Temples & Tigers

14 days, 13 nights

+- Overview

In India’s far south, the names Tamil Nadu and Kerala evoke powerful images of inspired Hindu temple sites, game-rich reserves, the lush beauty of the Western Ghats, palm-lined beaches and tranquil canals.  Spend 14 days taking in the Wonders of South India, discovering rich layers of history and culture that go back thousands of years.  In Chennai, once the first British foothold in India, experience a clash of cultures where remnants of the Raj still linger.  Travelling through the heart of Tamil Nadu, one stop after another is an awe-inspiring encounter with the imaginative, artistic and detailed temple complexes reflecting an array of spiritual architecture that spans several millennia. 

Route Details

Chennai (1) Mahabalipuram (1) Pondicherry (1) Tanjore (1) Madurai (2) Periyar (1) Cochin (2) House Boat Cruise (1) Kumarakom (1) Kovalam (2) Trivandrum

In the crisp air of the Western Ghats that bound the State of Kerala on its Eastern border, enter the realm of the tiger, as you watch for tantalizing glimpses of this increasing rare lord of the jungle in the Periyar Reserve.  Cochin is a tantalizing mix of cultures and religions and once the centre of the spice trade upon which Empires were built.  Relax as you cruise along the backwaters and canals of Kerala in a comfortable houseboat that take you to beautiful, untrammeled areas before finishing this exception tour relaxing on the Indian Ocean beaches of Kovalam. 

+- Daily Itinerary
+ - Day 1 Chennai
Arrival

Upon arrival in Chennai (formerly Madras) and after clearing immigration and customs, you will be met and transferred to your hotel for an overnight stay. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Overnight Accommodations

Radha Park – Moderate
GRT Grand – First Class
taj Connemara

+ - Day 2 Chennai Mahabalipuram

Following breakfast, tour Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu and Britain’s oldest settlement in the days of the Raj. Visit the Marina Beach - second longest beach in the world, it’s an elegant promenade and then Fort St. George where Robert Clive started the expansion of British Rule.  Afterwards drive to Mahabalipuram and check in to your hotel for a 2-night stay.  In the afternoon, visit Mahabalipuram, an ancient coastal port south of Madras famous for the Five Radhas. These monolithic monuments of animal figures are carved out of solid rock. Also visit the cave temple and see wonderful frescoes.  The evening is at leisure.

Overnight Accommodations

MGM Beach Resort – Moderate
Fisherman's Cove – First Class
Fisherman's Cove

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 3 Mahabalipuram Kanchipuram Pondicherry

Leaving Mahabalipuram after breakfast, travel south to Pondicherry, once a French colony.  En route, visit Kanchipuram, known as the Golden City of a Thousand Temples.  This is one of India’s sacred sites and you’ll see many early styles of temple architecture. On arrival in Pondicherry, take a tour of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Ecole Francaise d’ Extreme Orient and The French Institute.

Overnight Accommodations

Annamalai – Moderate
Atithi – First Class
Sunway GRT Grand

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 4 Pondicherry Chidambaram Tanjore

Drive south this morning to Tanjore, en-route visiting Chidambaram. This city was a part of the Chola dynasty and is today, an important pilgrim centre and known for its Nataraja Temple.  Arrive in Tanjore (also known as Thanjavur) and after checking in to your hotel for an overnight stay.  This afternoon’s tour in Tanjore includes a giant statue to Nandi, and a 10th Century Cholas temple.  This city is noted for not only the famous Chola Bronzes of old but also for its pottery, silk, jewelery, beaten copper and silver statuettes.

Overnight Accommodations

Hotel Parisumtham – Moderate
Hotel Parisumtham – First Class
Hotel Sangam

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 5 Tanjore Madurai

Today enjoy a leisurely 4-hour drive travelling southwest through Tamil Nadu to Madurai.  En route visit Trichy a sacred Hindu city situated on the banks of river Cauvery. Famous for its beautifully sculpted Ranganatha temple at Srirangam, you will also visit the Rock Fort and Museum and Art galleries.  Upon arrival in Madurai, check into your hotel for a 2-night stay.

Overnight Accommodations

GRT Regency – Moderate
GRT Regency – First Class
The Gateway Taj

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 6 Madurai

Today, tour Madurai, one of the oldest cities of southern India and a center of pilgrimage for centuries. See the Meenakshi temple, an excellent example of Dravidian architecture, with its multi-pillared halls, covered in a profusion of multi-colored images of gods, goddesses, animals and mythical figures. Then walk among the pilgrims in their traditional clothes and holy men in their different colored robes soaking in the ambiance to this fascinating Temple City. The balance of the day is at leisure until this evening when you will witness an Aarti ceremony at the Shree Meenakshi Temple.

Overnight Accommodations

GRT Regency – Moderate
GRT Regency – First Class
The Gateway Taj

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 7 Madurai Periyar

Today’s drive takes you up in to the cool, misty Cardamom Hills to stay at Periyara, a magnificently scenic region 4,000 feet above sea level with forests, valleys, roaring streams and pristine jungles. In the afternoon visit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, one of India’s first Project Tiger Reserves.  Your wildlife viewing takes place by boat on Lake Periyar, where you often see elephants feeding and bathing.  Look for sambar deer and giant wild oxen browsing in the marshes.  If you are lucky, you will get a rare sighting of tiger.  Spend the night in splendid isolation at your comfortable jungle cottage. 

Overnight Accommodations

Tree Top – Moderate
Cardamom Country – First Class
Elephant Court

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 8 Periyar Cochin

Spend the day travelling, coming down out of the Western Ghats into the State of Kerala.  Arrive in Cochin on the Indian Ocean coast for a 2-night stay.  This evening a special treat awaits you as you witness the strength and vigor of Kathakali dance drama.  This enactment of episodes from great Indian epics is full of extremely stylized gestures, and the all-male dancers wear elaborate make-up, masks and the splendid costumes to recreate an incomparable pageantry.

Overnight Accommodations

Abad Plaza – Moderate
Abad Atrium – First Class
Le Meridien Cochin

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 9 Cochin

Spend the day touring Cochin (also called Kochi).  With its magnificent setting on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, Cochin is a city with indelible marks of Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Jewish traditions. The Fort Cochin area reflects an unusual blend of medieval Portuguese, Dutch and English country life grafted on to the tropical Malabar Coast. The 16th century Mattancherry Palace, or Dutch Palace, is a fascinating fort with elegant buildings. Unique to Cochin is its Jewish community, whose origins date back to AD 52.  Self-contained and with their own Synagogue, the area is one of the main centers of the spice trade. Scores of small firms huddle together in old dilapidated buildings and the air is filled with the aroma of ginger, cardamom, cumin, turmeric and cloves.

Overnight Accommodations

Abad Plaza – Moderate
Abad Atrium – First Class
Le Meridien Cochin

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 10 Cochin Alleppey

The morning is free to relax or explore more of Cochin on your own. Later, drive to Alleppey, and board a Houseboat for the unique experience of travelling through the narrow canals and channels of the backwaters of Kerala. These bamboo and coconut fiber houseboats have all the comforts of home.  At night dine on delicious fish and prawns by traditional lantern light. Cruise past remote tribal villages along the tranquil backwaters of Kerala, past coir (Jute) making communities and rice paddies.

Overnight Accommodations

House Boat – Moderate
House Boat – First Class
House Boat

Included Meals

Breakfast, Lunch

+ - Day 11 Alleppey Kumarakom

Disembark this morning at Kumarakom where you will be met and transferred to your hotel.  The balance of the day is at leisure. Kumarakom is a small beautiful village with so much to see.  Why not take an optional trip to Kerala’s famous backwaters, or enjoy a visit to the bird sanctuary (additional cost).

Overnight Accommodations

Backwater Ripples – Moderate
Backwater Ripples – First Class
Vivanta by Taj

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 12 Kumarakom Kovalam

After a morning’s drive, arrive in the coastal town of Kovalam for a 2-night stay.  The balance of the day is free for beach activities (own expense).

Overnight Accommodations

Travancore Heritage – Moderate
Travancore Heritage – First Class
Vivanta by Taj

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 13 Kovalam

A full day free for beach activities (own expense).

Overnight Accommodations

Travancore Heritage – Moderate
Travancore Heritage – First Class
Vivanta by Taj

Included Meals

Breakfast

+ - Day 14 Kovalam Trivandrum

This morning you will be transferred from Kovalam to the airport in Trivandrum.

Departure

Included Meals

Breakfast

+- Accommodations

Overnight Accommodations

We offer several packages for this tour. The package price varies by your selected accommodations. The itinerary is the same for each package.

+-Moderate
+ - Radha Park
+ - MGM Beach Resort
+ - Annamalai

LOCATION – Annamalai is located in the heart of Pondicherry and 4km form Pondicherry Airport.

Hotel Annamalai International offers well-furnished accommodation, excellent in quality and provides the discerning guest with the ultimate in both comfort and convenience. All rooms are equipped with the most modern amenities.  The swimming pool amidst of rock garden with paddling pool promises sheer exhilaration.  The hotel has 70 well appointed rooms, multi-cuisine restaurant and vegetarian restaurant with exclusive vegetarian kitchen.  The hotel offers 4 conference halls, swimming pool with terrace and business centre.

+ - Hotel Parisumtham
+ - GRT Regency
+ - Tree Top
+ - Abad Plaza

LOCATION – The hotel is located in the downtown area near the Railway stations (2Kms), bus station (1/2 Kms) and on a direct road to the International airport (30 Kms).

Abad Plaza is a place where warm hospitality lends a welcome note.  With a choice of 80 well appointed tastefully decorated centrally air-conditioned rooms and suites with direct dialing facilities, television with satellite channels, attached bath and round the clock room service.  The hotel offers numerous dining options which include: Regency which offers Indian, Chinese & Continental dishes; Kadaloram which is a Seafood Specialty restaurant featuring the delicacies of the West Coast of India; Canopy Coffee Shop which offers a range of ice cream, pastries, burgers, pizza and sandwiches.  Guests can take advantage of the distinctive services which include: Ayurveda center and a Fitness Center, Swimming pool, Business center, travel desk, concierge, currency exchange & laundry. Banqueting & conference facilities to cater up to 600 persons.

 

+ - House Boat
+ - Backwater Ripples

Location:  The resort is on the Vembanadu Backwater Lake Shore in Kumarakom, Kerala.

Stroll under the canopy of coconut trees, sipping tender coconut water; enjoy an afternoon leisure swim in the pool, or snap up the ever-changing scenes on the backwater that surround you at this enchanting slice of heaven.  The hotel sits comfortably within the lush lakeside gardens that it inhabits. Backwater Ripples offers traditional Kerala Architecture cottages for the leisure and the business traveller. The resort has 34 cottages and executive rooms in a range of layouts including cottages with a spectacular view of the Vembanadu Lake. Spacious open air bathrooms are seamlessly connected to large bed rooms. Natural material such as wood, granite and marble create a feeling of warmth and luxury.  Vedasparsh, the Green Leaf certified Ayurvedic healing centre at Backwater Ripples is managed by a well qualified and highly experienced doctor, assisted by a team of skilled therapists. Vedasparsh offers several result-oriented therapies designed to unwind, tone up and rejuvenate within a realistic time frame.

+ - Travancore Heritage
+-First Class
+ - GRT Grand
+ - Fisherman's Cove
+ - Atithi
+ - Hotel Parisumtham
+ - GRT Regency
+ - Cardamom Country
+ - Abad Atrium

LOCATION – Abad Atrium Hotel is located in the downtown Cochin in the area of Ernakulam.  The hotel is located 2 km form Ernakulam Town Railway Station and on the direct road to the Airport (30 km).

There are 52 modern, air-conditioned rooms with attached baths, telephone with Internet access, televisions with satellite channels and sound proof windows.  The hotel offers Café Royal, a 24 hr restaurant serving, Indian, Continental & Chinese cuisine and seafood specialties.  Guest can take advantage of the many recreation activities offered at the hotel, there is a book shop, super market, fitness centre and pool with pool side party area. 

+ - House Boat
+ - Backwater Ripples

Location:  The resort is on the Vembanadu Backwater Lake Shore in Kumarakom, Kerala.

Stroll under the canopy of coconut trees, sipping tender coconut water; enjoy an afternoon leisure swim in the pool, or snap up the ever-changing scenes on the backwater that surround you at this enchanting slice of heaven.  The hotel sits comfortably within the lush lakeside gardens that it inhabits. Backwater Ripples offers traditional Kerala Architecture cottages for the leisure and the business traveller. The resort has 34 cottages and executive rooms in a range of layouts including cottages with a spectacular view of the Vembanadu Lake. Spacious open air bathrooms are seamlessly connected to large bed rooms. Natural material such as wood, granite and marble create a feeling of warmth and luxury.  Vedasparsh, the Green Leaf certified Ayurvedic healing centre at Backwater Ripples is managed by a well qualified and highly experienced doctor, assisted by a team of skilled therapists. Vedasparsh offers several result-oriented therapies designed to unwind, tone up and rejuvenate within a realistic time frame.

+ - Travancore Heritage
+-Deluxe
+ - taj Connemara
+ - Fisherman's Cove
+ - Sunway GRT Grand
+ - Hotel Sangam
+ - The Gateway Taj
+ - Elephant Court

LOCATION – The Elephant Court is located close to the Thekkady forests, about a km feomm Kumali in the Southern Indian state of Kerala.  The Thekkadi forests are home, both, to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and to the Asiatic Elephant. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the best tropical wildlife sanctuaries in the world and is the repository of rare endemic flora and fauna.

The accommodation at the Elephant Court comprises of 52 patio rooms, 4 executive enclaves, 3 garden suites, 3 pool studios, 2 honeymoon suites and 1 family enclave.  The dominant color theme in all the living spaces at the Elephant Court is composed of earthy hues of brown and pale green set off by crisp cotton sheets and pillows. The furnishing in cane and wood and jute subtly emphasize the connection with nature prevalent all over the property.  The cuisine of Kerala is the highlight of dining at the Elephant Court. Flavoured largely by the essences of coconut and spices, it is both subtle and provocative. Open on two sides, with a view of the swimming pool, the restaurant and the coffee shop offer a unique dining experience, surrounded by nature. The restaurant also has on offer, cuisine from different parts of the world as well as from other regions of India.  The resort offers conference facilities, swimming pool with Jacuzzi, indoor game area and health club, library lounge, curio shop and meditation and yoga centre.

 

+ - Le Meridien Cochin

LOCATION – The hotel is conveniently located, close to both the city and bustling commercial center in Kochin and 30 minutes drive from the International Airport. 

Nestled amongst 25 acres of coconut groves and backwater rivers, Le Méridien Kochi sits at the heart of one of India’s most naturally beautiful cities.  The 223 spacious rooms and suites, most with breathtaking views over the manicured gardens and the backwaters, are outfitted to meet guest’s modern needs yet still retain the elegance and warmth of Cochin’s heritage.  Le Méridien Kochi features an array of dining options, venues for live entertainment, an Ayurvedic spa, a three-tiered outdoor swimming pool, a whirlpool, and a fitness club. The Conference Centre has 12 conference halls, including a variety of indoor and outdoor meeting spaces.

+ - House Boat
+ - Vivanta by Taj
+- Inclusions

Features & Services

Included

  • Airport Meet & Greet

    We'll meet you at Chennai airport upon your arrival. Driver gratuity is awarded at your discretion.

  • Airport & Hotel Transfers

    We'll provide reliable transportation to and from the airport to your hotel in Chennai & Trivandrum. We'll ensure you depart on time, and arrive safely and comfortably from one destination to the next.

  • 13 Nights Accommodations

    We provide you with overnight accommodations for 13 nights with private en-suite facilities, as described in your selected itinerary.

  • Included Meals

    We provide you with the meals as described in the daily itinerary. Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions in advance.

  • Daily Transfers

    We cover your transportation from the door of your hotel to the next destination each day on an air-conditioned mini bus.

  • Driver & Guides

    Our professional guides are at your service. We guarantee our guides are friendly, knowledgeable, and eager to help you. All our local guides and drivers speak English fluently.

  • Local Fees & Taxes

    We cover applicable entrance fees for sightseeing and excursions as described in the itinerary. We cover applicable local government taxes and service charges on accommodations and transportation.

  • Air conditioning

    Included in your rooms and transportation. Carrying plenty of drinking water is recommended.

Not Included

  • International Airfare, Airport Taxes & Fees

    Our price includes land arrangements only. See our Air & Land Inclusive collection for packages that include airfare.

  • Meals not described on the itinerary

    Food and beverages not described in the itinerary may be purchased as needed.

  • Tips & Gratuities

    Tips and gratuities to drivers, guides, hotel/camp and restaurant staff shall be awarded at your discretion.

  • Hotel & Room Services

    We provide overnight accommodations as described in the itinerary. Hotel or room services enjoyed during your stay that are not described in the itinerary are added to your total.

  • Personal Items & Services

    Items or services of a personal nature, such as telephone/Internet usage, laundry, gifts, or transportation not described in the itinerary are additional.

  • Optional tours or excursions

    Time permitting, any optional tours or excursions not mentioned in the itinerary may be enjoyed at your own expense.

+- Booking

Dates & Pricing

We offer several packages for this tour. The package price varies by selected accommodations. The itinerary is the same for each package.

Display prices in Hide this box

+-Moderate

For Travel Dates Between:

Price:

Single Room Supplement:

 
Per person, based on double twin room occupancy.
For single room occupancy when joining a minimum of 2 passengers.
+-First Class

For Travel Dates Between:

Price:

Single Room Supplement:

 
Per person, based on double twin room occupancy.
For single room occupancy when joining a minimum of 2 passengers.
+-Deluxe

For Travel Dates Between:

Price:

Single Room Supplement:

 
Per person, based on double twin room occupancy.
For single room occupancy when joining a minimum of 2 passengers.

Booking Details

Departures

Join daily in Chennai. (minimum of 2 passengers)

Christmas & New Year’s

Christmas & New Year’s supplements apply, please contact us for rates.