Every
district in Kerala has it’s own unique culture and characteristics.
Thiruvananthapuram is known for it’s beach – Kovalam, for the Sri
Padmanabhaswamy Temple and various museums and palaces; Alappuzha for it’s
backwaters, Thrissur, the cultural capital, Kottayam for it’s ancient
churches, Kozhikode for it’s old world charm and the entrancing Idukki
or Spice valley.General Information :
Capital
Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum)
The People Kerala also has considerable ethnic diversity. The Malayali majority belong to the Dravidian group (local race) of early Indian people.
Language
Malayalam
Culture
The state's rich cultural heritage is manifest in its varieties of religious architecture - ancient Hindu temples with copper-clad roofs, later Islamic mosques with "Malabar gables" and colonial Portuguese Baroque churches.
Splendid paintings, especially murals, exhibit distinct local traditions and styles. The land is a flourishing centre of the Kathakali dance form. The state has also a rich theatre tradition - the only surviving Sanskrit drama, Koodiyattam, is still performed by the Chakkiars of Kerala. Some principles of the Natya-Sastra are evident in their presentations.
Occupation : Agriculture is the state's main economic activity. Plantations of cardamom, cashew nut, coconuts, coffee, ginger, pepper, rubber and tea account for 40 % of the total land.
Climate
The climate is equable and varies little from season to season. The temperature normally ranges between 27° and 32° C in the plains but drops to about 21° C in the highlands.
Winter - 32 to 20° C. Kerala is strongly buffeted by both the southwest and northeast monsoons. Rainfall in many parts of the state exceeds 118 inches.
Best Season
October to March
Population
33 million.
MUMBAI - CALICUT - KASARGOD - KANNUR - VYTHIRI - CALICUT - SHORNUR - COCHIN - MUNNAR - THEKKADY - KOTTAYAM - KUMARAKOM - ALLEPPEY - KOVALAM.
Arrive Mumbai from your home country. Garland welcome, assistance & transfer to the pre-booked hotel. Morning free to relax. Afternoon we make a short trip to visit the Mumbai City. We will visit the Gateway of India – the great archway was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911 and also Prince of Wales Museum designed in the Indo-Sarcenic style and has sections for art and paintings, archaeology and natural history. O/n Hotel.
DAY 02 MUMBAI TO CALICUT TO KASARGOD
Morning after breakfast transfer to the domestic airport, board flight to Calicut. Arrive Calicut, direct transfer to Kasargod (about 195kms/ 04hrs), check into the hotel.
Starting with Kasargod as the gateway to God’s Own Country will put you in memory with a different face of Kerala – classical, ancient, and gentle. Definitely touched by colonialism but not ravaged by wars and intensely aware of its roots and traditions. Kasargod is known as the land of Gods, forts, rivers, hills and beautiful seashores. O/n Hotel.
DAY 03 KASARGOD TO KANNUR
Morning after breakfast visit the Bekal Fort, the largest and the best-preserved fort in Kerala. After sightseeing we will make a drive to Kannur (about 115kms/03hrs) , a city known for its handloom and beedi (local cigarettes) industries. Check into the hotel. Evening we make a short drive to Sree Muthappan Temple in Parassinikadavu (18kms). Temple stands on the banks of the Valapattanam River. This is the only temple in Kerala where Theyyam the ritual dance form of North Kerala is performed every morning and evening. The temple’s non-conformist nature is also evident in the unusual custom of offering dried fish and toddy to the deity. Back to the hotel. O/n Hotel.
DAY 04 KANNURMorning after breakfast we will make a short drive to the Payyambalam Beach, the long and clean beach of Kannur town is famous for its flat laterite cliffs that just into the sea.
Also visit the St. Angelo Fort, this sea front laterite fort was constructed in 1505 AD by the first Portuguese Viceroy, with the consent of the ruling Kolathiri Raja. Afternoon visit the Ezhimala about 55km from Kannur town, at a height of 885 feet is Ezhimala, an isolated but conspicuous cluster of hills. The foot of hills is a cave and an old burial chamber. The combination of high hills and sandy beach make Ezhimala a beautiful spot. Back to the hotel. O/n Hotel.
DAY 05 KANNUR TO VYTHIRI
Morning after breakfast drive to Vythiri (about 160kms/04hrs) through Wayanad district with its peculiar and unique geographical positions is blessed with mist clad mountains and sylvan valleys. It is situated at a height of 700 to 1200 metres above sea level. The hills which might have been thick forest once are now plantations of coffee, tea and cardamom. There is luxuriant greenery all around. Check into the hotel. The rest of the day relax to explore the surrounding forests. O/n Hotel.
DAY 06 VYTHIRI
Morning we will do a trek to Ambakuthi Hills, there are the two Edakkal Caves, natural rock cut – out formation, formed by a large split in a huge rock roofed over by other large rocks, all fixed in position through natural processes. Back to the hotel, rest of the day to relax. O/n Hotel.
DAY 07 VYTHIRI TO CALICUT
Morning after breakfast drive to Calicut (about 75kms/02hrs), is famous in history as the capital of the Zamorin Rajas. It was one of the great ports on the west coast and is a port of call for cargo steamers even today. Check into the hotel. Afternoon we make a short drive to Kappad where Vasco-da-Gama set foot on the sands of Kappad beach, on 27th May 1498 AD. Enjoy the evening in the beach to watch the beautiful sunset. O/n Hotel.
DAY 08 CALICUT TO SHORNUR
Morning after breakfast drive to Shornur (about 125kms/03hrs), check into the heritage hotel located at the banks of ‘Bharathapuza’, a river of astonishing beauty, poetry and silence and close to the famed institute of arts - Kalamandalam. Evening we will make a short visit to Kerala Kalamandalam, responsible for the renaissance of Kathakali dance, was founded by the famous poet, the late Vallathol. Visit the training sessions from 1530 to 1730hrs. Evening spend the time on the banks of the river to watch the beautiful sunset. O/n Hotel.
DAY 09 SHORNUR TO COCHIN
Late morning we drive to Cochin, enroute visit the Guruvayoor. Visit the Punnathur Kotta, an ancient fort which houses 40 temple elephants. Drive to Cochin (about 100kms/02hrs). Check into the hotel. The rest of the day to relax or stroll around the antique street in Kochi. O/n Hotel.
DAY 10 COCHIN
Formed for its natural harbour, one of the finest in the world, Cochin has earned the sobriquet “Queen of the Arabian Sea”. Here you can see the oldest churches in India. The ancient temples, churches and synagogues. From time immemorial, Arabs, Chinese, Dutch, British and Portuguese sea farers followed the sea route to Cochin and left their impressions on the town.
Morning we make a short drive to visit the Mattancherry ‘Dutch’ Palace was built by Portuguese in 1557 and presented to the Cochin Raja, Kerala Varma. Afterthat move to the Jewish Synagogue, built in 1568. The great scrolls of the Old Testament and a number of copper plates inscribed in the Hebrew script are preserved in this synagogue. Later on to St. Francis Church, this Protestant church was built originally by the Portuguese in 1510 AD and it is believed to be the first church built by the Europeans in India. Vasco-da-Gama was buried here. Evening visit the Fort Kochin, the entrance of the harbour is dotted by the Chinese Fishing Nets. Silhouetted against the sunset, they present a spectacular sight of Cochin’s waterfront. O/n Hotel.
DAY 11 COCHIN TO MUNNARMorning after breakfast drive to Munnar (about 145kms/03hrs) is a beautiful, peaceful hill station covered with unending expanse of tea plantations, with an altitude ranging from 1600 to 1800 metres from sea level. Check into the hotel. Afternoon drive to the nearby Eravikulam wildlife Sanctuary, the home of the largest population of Ibex existing in the world now. O/n Hotel.
DAY 12 MUNNAR TO THEKKADY
Morning after breakfast drive to Thekkady (about 105kms/03hrs), the drive to Thekkady itself is enchanting as the road winds through rich plantations and jungles. Check into the hotel. Afternoon we will do a spice walk through various plantations. The rest of the day to relax. O/n Hotel.
DAY 13 THEKKADY
Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary is one of the India’s major sanctuaries, with elephant, monkeys and wild boar in abundance, as well as some other elusive but occasionally spotted species such as tigers. The sanctuary offers a lovely and comfortable way to see the animals, via boat rides on the man-made lake, which the wildlife areas encircle. Explore the sanctuary by cruising. O/n Hotel.
DAY 14 THEKKADY TO KUMARAKOM
Morning drive to Kumarakom (about 140kms/03hrs), the drive gives you a breathtaking views laid out in its glory along the road which winds from Periyar to Kottayam through the tranquil countryside, plantations of rubber, tea, coffee, cardamom and pepper. Check into the hotel. The rest of the day free to relax or visit the Bird sanctuary nearby known for local varieties. O/n Hotel.
DAY 15 KUMARAKOM
Morning after breakfast we make a drive to Aranmula, the heritage village in India, is also famous for its metal mirrors and the only ritual snake boat race of Kerala, which take place every year during Onam season. Visit the Vijnana Kala Vedi, a cultural centre has been introducing foreign visitors into Indian arts since 1977, when it was created by Ms. Louba Schid, a European artist living in Kerala since 1968, studying and performing Kathakali. Aranmula is world famous for its metal mirrors, “Aranmula Kannady”, unique for its alloy and its ancient method “lost wax” and polishing techniques. The proportion of the alloy is a secret, known only to the manufacturers, i.e. only to the members of a family who had been passing on this secret from generation to generations. We arrange a visit to the metal mirror workshops and the school for traditional architecture and mural painting. Back to the hotel. O/n Hotel.
DAY 16 KUMARAKOM TO ALLEPPEY
Morning we make a small cruise towards Alleppey, washed by the silvery waves of the Arabian Sea, interlocked with a large number of canals and bridges. Board a houseboat from the Finishing point boat jetty, cruise through the enchanting backwaters and lagoons. O/n Houseboat.
Morning after breakfast disembark from the houseboat, drive to Kovalam (about 180kms/04hrs) India’s most spectacular beach. Enroute visit the Napier Museum, an absolute gem of architectural exuberance. Visit the Padmanabhaswamy Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. Check into the hotel. The rest of the day to relax. O/n Hotel.
DAY 18 KOVALAM
The boundless blue of the Arabian Sea and the unwinding mile of fine sand washed by a surf which roars and hisses at the feet of coconuts palms, Kovalam is a sheltered natural bay.. You can sunbathe on the silver sands, the whole day on the beaches. O/n Hotel.
DAY 19 KOVALAM TO MUMBAI
Morning free to relax. Afternoon transfer to the Trivandrum domestic airport, board flight to Mumbai. Upon arrival, we will have the dinner from a good local restaurant, transfer to the Mumbai International airport to board flight to your home country.
DAY 20 MUMBAI TO EUROPE
WISH YOU A HAPPY JOURNEY