Tour Duration : 9 Nights / 10 Days
Places To Visit : Mysore - Ooty - Cochin - Aleppey and Kumarakom Backwaters - Periyar - Madurai - Bangalore - Departure
Trip Of Mesmerizing Backwaters And Hill Safaris
Day 01: Arrival in Bangalore - Mysore (150 km in 03hr)
Go Heritage India Journeys Representative will meet you at the airport and then take you to Mysore, the City of Palaces steeped in history mostly related to Tipu Sultan.On arrival take the hotel. Then afternoon sightseeing tour. Mysore is famous for its sandalwood, silk and palaces. First you will visit the Fort of Srirangapatnam, once the stronghold of Tipu Sultan, son of Haider Ali. Explore the palaces and the Sri Ranganatha Temple. Visit also the Art Gallery, and palaces located inside the town. The Art Gallery Jayachamarajendra is housed inside the Jaganmohan Palace and this has a good collection of exquisite paintings dating back to 1875.
After dinner, stay overnight.
Day 02: Mysore - Coonoor - Ooty: (By Road Mysore to Coonoor - 80 km in 02hr)
Coonoor - Ooty: (By Toy train in 1 hr)Post breakfast drive to Coonoor, the hill resort located in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thus is the second largest hill station in Nilgiris. There are many picnic spots at Coonoor; Sim’s Park is one of them. Reaching Coonoor explore the hill station beauty. You will see here tea and coffee plantations. Then have lunch at a heritage jungle resort.
Then you will take the Toy train to Ooty hill station. This Toy train is also called blue train. While traveling on this train you will explore the paddy fields and the scenic villages and greeneries of Nilgiri hills.
On arrival at Ooty hill station, take the accommodation. In the evening just walk past the scenic roads of Ooty. After dinner, stay overnight.
Day 03: Ooty
Post breakfast, you will visit the Botanical Gardens. Drive to the Dodabetta peak and enjoy the beauty of nature. Also visit the tribes of the hills and explore their lifestyle.
In the afternoon, you can do shopping at the local markets. After dinner, stay overnight.
Day 04 : Ooty - Cochin (260 km in 06hr)
After breakfast, drive to Cochin, the Queen of Arabian Sea. Located along the shore of the Arabian Sea, Kochi offers lots of tour attractions from the colonial heritage to the Cochin harbor. Kochi is a heaven for the seafarers since the ancient time. It is the first European settlement in India established by the Portuguese.
On arrival take the hotel. The Kochi Fort was the hub of the Portuguese, then of the Dutch and last British grabbed it.
In the evening enjoy a sea cruise and visit the Bolghatty Palace. After a Keralite dinner stay overnight.
Day 05 : Cochin
On the fourth day of Kerala Backwaters and Hill Safari tour, you will explore the attractions of Cochin.Visit the Mattancherry Jew town, one of the oldest Jewish communities live here. Visit the Jewish Synagogue known for its hand-painted, willow-patterned, blue and white Chinese floor tiles. Then visit the International Pepper Exchange located in Jew town.
Then proceed towards Fort Cochin and explore the sites like the Chinese Fishing nets along the Vasco Da Gama Square, Santa Cruz Basilica, St. Francis Church, VOC Gate, Bastion Bungalow, Mattancherry Palace, etc.
In the evening you will enjoy Kathakali dance programme at a cultural centre or at the hotel itself. After dinner, stay overnight.
Day 06 : Cochin - Aleppey (By Road - 40 km in 01hr)
After breakfast, you will be driven to Aleppey, one of the exotic backwater destinations in Kerala. Reaching take the hotel. Then proceed for a short tour in the Aleppey town.
Aleppey (new name Alappuzha) is visited by the tourists for the houseboat races. Kuttanad located at Aleppey is known as the Rice Bowl of Kerala.
Embark on a traditional houseboat for overnight cruise. While cruising down along the backwaters, explore the scenic countryside. The backwaters of Kerala comprises of network of lakes, canals and river estuaries. The boats are even the local means of transport for the villagers. Dinner will be served on the houseboat. Enjoy the serenity of the night.
Day 07 : Kumarokom - Periyar (By Road 175km in 04hr)
Have your breakfast on the houseboat. The boat will cruise to Kumarakom, an enchanting backwater destinations located near the Vembanad Lake, the largest backwater stretch in Kerala. Kumarakom is the land of beauty of paddy fields, mangrove forests and palm-trees. When your houseboat reaches Kumarakom disembark. Then a short visit is offered to the Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary.Then Drive to Periyar and on arrival take a jungle resort. Periyar is a wildlife destination located on the bank of Periyar Lake and River. Periyar National park is the major attraction for the tourists. The most interesting will be boat safari to spot the wild animals on the bank of the River. Overnight stay at Periyar.
Day 08 : Periyar
In the early morning go for a jungle safari in the Periyar National Park. The main wild animals seen in the park are Sambar, Barking deer, Mouse deer, Nilgiri Tahr, Wild Pigs, Wild dogs, Porcupine, Lion-tailed macaque, Malabar Squirrel, Flying Squirrel, Sloth Bear, Gaur and Black Langur (Monkey).
In the evening visit the spice plantations and also take a boat ride on the Lake. Stay overnight.
Day 09 : Periyar - Madurai (130km in 03hr)
Post breakfast, drive to Madurai, one of the heritage destinations located in Tamil Nadu. The main attraction is the Meenakshi Amman temple, an emblem of the Dravidian architecture. During the rule of the Chandragupta Maurya this city was popular in spice trade. This city was known to the Greeks by their ambassador Magasthenes.
On arrival take the hotel. In the evening visit the thousand pillared Meenakshi Amman temple. Stay overnight.
Day 10 : Madurai – Bangalore
After breakfast, enjoy a half-day tour in Madurai. Visit the Vandiyur Mariamman Teppakulam, the huge temple tank, Gandhi Museum and Thirumalai Nayak Palace.
Then take the flight to Bangalore and then board the flight at Bangalore airport to your next destination. Your Kerala tours with backwaters and hill safari comes to an end. Fly back with the memorabilia of the tour and hope you will cherish it for ever.
