Day 01: Arrive at Cochin
Fly to Cochin and be greeted by our assistance. Check in at the hotel and rest for some time. Later, leave hotel for city tour and visit Fort Cochin, churches, an ancient Jewish synagogue and architecture reminiscent of Portuguese, British and Dutch traders.
Day 02: Arrive Munnar (By road in 4 hours)
Post breakfast, check out of the hotel and depart for Munnar by road. Munnar is situated at the meeting point of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathani & Kundala.
Day 03 - 04: Munnar
Either mountain walk by climbing the Chokran Mudi hill through forest, tea plantations and high granite ridge on the way. Said to be the toughest of all the expeditions, the entire climb would take 5-6 hours with some stamina. As you climb on the top of the hill, the sight is refreshing with eagles and kites to spot in the sky, as well as even droppings of tiger and bison somewhere around. The other route to the trip is rather easy and much noisier than the former. Here, you walk via Parvatti hills through tea plantations, thick forest and broad grassy ridge respectively on your way to the top. The scenery is spectacular from the top. Night stay would be at the hotel checked in by you at Munnar.
Day 05 : Arrive at Periyar (By road in 4 hours)
Take breakfast and set off for a drive spanning four hours over the undulating terrains of Munnar, through the coffee plantations, on your way to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Take a boat ride for watching wild life at the sanctuary. Have meals and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 06 : Periyar
After breakfast, take a boat ride on Lake Periyar to reach the other side for starting point of your trekking expedition. The boat is not the usual boat but a cluster of bamboos poles tied together and rowed by boatmen belonging to the local tribe. As you sit on the Bamboo platform in absolute silence, you watch wild animals coming over at the bank to quench their thirst. The entire cruise lasts about three hours and then you land on the other side to walk down to the village resort. You check in at the village resort, enjoy you lunch amidst jungle surroundings and rest. Night long stay at the resort only.
Day 07 : Arrive at Changanacherry (By road in 4 hours)
Post breakfast, leave the resort for Changanacherry and pass through rice-fields, banana, tapioca, rubber and coffee plantations, cross-waterways and small towns. On the way, you stop at a good eating joint for the taste of pure South Indian meal served in the traditional style on banana leave.
Upon reaching the coastal fringe (Changanacherry), you board a houseboat that takes you on a three hour ride across the backwaters to Ambalaphuza. The spice of the trip would be that you would be sitting on the roof of the houseboat and watching the sceneries from where it looks the best.
As you get down the houseboat, you check in at a heritage bungalow that is simple but very comfortable. You would dine and sleep for the night at the bungalow.
Day 08 : Changanacherry
After proper rest and breakfast, you retire for a walk alongside the waters at Changanacherry. The opportunities to spend time are many. From climbing a coconut tree to get your own coconut, to taking a small raft on the waters, everything amuses you to a childhood ecstasy. You retire for night sleep at the bungalow.
Day 09 : Arrive at Aranmula
Take breakfast at the bungalow and leave for boarding another backwater cruise, starting from the backwaters to Chengannur. Some ten kilometers down the backwaters, you would find paddy fields and coconut palms surrounding a place called Aranmula. On our way, we stay at the dance and arts center in a humble looking Indian home, where a French woman based in South India, teaches old traditional musical and martial arts to teach her students.
Here, you would watch a special performance of music and regional classical dance called Kathakali, with you as special guests. For dinner, you would be served Kerala’s typical vegetarian food served on banana leaves. After the dinner, you would retire to your room at the Arts Center itself.
Day 10: Aranmula
You spend another eventful day at Aranmula, as you join workshops on dance, music, wood carving, yoga and Kalaripayat (the martial art of South India). Additionally, you can enjoy a relaxing Ayurvedic body massage at the center on order and observe the Kathakali dancers putting on an elaborate and meticulous makeup on their faces, as they get ready for evening performance.
Enjoy yet another Keralite vegetarian meal at the Arts Center and enjoy good night sleep.
Day 11: Biking
Further in the journey, you take up cycle tour of the rural Kerala, passing through narrow lanes and moving onwards from one small town to another. As you ride the bicycle, you meet local people walking alongside and exchange smiles. As you ride on, you reach the beautiful scenery of coastal plains dotted with coconut palms and the thrashing Arabian Sea in the farthest sight dissolving in the horizon. The cycling is advisable to be started earliest on any day, so that the four hours of cycling are spent well before the sun starts shining bright over our heads. You check in a modest beach hotel near Alleppey and enjoy lunch, dinner and night stay at the resort.
Day 12: Biking
Leave early morning on your cycle to reach Varakala just in time for a dip in the sprawling Arabian Sea. You stop over at a simple guest house at Varakala that serves delicious regional food to delight you. Stay overnight at the resort.
Day 13: Biking
Another day of exciting cycle ride and mingling with the local people. Rest of the day spent at your discretion, to suit your mood and taste.
Overnight stay at the resort.
Day 14: Reach Kovalam
Engage in biking across the small fishing village, through the coconut palms, ending in the North of Trivandrum. Add to the experience by riding in a local taxi and thus give a suitable climax to the tour of Kerala.
The final day's biking through coconut palms and small fishing villages ends just to the north of Trivandrum. A local taxi ride completes the journey and we spend our last evening in Kerala in beach bungalows by the Arabian Sea at Kovalam.
Day 15: Departure
After breakfast, arrangements are there to transfer you to airport to board flight for onward journey.
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