India, India Tours, Agra, Taj Mahal, Jaipur, Travel India

Days 1-2: Arrive Chennai (Madras), India’s 4th largest city and the major transport hub of the south. Spend a day exploring the city’s highlights including the Government Museum with its excellent collection of South Indian archaeological treasures including stone sculptures and Chola Bronzes.
Kapaleswarar, an 8th century Pallava Temple in the characteristic Dravidian style. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, this temple has some beautiful sculptures including 63 Saivaite Saints (Nayanmars) in bronze, which adorn the outer courtyard. San Thom Cathedral Basilica church at the southern end of Marina derives its name from St Thomas, the apostle of Christ who is believed to have come to Madras sometime during 52 AD. “Marina Beach” the pride of Chennai is the second longest beach in the World and has a wide sandy foreshore.

Days 3-5: Center of sandalwood, silk and incense industries, Mysore is dominated by the Maharajah’s Palace – a fairytale spectacle designed in a hybrid “Indo-Saracenic” style by a British architect. Sightseeing includes Saravana Belagola, one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage centers in India and the Palace of Mysore. In the evening visit the bull temple and a 2000-year-old temple dedicated to Goddess Chamundi. Kesava Temple at Somnathpur, 33kms from Mysore is one of the most famous Hoysala temples in Karnataka. This star shaped temple, built in 1268, is covered with beautiful sculptures depicting stories from the epics.

Day 6: Near Hassan visit the 12th century Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebid decorated with detailed and sensuous sculptures telling stories from the epics Ramayana, Mahabharatha & Bhagavath Geetha and histories of the rulers of Karnataka.

Days 7-9: The ruins of Vijayanagar (Hampi) were the capital of the largest empire in post-Mogul India – a city which boasted riches known far beyond the shores of India. The ruins of 14th century Hampi lie scattered over 26km2, amidst giant boulders and vegetation and silently narrate a story of grandeur, splendor and fabulous wealth. Every rock, every path and every monument at Hampi speaks of glory and beauty.

Days 10-12: Gokarna – the most scenically situated of India’s sacred sites – is set between a broad white-sand beach and the forest covered foothills of the western ghats. On the evening of day 12 transfer to the station for the overnight train to Cochin.

Days 13-14: Arriving in Cochin, transfer to the hotel for breakfast, before setting out to explore the city. Cochin is situated on a number of small islands and peninsulas. Ferries join the islands and you are transported by boat through the green lagoons that form the city’s harbor. In 1653 the Dutch settled in Cochin to trade in pepper. The spice trade is still important, as is shipbuilding. In the Dutch Palace beautiful murals depict episodes in Hindu mythology. Cochin boasts a 16th century Jewish synagogue and the only Jewish neighborhood in India. The ten meter high Chinese fishnets that Marco Polo mentioned are wonderful to see - a method of fishing that originated in the 11th century. After a trip to a backwater village finish the evening with the famous dance drama of Kerala, the Kathakali. Grotesque gesticulations, amazing costumes and very extensive make-up characterize this dance. The stories are mostly taken from the Mahabharaata and Ramaayana.

Day 15: The route to Alleppey is through a beautiful landscape of tea gardens. The backwaters are crisscrossed by canals, rice fields and beautiful palms; canoes with huge sails still transport people and you can find vegetable sellers, fisherman and other household materials being brought door to door in small wooden boats. The major crop here is coconut and it is said that the name Kerala derives from an old word for coconut, Kera. You can sunbathe on the deck or observe the landscape from the protection of the cabin. The population’s whole life takes place here on the water. The people sail, fish, swim and bathe here. They do their washing and their washing up. They are so adapted to the water that you can see people talking for an hour, while they are up to their necks in water. Peddlers take care of the supplies and the public transport goes on the water. Countless water birds wait for their chance to catch a fish.

Days 16-17: Set in the Cardamom Hills of the Western Ghats, Periyar is a great place to view bird and animal life, although tiger and leopard sightings are exceedingly rare. A Jungle walk at dawn and evening boat trip on the lake provide the best opportunities . You can also see different species of apes that often come close to the hotel. The golden langur monkey that lives here is rarely seen in the rest of India. A visit to nearby plantation gardens introduces numerous spices grown in the region as well as tea and coffee growing and processing methods.

Days 18-19: Drive to Tamilnadu’s oldest and holiest city – Madurai. In the evening visit Meenakshi temple for the night ceremony where God Shiva (Meenakshi`s husband) is taken in a palanquin to the bedroom of Meenashi. This is a daily procession and next day early morning before sunrise God Shiva is brought back to his shrine with in the temple complex.
Sri Meenakshi Temple is the town’s most famous - thousands of priests and worshippers come daily and people are blessed by the temple elephant and astrologists read your stars and palm. You can also get your fortune read by parrots that pick tarot cards out of a pile. All the believers bathe themselves in the temple baths. The temple in-houses a thousand pillared hall and is one of the major attractions of the temple. You will also visit ‘Thirumalai Nayak Mahal’, built in 1636 by King Thirumalai Nayak with the help of an Italian Architect.

Day 20: The morning flight back to Chennai leaves you time for further shopping and sightseeing before a final dinner.

Day 21: Depart