Experience Health and Cuisine

09 Nights/10 Days: (Cochin – Periyar- Alleppey – kumarakom – Mararikulam)

Day 1: Arrival at Cochin Airport- Cochin

Arrive at Cochin Airport. You will be met and transferred to Fort Cochin (60 Mins). Fort Cochin is the home to some of the oldest European architecture in India and has been a significant settlement ever since Cochin Harbour was discovered. Unlike the bustling Ernakulum, the twin cities of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry have preserved an extraordinary wealth of early colonial architecture spanning the Portuguese, Dutch and the British eras- a crop unparalleled in India. Stay at Hotel for 2 nights.

Day 2: Cochin

After your breakfast you will enjoy sight-seeing tour of Fort Cochin and Mattancherry. You will visit St. Francis Church, the oldest church built by Europeans in India where the Vasco Da Gama was buried. The Dutch Palace, with its murals, the Synagogue with is magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers. The Dutch Palace was originally built by the Portuguese. Later, in 17th century, the Dutch modified it and presented it to the Raja of Kochi. Coronation of many Rajas of Kochi was held here. Evening enjoy Kathakali dance performance, the traditional art form of Kerala. Kathakali dance is the ancient pantomime dance drama of Kerala. The performance is for about 2 and half hours, with an hour of make-up, a short introduction about the dance and an hour of dance performance.

Day 3: Cochin – Periyar

Morning after breakfast drive to Periyar (5 Hrs).This is a wildlife sanctuary around an artificial lake at Thekkady high in the Western Ghats. The mountains around the lake covered with dense deciduous forests and grass savannas make this a picture-perfect destination. Tourists can make boat trips in the lake and watch the wild animals. Stay at Hotel for 2 nights. Evening enjoy a martial arts show in a near-by theatre.

Day 4: Periyar

Morning enjoy boating in Lake Periyar to spot wild animals. Later visit the spice plantation, where you can see the locally grown spices in Periyar like cinnamon, cardamom, pepper cloves etc. You will have a person to explain how they are grown, harvested and processed. Later enjoy an Elephant Safari through the Spice Plantation

Day 5: Periyar– Houseboat (Alleppey)

Morning drive to Alleppey (4 Hrs). By noon board your AC Deluxe Houseboat (All meals) from the Vembanad House boat jetty for an overnight cruise with on board lunch and snacks and dinner, covering the nearby villages and the ethnic life around these villages to Alleppey, through the famous Vembanad Lake. This afternoon you’ll enjoy a relaxing cruise through the waterways which gives you an opportunity to observe rural Kerala up close. For the people living on the banks, the backwaters are a part of their day to day life. You stop to look at paddy cultivation, watch local fishing, and see historic churches and local temples. Your Houseboat will have one bedroom each with en-suite facilities and exterior space to sit and relax. Bedrooms will be air-conditioned from 9 Pm to 7 Am.

Day 6: Houseboat – Kumarakom

Morning after breakfast you will be dropped at boat jetty. You will be met and transferred to Kumarakom (1 Hr). The village of Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, and is part of the Kuttanad region. The bird sanctuary here, which is spread across 14 acres, is a favourite haunt of migratory birds and an ornithologist’s paradise. Stay at Hotel for 1 night.

Day 7: Kumarakom – Mararikulam

Morning after breakfast you will be transferred to Mararikulam (1 Hr).  Mararikulam is a beach village in the district of Alappuzha. It was rated as one of the world’s top five HAMMOCK BEACH by National Geographic survey. With its stunning backwaters, scenic surroundings, and vast expanded Arabian Sea, Mararikulam or Marari continue to charm tourists. Stay at Hotel for 2 night.

Day 8: Mararikulam

Full day at leisure.

Day 9: Marari- Cochin Airport Departure

Like all good things, your tour in Kerala comes to an end but you will always carry memories of this unique and unforgettable holiday experience. Today you will be assisted and transferred (2.5 Hours) to Cochin International Airport to connect your flight home.