Itenary Details

DAY01 TRIVANDRUM – KOVALAM 

Arrive Trivandrum - Meet and greet on arrival and transfer to Kovalam 25kms/ 45 Minutes  On arrival check in hotel-Rest of the day.Keralite identity in culture and Language formed during 9^th century AD,with a Chain of Bramin settlement.The second Chera dynasty ( Kulasekhara ) was weakened with the Pandyan and Chola invasions in 12^th century.In the absence of a strong central power the state fractured into small principalities governed by Nair Cheftains. Trivandrum The Capital City is located on the southern tip of the Indian west coast, sandwiched by Arabian Sea,Western Ghats and Interlining BackwatersThe Kovalam Beach sector ( 10 to 15 Kms from the city is witnessing astounding growth in hospitality very recently with mushrooming of resorts  and  five – star hotels offering world class services and facilities

DAY02 EXPLORE TRIVANDRAM CITY

After breakfast proceed for a sightseeing tour of Trivandrum for visit Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple,Palace Musium (Kuthira malika ), Napier Musium, (Govt Arts Musium) Kanakakunnu Palace and Zoo. Sree Padmanabhaswami Temple located in the Fort Area. The temple is one of the 108 Divyadesams of Lord Vishnu. The main deity is seen in reclining position over the serpent Anantha or Adi Sesha. The temple depicts a blend of Kerala and Dravidian styles of architecture. Padmanabha Kshetram and its properties were controlled by Ettuveetil Pillamar under the guidance of Ettara Yogam. Later, Marthanda Varma defeated the Pillamar and his cousins took over power.Palace Museum( Kuthira Malika ) It is a rare specimen of workmanship in the traditional Travancore style of architecture. The Museum displays paintings and various priceless collections of the royal family. The name Kuthira Malika means 'Palace of Horses' and is derived from the frieze of 122 wooden horses on the exterior walls.Napier Museum (Govt.Arts Museum) It was built in the Indo-Saracenic style. It has a rare collection of archaeological and historic artifacts, ancient ornaments, bronze idols, ivory carvings and a chariot. The museum is named after the former Governor General of Madras, Sir John Napier. Kanakakkunnu Place, At a distance of 3.5 Kms from Trivandrum Central Railway Station, The Kanakakunnu Palace is situated near the Napier Museum. It is place where the Travancore royal family once entertained their guests. Today the palace and its sprawling grounds are the venue for many cultural meets and programs. 

DAY03 KOVALAM – KANYAKUMARI  

After breakfast proceed for Kanyakumari  enroute visit Sucheenram Temple,Padmanabhapuram Palace.

PADMANABHAPURAM PALACE: Aproxminate 53 Kms from Trivandrum on Trivandrum - Kanyakumari road), Padmanabhapuram is an ancient historical town surrounded by a fort with an area of 187 acres. The ancient capital of Travancore might be constructed before AD 1601. The palace with an area of seven acres, is situated in the very centre on the Padmanabhapuram Fort, amidst hills, dales and rivers. The fort which was built with mud originally was dismantled and reconstructed with granite by Maharaja Marthanda Varma. The height of the walls varies from 15 ft to 24 ft according to the inclination of the ground. 

SUCHINDRAM TEMPLE : Suchindram is a holy place located on the bank of the river Pazhayar. It is famous for the temple dedicated to Sri Sthanumalayan. The word denotes Siva, Vishnu and Brahma as Sthanu represents Siva, Mal represents Vishnu while Ayan represents Brhamma, in 'One Form'.Suchindrum means the place where Indra attained 'Suchi' i.e., purification. The Sthalapurana has it that Indra suffered a curse from sage Gowthama and offered worship to Lord Shiva at this place. Relieving Indra of his curse, Lord Shiva granted him of his wish that the place where he attained purification should henceforth be called 'Suchindrum'. 

The present structure of the temple is the work of a number of persons spread over a number of centuries. It is a complex of many beautiful structures constructed at various times and is one of the best specimens and a store house of the Dravidian style of art and architecture.Arrive Kanyakumari checkin at Hotel.After Lunch proceed for visit kanyakumariKanyakumari is a coastal town in Tamil Nadu and a famous pilgrimage and tourist place. Located at the southernmost tip of the Indian Peninsula, it is also called Cape Comorin.

Kanyakumari has been a great centre for art and religion for centuries. It was also an area of great trade and commerce. It was ruled by Cholas, Pandyas and Nayaks. Later on, Kanyakumari came under the rule of the Venad dynasty and its capital was located at Padmanabhapuram. In spite of the troubles encountered in the southern border of Venad, Marthanda Varma expanded the kingdom northwards to Aluva and established the kingdom of Travancore.Swami Vivekananda is said to have been lived here for a while and meditated. It is situated at the confluence of Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. This place offers marvelous Sunset and Sunrise views. It is the only place in India where one can enjoy the unique spectacle of Sunset and Moonrise simultaneously on full moon days. The main attractions in Kanyakumari is the Kumari Amman Temple, The Vivekananda Rock Memorial, Gandhi Memorial, Thiruvalluvar Statue and Beach. Visit and back to the hotel for Overnight stay.

DAY04 KANYAKUMARI - RAMESWARAM

After breakfast proceed for Rameswaram.Rameshwaram is one of the most famous Pilgrimage centers in Tamil Nadu, South India. Rameshwaram Temple is one of the most famous Shiva shrines in India. It is significant for Hindus as a pilgrimage to Banaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameswaram. According to the legend, Rameswaram is the place from where Lord Rama, built a bridge across the sea to rescue his consort Sita from Ravana. This is also the place where Rama worshipped Lord Shiva to cleanse away the sin of killing Ravana.  Sri Ramanathaswamy temple (Rameswaram Temple) is one of the most fascinating temples in entire India. This is renowned for its magnificent corridors and massive sculptured pillars. The third corridor of Ramanathaswamy temple is the longest one in the world and temple stands as an epitome of Dravidian architectural style of the medieval ages. Late Afternoon check in at Hotel and evening witness Rameswaram temple

DAY05 RAMESWARAM 

After breakfast proceed for visit Beautiful beaches at Olaikuda, Danushkodi and Pamban are other attractions apart from the religious point of view. Scuba diving and Migratory birds watching during winter are the activities here. Annai Indira Gandhi or Pamban Bridge connects Rameswaram Island with the main land. The bridge was opened for traffic in 1914 and is one of the prime places to visit in Rameshwaram.It is the longest sea bridge in India and its length is nearly 2.2 km and stands as a fine example for Indian architecture.

After visit proceed to Madurai and on arrival check in Hotel. Madurai is the third largest city in Tamilnadu and one of the most famous centers of pilgrimage in India and also the prime site of heritage in Tamilnadu. The city is very well known for Madurai Meenakshi Temple.Situated on the banks of the River Vaigai, Madurai is also referred to as Athens of the East and Temple Town. Madhurai is the oldest continually inhabited city in the Indian peninsula, with a history dating all the way back to the Sangam period of the pre-Christian era. It has been inhabited since at least the 3rd century BCE. It is considered as the cultural capital of Tamilnadu.Madurai was the seat of power of the Pandyan Empire. It was built by the Pandyan king Kulasekhara and was the capital city of the great Pandya kings of South India. It was later ruled by Cholas, Later Pandyas, Madurai Sultanate, Vijayanagara, Madurai Nayaks and finally British. Pandyas and Nayaks contributed enormously to the development of Meenakshi Temple and Madurai city.Eveng witness Bed Chamber Ceremony at Meenakshi temple and return back to hotel for overnight stay.

DAY06 EXPLORE MADURAI

After breakfast sightseeing tour of Madurai, Thirumali Naiker Palace Builder of this magnificent palace ruled as the seventh ruler of the Madurai Naick dynasty. He ruled Madurai from 1623 to 1659 A.D. He was the master builder of this age and he made magnificent contributions artarchitecture. Pudumantapam (vasantha mandapam) opposite to easter gate of Meenakshi Amman Temple was constructed by Thirumalai Naick. He also dug out the Vandiyur Teppakkulam, one of the worth seeing places in Madurai city. Traditions says that when the soil was excavated to make bricks for the construction of this palace, naturally a big pit was formed. Thirumalai Naick converted this pit in to a beautiful tank and constructed a small mantapam at the centre.

Meenakshi Temple,is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai It is dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2500 year old cityof Madurai and is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature though the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 It houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45-50m in height. The tallest is the southern tower, 51.9 metres (170 ft) high,and two golden sculptured vimanas, the shrines over the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of the main deities. The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 on Fridays. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple.It was on the list of top 30 nominees for the "New Seven Wonders of the World".

DAY07 MADURAI-PERIYAR 

After breakfast drive to Periyar and on arrival check in hotel.Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala, south India. It is notable as an elephant reserve and a tiger reserve. The protected area covers an area of 925 km2 (357 sq mi). 350 km2 (140 sq mi) of the core zone was declared as the Periyar National Park in 1982.

The park is often called the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary or Thekkady. It is located high in theCardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills of the southern Western Ghats along the border with Tamil Nadu. It is 4 km (2.5 mi) from Kumily, approximately 100 km (62 mi) east of Kottayam, 110 km (68 mi) west of Madurai and 120 km (75 mi) southeast of Kochi.After noon Spice Plantatations tour at Thekkady followed by boat cruise on Lake Periyar.

DAY08 PERIYAR-ALLEPPEY

After early morning boat ride on Lake Periyar and breakfast depart from Thekkady and arrive Alleppey by noon. And check in Houseboat For cruise and overnight stay.The popularity of Kettuvallams has returned in the function as major tourist attractions. Such a houseboat is about 60 to 70 feet (18 to 21 m) long and about 15 feet (4.6 m) wide at the middle. The hull is made of wooden planks that are held together by ropes of coconut fiber; the usual wood is 'Anjili'. The roof is made of bamboo poles and palm leaves.

DAY09 ALLEPPEY-MARARIKULAM 

Morning after breakfast disembark from House boat and drive to a beautiful beach destination Mararikulam- On arrival check in a beach resort.Overnight stay in hotel.

DAY10 MARARIKULAM

Free at leisure beach activities or an Ayurvedic massage at the centre.Overnight stay in hotel. 

DAY11 MARARIKULAM-KOCHI 

After b/fast drive to Kochi and on arrival check in to hotel.Kochi, or more familiarly, Cochin is a city of many parts. Around for a long, long time, Kochi played a pivotal role in the development of shipping and trade in the region. Kochi's prime location on the west coast, its fine bay and protected harbor made it popular with seafarers and merchant ships who made frequent stops to stock up on spices, coffee and wood en route to the rich markets of Europe and West Asia. And so down the ages, Kochi prospered as a busy port city and commercial centre. Its seafront is still extremely relevant to Cochin and to India: In the evening,

Afternoon proceed for the sightseeing tour by visiting Mattancherry and visit the oldest Jewish Synagogue (Closed on Fridays Saturdays & All the Jewish holidays) in India, built in 1568; it was destroyed by the Portuguese and rebuilt by the Dutch a century later. You will also visit The Dutch Palace (Closed on Fridays) ‐ which was built in 1555 Continue your drive to Chinese fishing nets. The cantilevered fishing nets line the entrance to the harbour mouth. Your next stop will be St. Francis Church, originally named after Santo Antonio and dedicated to him as the Patron Saint of Portugal; St. Francis Church is the first church to have been in the new European influenced tradition. Originally a wooden building was replaced by the present stone building. Vasco De Gamma died on the site in 1524. Evening you have a special culture programme in a local ac theatre. Kathakali (Famous folk dance show of Kerala).

DAY12 DEPARTURE COCHIN

In time transfer to Cochin  International Airport to connect for your on ward Flight.