Kerala Journey & Rejuvenation

Upon arrival into Cochin, you'll be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. Relax and enjoy the hotel for the remainder of the day or explore Cochin on your own.

 

Find serenity in peaceful Cochin as you gaze out over the warm tropical waters of the Arabian Sea.

Morning yoga practice with a yoga teacher. After breakfast, we start our Cochin city tour.

 

Over its long history, foreigners have left their mark on Cochin, from St Thomas the Apostle (A.D. 50) to Jews, Syrian Christians, Chinese, Persians, Portuguese, Dutch and the British.  The seaport has been a busy hub for trade for centuries and is still an important center for the tea and spice trade.  Explore the historic Fort Cochin and Mattancherry district, and stroll down the harbor to see little fishing boats and the famous Chinese fishing nets.

 

Paradesi Synagogue. Built in 1568, it is the oldest synagogue in the former British Commonwealth.  The synagogue is magnificently decorated with Chinese tiles and Belgian chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here.

 

The Dutch Palace offers a fantastic view of the city. It is also notable for some of the best murals of Indian mythology, particularly in the bed chambers. In that room one can see the entire story of the Ramayana on the walls. The palace also contains rare examples of traditional Kerala flooring, which look like polished black marble but is actually a mixture of burnt coconut shells, charcoal, lime, plant juices and egg whites.

 

This evening, enjoy a Kathakali dance performance.  This highly sophisticated and dramatic dance-drama originated in 17th century Kerala. The word Kathakali literally means "Story-Play". Kathakali is known for its large, elaborate costumes and dramatic makeup. All the roles are usually performed by men and the actors rely heavily on hand gestures to convey their story.

 

Breakfast

Morning yoga and pranayama (breathing technique) practice.

 

After breakfast, relax in the beautiful resort followed by the first Ayurveda massage on this trip.

 

Breakfast

After breakfast we take a scenic drive up to the hill station. Check in the hotel.

 

Early lunch.

 

Visit the tea estate.  The region is filled with lush green surroundings, streams, lakes, waterfalls, rubber trees, spice and tea plantations.

 

We will walk among the tea bushes (Camellia sinensis) and learn about how tea growing was introduced to India and this area was transformed into a major tea production center. The factory tour shows us the tea making process: Crush, Tear and Curl. A tea tasting awaits you at the end of the tour.

 

This evening enjoy another cooking demonstration and classic Indian dance performance.

 

Tonight we stay at Spice Village Resort.

 

Spice Village is located in the Periyar wilderness, high in the western ghats (mountains) of Kerala. For centuries the area has attracted explorers and adventurers, mercenaries and empire builders, kings and merchant princes. Men and women drawn not only by the lure of spices but also by the romance and wild beauty of the land. The Portuguese and the Jews of Cochin visited as traders, turning the natural bounties of the area into wealth. With abundant pepper and cardamom, cinnamon and ginger, nutmeg, mace and anise the Periyar hills became nature's taste factory. In the 14th century Cochin was the port of lading for a spice-hungry world. Today, its rainforests and unique animals still attract the modern visitors.

 

Breakfast

An early morning departure to explore Periyar on a jungle safari. Visit the botanical garden, hills and valleys, tropical forests, sprawling grass lands, sholas, cascading waterfalls and cardamom plantation.  This wildlife reserve is home to many endangered species like the lion tailed macaque; nilgiri tahrs and more.

 

After the jungle tour, take a private tour of a Kerala spice plantation where you can see how pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg are grown. The spice plantations in Kerala are captivating farms to wander in with the various spices cultivated in different sections of the plantation. In these spice plantations, you taste the various spices and inhale the fragrant air.

 

This evening, enjoy the exciting Kalaripayattu martial arts performance. The practitioners are trained in jumping, running, somersaults and various traditional weapons. In between the breathtaking demonstrations, be ready to volunteer to jump into the pit and participate - an opportunity that should not be missed!

 

Breakfast

After breakfast, we descend from the hill station to Allepy to visit a Hindu temple. Afterwards, a choice of visiting a bamboo furniture factory or going on a fishing expedition.

 

Perched sleepily amongst a tangle of lush tropical waterways known as the Keralan backwaters, Kumarakom is technically a cluster of islands on Lake Vembanad - one of Asia’s largest freshwater lakes. Located on the banks of the Vembanad Lake is the wonderful Kumarakom bird sanctuary spread across 14 acres, which is a favored haunt of migratory birds.

 

Kumarakom is an ideal place to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. The resort offers the opportunities to watch birds, butterflies and to further refresh your spirit in Kerala’s wilderness.

 

Breakfast

Yoga followed by a leisurely breakfast. Ayurveda massage.

 

After lunch for the greatest pleasure in Kerala, let’s travel to Alleppey for our small boat (shikara) cruise in the Backwaters.  A never-to-miss experience cruising slowly through the shimmering backwaters, where you’ll see kingfishers diving for fish, boats delivering their goods, boys splashing in the water, and women preparing meals in the shade of coconut palms.

 

The city of Alleppey is spread throughout its canals, lakes and lagoons.  Our cruise leads us through a maze of canals to observe many scenes of daily local life amongst the villages, paddy fields and coconut palms.

 

Kerala is also known as God's Own Country, let it sink in!

 

Enjoy a classical dance performance before your dinner.

 

Breakfast

Morning yoga followed by breakfast.

 

Checkout and departure to Kollam.

 

Time to rejuvenate your mind and body after all the travel excitement. This afternoon is your consultation with an Ayurveda doctor who will recommend your Ayurveda treatment or massage during your stay.

 

Breakfast     Dinner

Morning yoga followed by breakfast.

 

Experience and learn about yoga vegetarian meals based on Ayurvedic principles.

 

Enjoy your Ayurveda treatment!

 

Breakfast     Lunch      Dinner

Morning yoga and then breakfast.

 

Check out and drive to Thiruvananthapuram. Followed by a city tour.

 

Breakfast 

The highlight of our sightseeing to Kanyakumari is the southernmost tip of peninsular India, where you will see 3 water bodies meeting - the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.

 

We will end this full day excursion with a sunset dinner at Kanyakumari before the evening drive.

 

Breakfast

Enjoy a relaxing day.

 

Breakfast 

After breakfast, enjoy a relax morning.

 

Checkout and the tour comes to an end. Please inform us your international or India domestic flight details in order to schedule your transfer to Trivandrum (TRV) airport.

 

Bon voyage from God’s Country!

 

Breakfast