CHOOMTI TRAVELLERS The
Travel Division of Choomti Trekkers Private Limited Bringing over 27 years experience to Independent Travellers in
India
Providing that personal and individual service to each Client
CHOOMTI'sSouthern Journeys...
Exploring the South of India...
To the South, the
Deccan Plateau
rises to a lesser known India, a land of temples and ancient empires little influenced by foreign invaders, beautiful beaches, lush vegetation and paddy fields.
The sandalwood city of
Mysore, the spice centre of
Cochin, the waterways of
Kerala
and the colourful temple towns of
Tamil Nadu
depict a rich cultural heritage.
A lush tropical land, palm trees
and paddy fields, plantations of tea, coffee and cardamom, quiet backwaters,
beautiful beaches, temples vibrant with colour and life, this is a journey to an
exotic and lesser known India.
Click above For Map of Kerala !
Mix
’n' Match from these tours :
Kerala (An
Introduction to Kerala
with its famous backwaters, plantations and wildlife sanctuary)
Kerala & Tamil Nadu
(A
journey from the Coromandel to
Malabar Coast with British and French
colonial architecture, mansions of the wealthy Chettinad,
Hindu
Temples,
antique shops, spice warehouses and Wildlife
Sanctuary)
Kerala & Karnataka
(From the modern city of Bangalore to
Hampi, the wonderful ruins of the 16th
century Vijayanagara Empire,
to Mysore,
the city of palaces, incense and sandalwood to the Wildlife
Sanctuary of
Nagarhole and down the coast to Cochin
and
Trivandrum)
An Introduction to Kerala
with its famous backwaters, plantations and wildlife sanctuary.
Day 1
Arrive
in Cochin.
The port of Cochin
is characterised by many colonial influences; the Portuguese
Church of St. Francis, the Jewish
Synagogue and Mattanchery
Palace, built by the Portuguese and
renovated by the Dutch.
Or, stay at Old
Harbour Hotel, another boutique hotel, built in the Dutch style of
architecture with hints of Portuguese influences, was the residential home of
English tea-broking firms.
Or, stay at Bruntons
Boatyard, a luxury hotel resurrected from an old Victorian boatyard and
situated at the Fort Cochin harbour mouth, overlooking the busy shipping
channel.
Alternatively, stay at Le
Colonial, a recently converted luxury hotel, the
former residence of the Dutch Governors and reputed to have been the home of Vasco
da Gama and St.
Francis, has been lovingly restored and is a
veritable living museum.
Day 2
Explore Cochin.
Stay a second night at your chosen hotel.
Day 3
In the morning driven to Kothamangalam
to stay with Jose & Daisy of Mundackal
Plantation Homestay situated in a rubber plantation close to Salim
Ali Bird sanctuary and an elephant camp. Daisy is known for her lip smacking
Kerala Christian cuisine.
Day 4
Driven to
Munnar
to stay at the Windermere
Estate where the manicured tea gardens merge with the lush green forests
of Munnar.
Day 5
Day walks around Munnar
or visit
Eravikulam National Park
the home of endangered
Neelgiri Tahr.
Overnight at Windermere Estate.
Picked up by a Rice
Barge Houseboat for an Overnight Houseboat
Cruise of the backwaters, observing all of
life; the people living on narrow strips of land, fishing, washing, cooking,
going to school, farming and harvesting the paddy.
The Rice
Barge Houseboat is
an Air-conditioned Kettuvallam,
with your own crew to pamper and look after your
every whim, also arranging when required, your swimming in the lakes.
Day 11
After breakfast, you will be
transferred from the Houseboat Cruise
to stay at
Mankotta
Island, the ancestral home of a delightful Syrian
Christian couple Jai
& Laila.
Stay at The
Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach,
Kerala’s largest beachside resort, a 5 star deluxe resort cradled
between two sweeping beaches. perched on a rock-face at Kovalam
Beach.
Alternatively,
stay at the medium-priced The
Travancore Heritage,
in traditional Kerala wooden houses and 'Nalukettus',
overlooking the sea.
A
journey from the
Coromandel to
Malabar Coast with British and French
colonial architecture, mansions of the wealthy Chettinad, Hindu Temples,
antique shops, spice warehouses and Wildlife
Sanctuary.
Day 1
Driven from Chennai
to
Pondicherry, a former French
colony, via the Rock
Carvings and
Shore Temples of Mahaballipuram.
Stay at the elegant 18th century Hotel De L'Orient.
Or, stay at The Promenade, a
luxury boutique hotel, overlooking the
Bay of Bengal.
Alternatively,
stay at the Dune Eco Beach Hotel 15 Kms from
the heart of Pondicherry, a 30 acre eco-friendly beach hotel with unique 24
aesthetic villas and 15 rooms fusing modern and traditional architecture,
swimming pool, organic farm, tennis court… and 700m of sea front
Day 2
Visit Shri Aurobindo Ashram
and Auroville.
Stay a second night at your choice of
hotel.
Day 3
Driven to Sterling
Swamimalai, a 100 year old heritage
home in a Coconut Grove
on the banks of the river Cauvery.
Day 4
Driven to Thanjavur
to see the World Heritage
11th century Brihadisvara Temple
and 16th century Palace.
Driven to Karaikkudi,
the heart of the Chettinad
homeland with its magnificent mansions and antique shops.
Stay at The Bangala the ancestral home of a Chettinad
family where Mrs. Meenakshi Meyyappan
continues to look after our clients with humour and dedication as much as ever.
Or, stay at Visalam
a 72 yr old mansion restored to its original state, where the distinctive Chettinad
cuisines are served in traditional fashion.
Day 6
Visit Karaikudi,
local mansions and antique shops.
Stay a second night at your choice of hotel.
Day 7
Driven to the temple town of Madurai.
Packed with pilgrims from all of India.
Stay at the colonial styled The
Gateway Hotel Pasumalai Madurai.
Or, stay at Heritance Madurai.
Day 8
Visit Shree
Meenakshi Temple and
Thirumalai Nayaka Palace.
Stay a second night at your chosen hotel.
Day 9
Driven to Periyar.
Stay at Kanjirapally
Estate, a
Coffee and Cardamom
plantation owned by a young couple, Mathew
and Gita
Day 10
Experience
a tranquil boat ride on Periyar Lake and take walks
through the deliciously aromatic
Coffee
and
Cardamom
plantations.
Stay
at The
Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach,
Kerala’s largest beachside resort, a 5 star deluxe resort cradled
between two sweeping beaches. perched on a rock-face at Kovalam
Beach.
Alternatively,
stay at the medium-priced The
Travancore Heritage,
in traditional Kerala wooden houses and 'Nalukettus',
overlooking the sea.
From the modern city of Bangalore to
Hampi, the wonderful ruins of the 16th
century Vijayanagara Empire,
to Mysore,
the city of palaces, incense and sandalwood to the Wildlife
Sanctuary of
Nagarhole and down the coast to Cochin
and
Trivandrum
Day 1
Arrive at Bangalore.
Stay at The
Taj
West End Hotel, a converted 19th
century mansion with villas and gardens.
Alternatively, stay at the simpler Villa
Pottipatti run by Neemrana Group of
non-hotels.
Day 2
Relax at Bangalore
~ then take Overnight
train (Sleeper) to Hampi.
Day 3
Arrive Hampi
early morning.
Met & transferred to The
Boulders.
Visit the Hampi Heritage Site
with car and driver and our guide.
Day 4
AM & PM local sight
sightseeing with car and driver and our guide.
Have lunch at Hampi’s hidden gem The Mango Tree
Restaurant.
In the evening take the Overnight ( Sleeper)
train to Bangalore.
Day 5
Arrive at Bangalore.
Driven to Mysore,
via Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace
at Sriangapatnam.
Stay at The
Green Hotel, a 19th century, former Palace
for the Princesses of
Mysore. Or, stay at the Gitanjali
homestay.
Day 6
Visit Maharaja's Palace,
Chamundi Hill
with Shiva Temple,
Nandi
(Bull) and the Devaraja Market.
Or, stay at the Kabini
River Lodge, a former Maharaja's Hunting
Lodge, located on the
southern fringe of the park.
Day 8
Visit the Wildlife Sanctuary,
for viewing of Elephants
and a rich variety of bird life.
Stay a second night at your chosen hotel
Day 9
Driven to Tellicherry.
Stay at Ayesha
Manzil, a 125 year old Heritage
Home overlooking the Arabian
Sea, renowned for its delicious Kerala
and
Malabar
food (cooking classes
available).
Day 10
Driven to Cochin.
The port of Cochin
is characterised by many colonial influences; the Portuguese
Church of St. Francis, the Jewish
Synagogue and Mattanchery
Palace, built by the Portuguese and
renovated by the Dutch.
Or, stay at Old
Harbour Hotel, another boutique hotel,
built in the Dutch style of architecture with hints of Portuguese influences,
which was the residential home of English tea-broking firms.
Or, stay at Bruntons
Boatyard, a luxury hotel resurrected
from an old Victorian boatyard and situated at the Fort Cochin harbour mouth,
overlooking the busy shipping channel.
Alternatively, stay at Le
Colonial, a recently converted luxury
hotel, the former residence of the Dutch Governors and reputed to have been
the home of Vasco da Gama and St. Francis, which has been lovingly restored
and is a veritable living museum.
Day 11
Explore Cochin.
Stay a second night at your
chosen hotel.
Day 12
Driven to Trivandrum.
Stay at The
Leela Kempinski Kovalam Beach,
Kerala’s largest beachside resort, a 5 star deluxe resort cradled
between two sweeping beaches. perched on a rock-face at Kovalam Beach.
Or,
stay at the medium-priced The
Travancore Heritage, in traditional
Kerala wooden houses and 'Nalukettus' ,
overlooking the sea.
