Sights and Sounds of the South
Itinerary
- Itinerary:Bangalore - Mysore - Kabini - Wayanad - Tholpetty - Ooty - Coonoor - Cochin - Kerala Backwaters - Periyar National Park - Munnar - Madurai - Tanjore - Pondicherry - Mamallapuram
- Duration:21 days / 20 nights (flexible)
- Price:from £ 2,259.- per person (excluding flights)
Days 1-3 – Arrival in Bangalore
Meet the modern face of India in Bangalore, the trendy gateway to the south. Packed with leafy parks, coffee shops and progressive technology, it’s an urban taste of the future. Bangalore is a business hub with a heart. Known as India’s ‘Garden City’, it’s peppered with green parks filled with hipster young professionals. Here, tradition nudges up against the New World, as hi-tech companies jostle with wandering cows and street stalls set up outside boutique restaurants.
Days 3-8 – Through emerald valleys to Kerala
From Bangalore, you’ll travel by private car to Mysore, which will take between 4 to 5 hours. Explore mystical temples, wander through tea plantations and spot wild elephant on safari en route to tropical Kerala. Stay in traditional accommodation, breathe in heady spices and go on a jeep safari in Tholpetty and also in Kabini. It’s a brilliant taste of the sizzling south. Beginning in booming Bangalore, you’ll travel to the dazzling city of Mysore, peppered with gorgeous palaces, spice markets and silk traders.
From there, you’ll head into the forest to search for elephants, wild boar, giant squirrels and monkeys. After that, you’ll set off through the lush, green tea hills to Ooty, a charming little hill station. From here you’ll board the toy train and take a scenic journey through the Nilgiri Hills to Coonoor. You’ll try your hand at tea-picking in the green hills before crossing into atmospheric Fort Cochin.
Days 8-10 – Classical dance in Cochin
You’ll stay in the colonial home of a local family in the historic Fort Cochin district (we can arrange a hotel instead if you’d prefer). The next day, your driver will take you around the sights of Cochin. You can visit the Dutch Palace, the Jewish Synagogue in the heart of the Jewish district, and the Saint Francis Church (the oldest European church in India). In the afternoon, we’ve arranged a Kathakali dance class for you.
Days 10-13 – Backwaters and wildlife
Kerala is India’s exotic, emerald heart, packed with lush scenery and a tangle over overgrown backwaters. During this trip, you’ll travel from Fort Cochin to Keralan backwaters, spending the night on a traditional rice barge. Sleep aboard a wooden houseboat as you drift through tropical canals, passing by the villages and navigating through entangled canals. Next day, after a 4-hours drive you’ll reach Periyar National Park, where you’ll set off on a walking safari through the jungle. Trek into the forest to scout for sambar deer, wild boar and maybe even a mongoose or two.
Days 13-15 – Chai in the sky
Next up, you’ll head up the winding hills to the spectacular hill station of Munnar (approx 4 hours drive). A small town nestled in emerald tea plantations, stop in the hill station of Munnar to unwind for a couple of days. The magnificent views of this region and the cool mountain air are two of the many reasons to add in a stay here. You can easily while away time exploring the forests, valleys and the jade green tea estates. You’ll also learn about the history of tea-growing in this area, and then get to sample the different brews on offer.
Days 15-21 – Mystical temples of the south
Next up, you’ll be transferred to Madurai by your private driver in an air-conditioned car. This journey time takes approx. 4-5 hours.
Over seven days, you’ll travel from Madurai to Chennai, stopping in several eye-opening places along the way and getting into the spirit of the south. Travel from rainbow temples to traditional French bakeries and windswept mystical beaches in Tamil Nadu. Soak up the spiritual atmosphere of India’s sizzling south, where the locals are friendly and the food is fiery. Watch sunset prayer ceremonies, visit authentic ashrams and dodge holy cows. Tamil Nadu is a sacred, steamy state. Drenched in devotion and peppered with pastel-coloured temples, it is rich in ancient culture. The cuisine is hotter than the weather, so prepare your taste buds for a blast.
Unfortunately, your South India holiday has now come to an end. You’ll be collected by our driver and transferred to Chennai airport where you’ll fly home.
For this bite-sized trip we offer the following options
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- Price:from £ 3,099.- per person (excluding flights)
- Included:In Style accommodation, excursions, transport and meals as described above
For the locations included in this itinerary we have alternative options available in terms of comfort. Our In Style options can be more luxurious, offer something unique or offer a more comfortable transport option – all with that local flavour! If you would like to upgrade your itinerary, select our In Style option below.
