South India Temples And Backwater 15 days

Day 1 Arrive Chennai

On arrival at Chennai airport, assistance & transfer to the hotel. Rest time is free to relax and for personal activities. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2 Chennai (B)

City tour of Chennai. Visit Fort St. George & St Mary`s Church inside the fort, built by the British East India Company in 1640 AD. Kapaleeshwarar Temple is a holy shrine of Lord Shiva, originally built by the mighty Pallavas and rebuilt in the 16th century by the Vijayanagar kings. Vadapalani Murugan Temple is one of the most frequented places of worship for Hindus in Chennai. The Government Museum, built in the Indo-Sarcenic style it houses a rich collection of works of Raja Ravi Varma. Dakshinachitra Museum, one of the living-history museums. Santhome Cathedral is a historical and ancient pilgrim centre, which was built during the 14th to the 15th century AD by the then reigning Portuguese. Drive past Marina Beach, a 13 km long natural urban beach along the Bay of Bengal. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3 Chennai - Pondicherry (160kms) (B)

Drive to Pondicherry via Kanchipuram & Mahabalipuram. In Kanchipuam, visit Kailasanathar temple, an 8th-century temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. The Ekambareswarar temple, an ancient temple dedicated to Siva, has a 2500-year-old mango tree inside the temple has 4 branches, each yields different varieties of mangoes. Varadharaja Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Vaikundhaperumal temple is dedicated to lord Vishnu & Kamakshiamman temple is the ultimate form of Goddess Parvati. In Mahabalipuram, visit Monolithic Temples, Five Rathas, an excellent example of the evolution of Dravidian style architecture. Krishna's Butterball is a gigantic granite boulder resting on a short incline. 7th century Cave Temples cut and decorated with panels in the Mamalla style. Shore Temple was built with blocks of granite in the 7th century during the rule of King Narsimha-Varman II Rajasimha. The temple complex consists of two Siva temples and a carving of Anantasayana Vishnu. The Arjuna`s Penance is an enormous rock-cut relief, one of the largest in the world. Continue driving to Pondichery, check in & overnight at the hotel.

Day 4 Pondicherry (B)

Visit Auroville, an experimental community founded in 1968 by the spiritual leader Mirra Alfassa as a town where people from all over the world could live in harmony. Its focal point is the Matrimandir, a futuristic, spherical temple covered in gold discs. Pondicherry Museum houses a fantastic collection of bronze sculptures of gods and goddesses, a wide range of temple lamps, handicrafts and art. Drive past or walk through stunning French Quarters, charming mustard streets, colonial villas and vibrant Tamil settlements. Besides a very picturesque view of the lovely alleys and narrow lanes, you can also marvel at the gorgeous architecture of the French colonial settlements, which include the French consulate, Raj Nivas, Government Square, Churches & French schools. Evening to relax on the beach. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5 Pondicherry - Thanjore (220kms) (B)

Drive to Thanjavur via visiting the Nataraja Temple dedicated to the dancing posture of Lord Shiva at Chidambaram. Constructed during the 10th century when Chidambaram used to be the capital of the Chola dynasty, the architecture of the temple represents the link between arts and spirituality. Next, drive to Gangaikonda Cholapuram, built in the Tamil style of architecture with a square plan. The temple complex includes Nandi Mandapa, Alankar Mandapa, Maha Mandapa, Mukha Mandapa and Ardha Mandapa. And Darasuram Temple is a storehouse of art and architecture with an 85-feet-high vimana. The front mandapam itself is in the form of a huge chariot drawn by horses. The temple has some exquisite stone carvings. The main deity's consort, Periya Nayaki Amman temple, is situated adjacent to Airavateshwarar temple. Arrive at Thanjavur, check in & overnight at the hotel.

Day 6 Thanjore (B)

Visit Brihadeshwara Temple, built in the 10th century, which is an outstanding example of Chola architecture and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The shrine is a 216-foot structure, the sanctum is dotted with paintings from the Chola and Nayak periods and the statue of Nandi the Bull welcomes at the entrance. Vijayanagar Fort was built by Nayaks and partly by Maratha rulers during the early 1550 AD. The Thanjavur Art Gallery, located in the Thanjavur Palace, has an exquisite collection of ancient sculptures and coins. Saraswathi Mahal Library is another section of the Palace where over 30,000 palm leaf and paper manuscripts are preserved. Rest time to explore the villages nearby. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 Thanjore - Trichy - Chettinad (145kms) (B)

Drive to Chettinad via visiting Trichy Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, the largest functional temple in the world. The temple complex, along with the surrounding area, covers a total area of 156 acres. There are 22 gopurams, including India`s tallest, 72 meters, 13 storeys high. Many people have had a hand in its construction, including the Cheras, Pandyas, Cholas, Hoysalas and rulers from Vijayanagar. The 83m high Rock Fort is the only outcrop in the flat land of the city. The rock is one of the oldest in the world-approximately 3800 million years, which makes it as old as the rocks of Greenland and older than the Himalayas. Also visit Jambukeswarar Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, which houses five concentric walls and seven gopurams. Arrive Chettinad, check in & overnight at the hotel.

Day 8 Chettinad - Madurai (90kms) (B)

Visit Chettinad, the region well known for its 19th-century mansions, whose wide courtyards and spacious rooms are embellished with marble and teak. Construction materials, decorative items, and furnishings were mostly imported from East Asian countries and Europe. The marble was brought from Italy, chandeliers and teak from Burma, crockery from Indonesia, crystals from Europe and wall-to-wall mirrors from Belgium. Many of these mansions were built using a type of limestone known as Karai. They were built by men who once traded in everything from salt to gems. But in the mid-20th century, most Chettiar families moved to cities. Their palatial homes were left in the custody of caretakers, who maintained them for those rare occasions, such as weddings or Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, when the family came to visit.

Afternoon drive to Madurai, check in & overnight at the hotel.

Day 9 Madurai - Thekkady (160kms) (B)

Visit Meenakshi Temple, one of the largest temple complexes in India, built between the 16th to 18th centuries. Apart from the estimated 33 million sculptures there, the temple is absorbing with the endless rounds of ceremonies, prostration of countless devotees and glittering market stalls. The Thirumalai Nayakar Palace, built in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, the palace depicts the perfect blend of Dravidian and Rajput styles. Also visit Alagar Koil, Tiruparankundram Murugan Temple & Palamuthirsolai Murugan Temple. Afternoon drive to Thekkady, check-in & overnight at the hotel.

Day 10 Thekkady (B)

Visit Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary on a boat. The tropical evergreen and deciduous forests teeming with elephants, bison, sambar deer, wild dogs, jungle cats, tiger and wild boar, along with various species of snake, including cobras, vipers, kraits and many non-poisonous snakes, are a wildlife lover`s dream. A variety of birds such as grey jungle fowl, Malabar grey hornbill, woodpeckers and bulbuls also have found a home in this sanctuary. Afterwards, take a spice plantation tour to see crops of cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, tea estates etc. You could stop at the local market and pick some fragrant spices. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 11 Thekkady - Alleppey (140kms) (B, L, D)

Transfer to Alleppey boat jetty to board a houseboat and sail through the tropical countryside, enchanting backwaters. While sailing, enjoy palm-fringed narrow canals winding through the vast expanse of paddy fields and the neat, tiny hamlets lined up along either side of the canals, the panoramic sights that one can never forget. Pass through one of the few areas in the world where farming is done below sea level. Alleppey is referred to as the Venice of the East, due to canals, backwaters, and lagoons. Boats are the main mode of transportation here; you can see Shikara boats, small motorboats, passenger boats, cargo boats, and houseboats. In the evening, enjoy the sunset from the sun deck of the houseboats. The Houseboats have generated electricity, a sitting cum dining area, a separate bedroom with attached English toilets, a sun deck and a fully loaded kitchen with a chef & driver. The Houseboats have generated electricity, a sitting cum dining area, a separate bedroom with attached English toilets, a sun deck and a fully loaded kitchen with a chef & driver. Overnight in a houseboat.

Day 12 Alleppey - Marari (20kms) (B)

Disembark from the houseboat and transfer to Marari beach, check in at the hotel. Rest day free and easy to relax on the beach. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 13 Marari (B)

Day free and easy to relax on the beach. Overnight at the hotel. (Transport not included)

Day 14 Marari (B)

Day free and easy to relax on the beach. Overnight at the hotel. (Transport not included)

Day 15 Marari - Cochin/ Departure (Flight) (B)

Drive to Cochin, meet your guide and 3/4 hours city tour. Visit Fort Cochin, a charming seaside area known for its Dutch, Portuguese & British colonial architecture and elaborate bamboo fishing nets at Fort Kochi Beach. St. Francis Church was the original burial site of explorer Vasco da Gama. Upscale eateries and chic cafes serve Kerala specialities, and quaint shops sell cotton clothing and handmade souvenirs. Heritage buildings house contemporary art galleries. Also visit the Jewish Synagogue & the Mattancherry Dutch Palace.

Later in the evening, transfer to Cochin airport to board the flight for the onward destination.