coloured Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats. Then the hills, covered with
plantations of tea,coffee, rubber and cocoa plus the spices that China,
Britain, Portugal, the Romans and the Arabs fought over; cinnamon, cloves,
vanilla, peppers and nutmeg. Their aromas will awaken all your senses.
A
Brief Introduction to Kerala & Tour Proposal
Take a backwater
cruise down the canals on your private "kettuvalam"-rice boat and
admire the village life as you sail by. Attend a Kathakali dance
performance, a drama played out by male dancers in incredible costumes and
makeup; take a boat safari over the lake at the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary,
famous for it's herds of wild elephants; treat yourself to the relaxing
experience of an Ayurvedic massage, a centuries old treatment inherent to
Kerala.Visit the Islands of Cochin by ferry and visit the historic sights,
culminating with a sunset cruise around the Chinese Fishing nets. After all
the activity, chill out on a tropical beach enjoying the freshly caught
catch of the day with your favourite cocktail as you watch the sun drop into
the blue waters of the Arabian Sea.
Any itinerary canbe made to fit your wishes, your budget and the amount of
time you have available. We can offer you different levels of accommodation,
from small hotels, Ayurvedic Centres with Heritage style accommodation, to
the most upmarket addresses.Spare some time to read the itinerary below. All
information is based on our own travels through Kerala and our profound
knowledge of the area and the travel industry.
8
Day Coconut & Spice Tour of Kerala
Day 01
Cochin - Thekkady
Arrive at Cochin Int'l Airport and transfer by A/C car for the approx. four
hour drive to Thekkady. The drive is through lush green coconut groves,
rubber plantations and finally tea plantations. Thekkady is nestled in the
Nilgiri Hills at 3000 ft and famous for it’s spice plantations and the
Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.Check-in at The Spice Village. Set in 15 acres of
forest, A Tribal village set in a spice garden best describes this property.
Facilities include a swimming pool and Ayurvedic Centre. Rest of the day at
leisure.
Day 02 Thekkady
Early morning boat safari over Lake Periyar. Return to Spice Village for
breakfast. Afternoon visit to a private spice plantation. Wear closed shoes
- it feels like a jungle walk. Spices growing here include vanilla, black
pepper, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and mace, surrounded by coconut palms,
bananas and jackfruit. Rest of the afternoon at leisure - time to try out an
Ayurvedic massage at Spice Village. A cooking demo.will be given in the
evening followed by a cultural programme. Overnight at Spice Village.
Day 03 Thekkady - Kumarakom
Morning drive to "K" jetty. Board the launch for the sail to
Coconut Lagoon. Marooned in the beautiful Vembanad Lake, this resort is a
re-creation of a traditional Keralan village, surrounded by the tropical
greens of rice paddies and coconut groves. Early evening board a "Kettuvalam"
converted riceboat, for a sunset cruise as you listen to the magical strains
of the Indian flute. Overnight at Coconut Lagoon.
Day 04
Coconut Lagoon, Kumarakom
Morning visit
to the bird sanctuary followed by breakfast and a visit to the Farm House.
Day free at Coconut Lagoon. Laze at the swimming pool, sip a tall drink
taking in your surroundings, or enjoy a relaxing Ayurvedic massage. A fish
restaurant opens every evening serving the catch of the day. Late afternoon
cruise down the backwaters, the waterways of Kerala. See how people live on
the ridges of land, cultivating coconuts, rice, raising ducks and of course,
fishing. Overnight at Coconut Lagoon.
Day 05 Coconut
Lagoon - Marari Beach
After breakfast, transfer by launch across the Vembanad Lake to the Marari
Beach. This resort is made up of individual cottages set in 30 acres of
garden filled with coconut palms and tropical plants which leads down to the
white sands of the Arabian Sea. Facilities include a huge swimming pool with
sun terrace, tennis courts, Ayurvedic centre and a "beach shack"
serving long drinks all day. For al fresco evenings there is a cookout for
the freshly caught fish and seafood. Overnight at The Marari Beach.
Day 06 Marari Beach
A whole day at leisure by the beach to do nothing at all or whatever you
please. Overnight at The Marari Beach.
Day 07 Marari Beach - Cochin Brunton Boatyard
After breakfast, drive north to Cochin (1 hr) to The Brunton Boatyard. This
beautiful period style property stands on the site of the original 19th
century boatyard. All rooms face the Arabian Sea on one side and the harbour
mouth of Cochin on the other. Watch the dolphins play amongst the myriad of
boats and ferries, large and small, crossing just in front of you.
Sightseeing will include Jewtown and it’s Synagogue, the Black Pepper
Stock Exchange, St Francis Church, Santa Cruz Cathedral and the Dutch
Palace, all situated at your doorstep at Fort Cochin. Take a drink by the
poolside and watch the sunset over the Chinese Fishing Nets, located just to
the left of the Brunton Boatyard.
Late afternoon visit to a performance of Kathakali. This 500 year old dance
drama is performed by male dancers accompanied by music, who play out a
story using eye & face muscles, hands and feet. A must is to reach the
theatre ahead of time, in order to see the performers putting on their
incredible make-up and their magnificent costumes. Rest of the evening at
leisure. Overnight stay at the Brunton Boatyard.
Day 08 Cochin - Airport
Breakfast at Brunton Boatyard. Rest of the day at leisure. You will be
taken by car to the airport in time for your onward destination.
** Since the Summer of
2002, some airlines are operating direct flights to Cochin/Kochi (e.g.
Emirates, Indian Airlines) thus bypassing Delhi or Mumbai.
The package
includes :
Accommodation as per the itinerary mentioned, Breakfast at all hotels, All
prevailing taxes, All transfers by boat and by A/C car from arrival at
Cochin Airport until departure from Cochin Airport, Cooking demonstrations
at Spice Village and Coconut Lagoon, Lunch and tour at the Plantation
Bungalow, Palai, Boat Safari at Lake Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Spice
Plantation visit in Thekkady, Bird Sanctuary visit in Kumarakom, Visit to
the Farmhouse in Kumarakom, Backwater Cruise and Sunset cruise at Coconut
Lagoon, Sightseeing of Fort Cochin & Mattancherry in Cochin, Visit to a
Kathakali dance performance in Cochin.
IMPORTANT
NOTE :
Both
of the above tours can be extended to include a visit to the famous temple
town of Tamil Nadu, -Madurai, and / or the tropical island of Bangaram, see
below :
Madurai is famous for the Sri Meenakshi temple complex. The gopurams are
covered by a coloured profusion of Hindu gods and goddesses, animals and
mythical figures. A visit to Madurai shows the visitor the spiritual side of
South Indian culture. The temple complex is a hive of activity from early
morning until evening, attracting pilgrims and tourists alike. For 1rupee
the resident elephant will place a "tilak" on your forehead with
his trunk. Madurai is just a morning’s drive from Thekkady. The drive
itself is beautiful, taking you over the Nilgiri Hills down on to the plains
of Tamil Nadu.
For travellers with more time, your visit can be extended with a stay on a
tropical island paradise. Of the 36 Lakshadweep Islands, Bangaram is the
gem. This exotic island is everything you imagine a tropical island to be.
The resort comprises 30 simple but comfortable huts. The cuisine is fresh
fish and tropical fruits and a beach bar serves your favourite drinks. This
is a paradise for sun worshippers, divers and snorkellers or for anyone who
wants to get away from it all.
Flight Information: Indian Airlines has 6 flights a week from Cochin
and 3 flights a week from Goa to the Island of Agatti, from where you will
be taken by boat to Bangaram.
Lakshadweep Permit Issue
Necessary for all travellers - we will take care of this for you.
Casino
Group of Hotels
The
Casino Group of Hotels operates in all the prominent destinations in Kerala
& also in Lakshadweep. We are pleased to use their properties wherever
possible. Apart from the Casino Hotel, Cochin and the renowned Coconut
Lagoon at Kumarakom, the chain includes The Marari Beach at Mararikulam,
Spice Village in Periyar, Spice Coast Houseboats, Bangaram Island Beach
Resort in Lakshadweep and their flagship property, The Brunton Boatyard
Hotel in Cochin.
