South India Tour

Day 01 Arrive Madras, Transfer to Hotel.

Day 02 Madras: Full day sightseeing

Day 03-07 Explore Tamil Nadu visiting Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, Tanjore, Madurai

Day 07-12 Explore Kerala visiting Thekkady, Periyar, Cochin, Alleppey, Kumarakom, Varkala, Kovalam

Day 13 Kovalam Beach: Full day leisure

Day 14 Trivandrum: sightseeing, departure transfer to the airport .The South India Cultural tour starts with your arrival in Madras (recently renamed Chennai), the capital of Tamil Nadu state and the fourth largest metropolis in India. All the south Indian art forms, music and dance are cherished and nurtured in this city, which, though industrialized, continues to be traditional and conventional in many ways.

On the following day after our arrival, we will explore the temple splendors of Kancheepuram and Mahabalipuram. Kancheepuram is one of India's seven great mythological cities with a plethora of temples, each one unique in its own way. Over the last four centuries, this place has also been famous for its weavers who even today weave sarees using the best quality silk and pure gold thread.

Mahabalipuram, built in 7th century by Pallavas, is the site of several antique sculptural marvels. The Pallavas had perfected the art of sculpting rocks to build shore temples without any use of brick, mortar or timber and the five monolith Raths (chariots) at Mahabalipuram stand as the surviving masterpieces of Pallava sculpture including the largest bas-relief in the world, the ‘Arjuna’s Penance’. The huge sculptural panels show pictographic descriptions of various Hindu mythologies and the popular fables from the Panchatantra.

On our way back from Mahabalipuram, we will also visit the famous crocodile bank where several species of Indian and African crocodiles and alligators are bred and maintained. Late afternoon we will spend at the beautiful Marina beach, considered as one of the longest beaches in the world with a length of 11 kms in a single stretch.
From Madras, we will drive to Pondicherry by coach for overnight stay. Next day we will explore this enchanting coastal town that remained in the French possession for a long time before being transferred to the Indian union in 1954. The major attraction of Pondicherry is Auroville - a spiritual village of universal brotherhood and unity. Other interesting places we will be visiting include the French institute, Raj Niwas and the Yoga Center.

On day five, we will proceed to Tanjore, once the capital of Cholas - the ruling dynasty of temple builders who ruled south India between the 10th and 14th centuries. In Tanjore, we will be visiting the magnificent Brihadeswara temple, built by the greatest Chola emperor Rajaraja Chola (985-1014AD) and the crowning glory of the Dravidian temple architecture.

Next day we will take the early morning drive to another temple city, Madurai – The temple capital of South and also a place where the ancient ‘Sangam’ literature was compiled. And therefore offers a unique opportunity to gaze into South Indian culture and traditions. Situated on the banks of river Vaigai, Madurai is one of India's most ancient cities dating back to the 6th century BC. Here, we will be visiting the splendid Sree Meenakshi temple.

The next part of our tour takes a transition from the cultural and architectural splendor to the natural exploration of the south Indian scenery. We start with our drive from Madurai to Thekkady where we will visit the Periyar wildlife sanctuary and the Lake.

Periyar is beautiful, panoramic and inhabited by hordes of elephants. A sightseeing tour by motorboat will bring us close to them for watching and photography. Other than the wild elephants, besides this other attractions include Tigers, Bison, Spotted deer, Gaur and other animals.

From here, we will drive to Cochin in Kerala and thus completing our traversing of the Indian southern continent from East to West coast. Cochin called, as the ‘queen of the Arabian Sea’ is indeed a very interesting city with one of the finest natural harbours in the world. The Chinese fishing nets, the Jewish synagogues, the Dutch and the Bolghatty Palace enrich the heritage of Cochin and give it a unique colour and ambience not found elsewhere.

After touring the city, proceed to Alleppey appropriately called the ‘Venice of the East’, we take up a houseboat cruise on the famous Kerala backwaters, passing through the lush green rural countryside rich in birdlife, serene coconut lagoons and placid villages. This comfortable ride in the beautifully constructed Anjili Wood houseboats is an unforgettable experience. An overnight stay in the houseboat comes complete with a sightseeing trip (by the boat itself) to the Kumarakom bird sanctuary and traditional south Indian meals.

The last leg of our tour takes us to relax on the Kovalam beach, one of the best in India and perhaps in the world. It’s a rocky promontory, jutting into the sea render Kovalam safe for sea bathing even in the roughest weather. After a full day at the beach, we will explore the adjoining city of Trivandrum, the capital of Kerala and a beautiful city of magnificent structures showcasing the ancient and modern style of architecture in a unique blend of setting. The other attractions in the city include various cultural institutions, palaces, art galleries, and the Sree Padmanabha Swami temple. After exploring

we provide specialized tour programs keeping in mind the requirement of our clients. Hence for special tour program

contact us at
info@celestialindiatravels.com