Southern India

Southern India

Join pilgrims in Madurai, Soak up the French influences in Pondicherry, Savour the aromas at a spice farm, Experience island life on a homestay in the Kerala backwaters, Explore the abundant Periyar National Park, Ride a train through tea plantations in Ootacamund, Admire the mish-mash of colonial styles in Kochi, Safari into the wilds of Mudumalai National Park, Cycle around the fishing village of Mamallapuram, Be awed by Mysore's ornate Maharaja's Palace

Lush and tropical, southern India is inspiring and delightful. Beneath the green shade of a coastal paradise, meet with locals in their fishing villages and tribal homes. Join them in the bazaars, on buses and boats or even on pilgrimage in Madurai. From iconic cultural sights like the Maharaja's Palace in Mysore to French-infused Pondicherry and the vast landscape of Periyar - southern India's spirituality, friendly people and wild animal sanctuaries make it a fascinating part of the country to explore.

Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1.

You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting; please ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader.

Spread over several islands, Kochi is a fascinating place full of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and English influences. Head out to explore the major sights of Fort Cochin and visit the spice bazaars and antique shops. The best way to get around the islands is by using the ferry network.

Visit the Dutch Palace, built by the Portuguese in the middle of the 16th century. It was taken over by the Dutch in 1663, who added some improvements before presenting it to the Rajas of Cochin.

Be part of a Kathakali dance performance. This classical dance is a highly charged and powerful drama that combines devotion and physical virtuosity with symbolic storytelling to produce one of the most impressive and vibrant forms of theatre in the world. It requires lengthy and rigorous training to attain complete control of the body and sensitivity to emotion so as to be able to render all its nuances through facial expressions and hand gestures.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6pm on Day 1.

You can arrive at any time as there are no activities planned until this important meeting; please ask the hotel reception where it will take place. If you can't arrange a flight that will arrive in time, you may wish to arrive a day early so you're able to attend. We'll be happy to book additional accommodation for you (subject to availability). If you're going to be late, please inform the hotel reception. We'll be collecting your insurance details and next of kin information at this meeting so please ensure you have all these details to provide to your leader.

Spread over several islands, Kochi is a fascinating place full of Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and English influences. Head out to explore the major sights of Fort Cochin and visit the spice bazaars and antique shops. The best way to get around the islands is by using the ferry network.

Visit the Dutch Palace, built by the Portuguese in the middle of the 16th century. It was taken over by the Dutch in 1663, who added some improvements before presenting it to the Rajas of Cochin.

Be part of a Kathakali dance performance. This classical dance is a highly charged and powerful drama that combines devotion and physical virtuosity with symbolic storytelling to produce one of the most impressive and vibrant forms of theatre in the world. It requires lengthy and rigorous training to attain complete control of the body and sensitivity to emotion so as to be able to render all its nuances through facial expressions and hand gestures.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Our day starts by catching a train to Coimbatore (approx 3.5 hrs). We then travel by private vehicle to Ootacamund (approx 4 hrs).

Ootacamund was the British hill station known as Snooty Ooty and it was here the game of snooker was named, if not invented. Take a ride on the famous toy train - be sure to get a window seat. Visit a tea garden in nearby Coonoor. Stroll around the Botanical Gardens, home to over 650 species of plants and trees.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Our day starts by catching a train to Coimbatore (approx 3.5 hrs). We then travel by private vehicle to Ootacamund (approx 4 hrs).

Ootacamund was the British hill station known as Snooty Ooty and it was here the game of snooker was named, if not invented. Take a ride on the famous toy train - be sure to get a window seat. Visit a tea garden in nearby Coonoor. Stroll around the Botanical Gardens, home to over 650 species of plants and trees.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Set against the picturesque backdrop of the enchanting Nilgiris with their mist-covered peaks, Mudumalai National Park was once the Mysore Maharaja's private hunting ground. It was brought under Project Tiger in 1974 and is one of the best game sanctuaries in India to observe and photograph wildlife in close proximity. Some animals you may see here include tigers, leopards, elephants, sloth bears, sambars and spotted deer. There's also an amazing variety of birdlife, some of the most notable birds being the heron, stork, egret, kite, falcon, peafowl, woodpecker, drongo and warbler.

Our family-run accommodation in Masinagudi is dormitory style.

Included Activities

Accommodation

Our journey to Mysore is by private vehicle and takes us through the scenic Karnataka plains to Mysore (approx 3 hrs).

On arrival in Mysore, your leader will take you out to get your bearings. There are plenty of things to do in Mysore. Apart from the wonderful Palace, you can also visit the Keshava Temple in Somnathpur - a stunning example of Hoysala temple architecture (approx 1 hr from Mysore). There is also plenty of time to explore the surrounding countryside, so head out and climb Chamundi Hill - site of the Sri Chamundeswari Temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Catch an overnight train to Chennai (approx 11 hrs). Sleeper trains are clean and air-conditioned, a great way to travel long distances and still get maximum time in each place. Beds are padded berths with sheets, pillow and blanket provided but some people prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. Please note you may be sharing with locals in a same/mixed gender situation.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Our journey to Mysore is by private vehicle and takes us through the scenic Karnataka plains to Mysore (approx 3 hrs).

On arrival in Mysore, your leader will take you out to get your bearings. There are plenty of things to do in Mysore. Apart from the wonderful Palace, you can also visit the Keshava Temple in Somnathpur - a stunning example of Hoysala temple architecture (approx 1 hr from Mysore). There is also plenty of time to explore the surrounding countryside, so head out and climb Chamundi Hill - site of the Sri Chamundeswari Temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Durga.

Catch an overnight train to Chennai (approx 11 hrs). Sleeper trains are clean and air-conditioned, a great way to travel long distances and still get maximum time in each place. Beds are padded berths with sheets, pillow and blanket provided but some people prefer to bring their own sleeping sheet. Please note you may be sharing with locals in a same/mixed gender situation.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

There's also time to inspect the numerous mandapams (carved pillars in front of temples), watch stone carvers at work, see the fishing fleet or simply relax at a beachside restaurant.

Our journey to the beaches of Mamallapuram from Chennai is by private vehicle along the scenic East Coast Road (approx 2 hrs).

Included Activities

Accommodation

We travel by private vehicle through a landscape of palm trees and rice paddies, visiting Auroville en route to Pondicherry (approx 5 hrs).

Auroville is an amazing experiment in international living. Made up of 80 rural settlements and home to over 1,500 residents, more than half of whom are foreign nationals, this living project dedicated to human unity also houses the world's largest solid crystal.

Once a French colony, there are still reminders of French influence in Pondicherry's architecture, the wide town squares and even in the policemen's uniforms.

Take a walking tour and visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the local temples and the old French quarter.

Included Activities

Auroville Visit

Pondicherry - Walking tour and Sri Aurobindo Ashram

Accommodation

Hotel (1 nt)

Our journey today starts with a local taxi to the railway station at Villapuram (approx 40 mins). We then board a train to the temple city of Madurai (approx 6 hrs).

Whilst here, make sure you visit the moving Gandhi Memorial Museum, which displays the blood-stained dhoti he wore when he was assassinated, along with an impressive and detailed account of the country's struggle for independence.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Our journey today is by public bus along a winding road to the spice plantation town of Thekkady before we arrive at Periyar National Park (approx 5 hrs).

 

Set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. This wildlife sanctuary surrounds a picturesque lake, formed by the building of a dam in 1895, which meanders around the contours of the wooded hills and provides a permanent source of water for the local wildlife. Though it's a tiger reserve, tourists come here to view the Indian elephants in the act of ablution and playfulness by the lake. We explore the reserve on a guided nature walk.

In the evening, enjoy a tour around a local spice plantation and a delicious meal prepared by the owner's family.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Our journey today is by public bus along a winding road to the spice plantation town of Thekkady before we arrive at Periyar National Park (approx 5 hrs).

 

Set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. This wildlife sanctuary surrounds a picturesque lake, formed by the building of a dam in 1895, which meanders around the contours of the wooded hills and provides a permanent source of water for the local wildlife. Though it's a tiger reserve, tourists come here to view the Indian elephants in the act of ablution and playfulness by the lake. We explore the reserve on a guided nature walk.

In the evening, enjoy a tour around a local spice plantation and a delicious meal prepared by the owner's family.

Included Activities

Optional Activities

Accommodation

Our journey to the backwaters is by private vehicle (approx 4.5 hrs). It's a great ride through plantations of rubber, tea and coffee to the boarding point for our boats. We then cross the backwaters and head to an island village to stay with local families (approx 1 hour).

In the late afternoon, we explore the island with a local English-speaking guide or your homestay host to observe the different facets of local life - this is a great chance to meet and talk with the people who live here. Strolling under palm trees and weaving in between the rice fields that cover the island, we have a chance to learn about the lifestyles of the locals. Take a leisurely boat ride around the lake and enjoy the outstanding scenery.

Accommodation is on a multishare basis and all the families live within a few hundred metres of each other, with at least one person in the family speaking a reasonable standard of English. Food is traditional Keralan home cooking.

Included Activities

Accommodation

Our journey starts early to the sound of bird song before we cross the backwaters by private boat, heading for Alleppey (approx 1.5 hrs). We then take a local bus to Kochi (approx 2 hrs). The rest of the day is free for some last-minute sightseeing or shopping.

There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart our accommodation at any time. Please check the 'Finishing Point Hotel' section for checkout times and luggage storage possibilities.

Accommodation

Our journey starts early to the sound of bird song before we cross the backwaters by private boat, heading for Alleppey (approx 1.5 hrs). We then take a local bus to Kochi (approx 2 hrs). The rest of the day is free for some last-minute sightseeing or shopping.

There are no activities planned for the final day and you are able to depart our accommodation at any time. Please check the 'Finishing Point Hotel' section for checkout times and luggage storage possibilities.

Accommodation

@variation

Key: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner