enjoy the highlights of Bangalore View the Vidhan Soudha state legislature building and visit Tipu Sultan’s Palace; the Chitrakala Parishath visual arts complex; and the 16th-century Bull Temple. (B) Day 21 | Fly home from Bangalore Transfer to Bangalore airport for your return flight home. (B) For the full itinerary for this tour visit: vjv.com/south-india
45 For more information & to book online visit vjv.com or call us on 020 3553 3945
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