With hills ranging from 1500 feet to 9000 feet on its eastern border, warm waters of the Arabian Sea lapping its long secluded shoreline in the west, a tapestry of forty-four rivers and a multitude of lakes and waterfalls lacing through it, Kerala is seaside India at its best. Wildlife parks, Ayurvedic spas, exotic cuisine and the popular inland waterways are just some of the unique features bestowed upon this region, making Kerala one of the most desired vacation spots in India.
On this tour exploring the Malabar Coast, we visit with the tribals of the Kerala hill country before wending our way down to Kochi (Cochin), on the shores of the Arabian Sea. While enjoying this quaint, historic community, we also spend two days exploring the canals that make up the back waters of the Arabian Sea. Our tour ends with two luxurious days at a rejuvenating Ayurvedic spa.
All our departures feature either an elephant or ratha (chariot) temple festival.
Outline Itinerary
Day 1: Depart USA
Day 2: En route to Bangalore in South India.
Day 3: Most international flights arrive Bangalore very early in the morning. You will be met on arrival and transferred to your hotel. Day to get over jet-lag, explore the city. Tradition India “Welcome” dinner.
Day 4: Fly to Calicut and drive to Green Magic Tree House in Vythiri. This unique property built amidst 500 acres of pristine rainforest is totally "eco-friendly." All the lodges, tree house are built with local material and all meals are organic and totally chemical free.
Days 5: We have the full day in which to enjoy the rain forest nature preserve in Wayanand District of North Kerala.
Day 6: Fly from Calicut to Cochin on the Arabian Sea.
Day 7: We have the day in which to leisurely explore this seaside community. One evening, we will be treated to an Indian traditional Kathakali dance performance and have an opportunity to meet with the performers.
Days 8 & 9: These two days are spent in the interior as we witness an Elephant Temple Festival.
Days 10 & 11: On board a deluxe houseboat. We spend the day relaxing on the backwaters of Kerala, letting all our worries slowly float away. As we cruise along the backwater canals of the Arabian Sea, we may choose to stop and explore some of the many small villages, old temples and churches that we come across.
Day 12: We disembark the houseboat in Varkala and drive to our spa resort.
Days 13 & 14: While in the Varkala area, we will be staying at an ayurvedic spa resort.
Day 15: Morning at leisure at the spa. Early afternoon fly from Trivandrum back to Bangalore. After a sumptuous farewell dinner we depart for Bangalore Airport and our flight back to the USA.
Day 16: Arrive USA
Suggested Extensions:
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QuickEscapes – Temples
During this week-long southern sojourn we visit the most important World Heritage sites in South India: Madurai, Tanjore, Trichy and end with a couple of days relaxing in Mahabalipuram on the Bay of Bengal.
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QuickEscapes – North India
Explore the Imperial Cities of India – Delhi, Agra & Jaipur. These were the capitals of the Rajput, the Mughal and the British, the three major influences on India in the last 500 years.
Other itineraries featuring South India:
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