DAY 1 - DEPARTURE Take your overnight flight to Chennai (Madras) via Colombo.
DAY 2 - ARRIVAL IN CHENNAI On arrival we transfer to the five-star ITC Chola Hotel for one night with breakfast.
DAY 3 - MAHABALIPURAM This morning you discover Chennai’s bustling streets, passing numerous Victorian-era buildings and the famous Marine Beach, with its fish market and multi-coloured wooden fishing boats, before arriving at the very centre of colonial Madras, Fort St George. This was one of the most vital outposts of the British Empire – its first in India and the home of Clive of India. Continuing south we soon arrive at Mahabalipuram, a port which traded with Rome in ancient times. Its huge 7th century temples have been carved from vast granite monoliths and are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Our hotel is the three-star superior Ideal Beach Resort, with breakfast, and we have time to enjoy the lovely beach-side setting and pool in the afternoon.
DAY 4 - PONDICHERRY You travel south to Pondicherry and on arrival have a walking tour of the beautiful old French colonial centre of ‘Pondy’. Its architecture and ambience are very different from any other Indian town: there’s a sleepy, almost Mediterranean air here, with bougainvillea-clad walls and mustard-yellow neo- classical villas. We’ll see the Governor’s residence, the former site of the French fort and the Hotel de Ville. Our hotel is the four-star Le Pondi Resort, with breakfast. (2017 departures will stay at the three-star superior Dune Eco-Lodge).
DAY 5 - TANJORE We continue our journey south to Tanjore, with a two-night stay at the three-star superior Ideal River View Hotel, with breakfast. The afternoon is at leisure to enjoy the tranquil surroundings and palm-shaded pool of this charming hotel.
DAY 6 - TANJORE Capital of the ancient Chola Empire, Tanjore is known for its extraordinary Brihadeeswara Temple. Standing over 200ft tall, its main tower is covered with an intricately-carved ochre-coloured facade which glows in the morning light. A working temple for a thousand years, surrounded by colonnaded halls and a fortified wall, it is a testament to the power and wealth of the Chola Empire. Tanjore is also noted for its fine metalwork and the nearby Royal Palace’s art gallery houses a fascinating array of bronze sculptures.
DAY 7 - CHETTINAD We drive to the nearby Chettinad region, which you are sure to love. This is the real rural India of small farming communities where we’ll stay the night in a beautifully restored traditional Chettinad mansion, the Chidambara Vilas, with breakfast.
DAY 8 - MADURAI Today we’ll explore this undiscovered region, visiting other remarkable mansions, seeing the local Maharaja’s palace, plus local handicrafts. A fascinating visit is to a tile workshop, where each piece is delicately handmade and decorated, whilst saris are still woven to age-old local designs on traditional wooden handlooms. We’ll also sample some of the region’s unique cuisine during lunch, served on a banana leaf. In the afternoon we drive to Madurai for one of the tour’s highlights: the Meenakshi Amman Temple. This is the southern India’s Taj Mahal – a vast complex of courtyards, pillared halls, a sacred lake and no less than twelve gateway towers completely covered with thousands of brightly-painted stucco
carvings. It is Tamil Nadu’s spiritual and cultural heart. This afternoon we take tuk-tuks to visit the temple at dusk, exploring its busy traditional markets full of impossibly laden stalls. Our hotel is the four-star Taj Gateway Pasumalai, located on a quiet hilltop above Madurai and set in landscaped gardens.
DAY 9 - KERALA This morning we re-visit the temple in daylight plus tour the nearby Nayak Palace, with its vast throne-room and ceremonial courtyard. Driving west towards the distant outlines of the Western Ghats, the road zig-zags through lush forest with fleeting glimpses of verdant valleys below. After crossing the border into Kerala, we arrive at Kumily, surrounded by spice plantations and the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Our hotel for two nights is the four-star Spice Village, with breakfast. Made up of cottages thatched with local elephant grass, it has a wonderfully atmospheric bar, a small pool and follows admirable eco-friendly practices.
DAY 10 - PERIYAR NATIONAL PARK Rising early, with a tropical dawn chorus ringing in our ears, we enter the wildlife sanctuary for a guided walk through the tall stands of teak, bamboo, wild fig and beautiful jacaranda trees. The reserve’s core surrounds a large lake, so the birdlife is excellent, with over 260 species recorded, including hornbills, parakeets, kingfishers, kites and flycatchers. You may also be lucky to spot a Malabar giant squirrel or a lion-tailed macaque. After a late breakfast, the day is at leisure until our afternoon visit to a local spice plantation where our guide explains the many uses of pepper, cloves, curry leaves, cardamom, vanilla, turmeric, nutmeg, and a host of others.
DAY 11 - KUMARAKOM We descend towards the Keralan coast, passing many tea plantations en route. We stay at Kumarakom, at the four-star superior Coconut Lagoon, accessible only by boat through one of the many canals here. There’s plenty of hammocks dotted about, a beautiful pool surrounded by swaying palms and an excellent spa centre. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the tranquillity of your hotel.
DAY 12 - HOUSEBOAT CRUISE Today we discover the Keralan backwaters in the best way possible – by traditional houseboat. Leaving from nearby Alleppey, each houseboat takes six to eight guests plus three crew who prepare a typical Keralan lunch on board. Passing paddy fields, coconut palms and colourful local houses, watch out for the plentiful birdlife, children walking (or rowing!) from school, people washing their clothes, pots and pans and even themselves in the narrow waterways.
DAY 13 - COCHIN We drive to Cochin, the Malabar Coast’s most historic port, from where India’s invaluable spices were shipped to Europe. The city’s oldest quarter is Fort Cochin, a maze of narrow alleyways and large merchants’ houses. The iconic sight in Cochin is the famed Chinese fishing nets, vast cantilevered contraptions that still work to this day. Our hotel is the five-star Crowne Plaza, with breakfast.
DAY 14 - RETURN FLIGHT Fly back to the UK, via Colombo, arriving later the same day.
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