Wildlife Retreat
19 Nights/ 20 Days
Kochi - Munnar - Periyar - Madurai - Ooty - Wayanad - Kabini - Nagarhole - Mysore - Bangalore
19 Nights/ 20 Days
Kochi - Munnar - Periyar - Madurai - Ooty - Wayanad - Kabini - Nagarhole - Mysore - Bangalore
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Day1-Kochi You are picked up from the airport / railway station or from any location in Kochi by the representative of Halo for your journey in Kerala.Like a bashful bride, she blushes when you call here the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea’. She offers an enchanting vista of old Kerala, along with mementos of her European guests. Kochi was an obscure fishing village that became the first European township in India. The town was shaped by the Portuguese, the Dutch and later the British. The results of these cultural influences are seen in the many examples of Indo European architecture that still exist here. Some of the well known tourist attractions in Kochi are.... |
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The Old Fort, Kochi / Cochin: Vasco da Gama, whose arrival in Kerala about 500 years ago opened up a new era of trade between India and Europe, died in Fort Kochi on Christmas eve in 1524. The house where he died is a huge Portuguese-style mansion on Rose Street, which stands close to the St. Francis Church, the first European church in India. In accordance with his last wishes, da Gama's remains were unearthed and send to Lisbon, Portugal, and reburied there in 1538. Chinese Fishing Nets/Vasco da Gama Square: These huge cantilevered fishing nets are the legacy of one of the first visitors to the Malabar Coast. Erected here between 1350 and 1450 AD by traders from the court of Kublai Khan, these nets are set up on teak wood and bamboo poles. Pierce Leslie Bungalow: This charming mansion was the office of Pierce Leslie & Co., coffee merchants, founded in 1862. Old Harbour House: This elegant old bungalow built in 1808 is in the possession of Carrit Moran & Co., renowned tea brokers, who now use it as their residence. St. Francis Church: Built in 1503 by Portuguese Franciscan friars, this is India's oldest European church. This was initially built of timber and later reconstructed in stone masonry. Santa Cruz Basilica: This historic church was built by the Portuguese and elevated to a Cathedral by Pope Paul IV in 1558. In the evening visit Kathakali center to witness Kathakali dance presentation. Overnight at the hotel in Cochin. |
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Day2- Kochi - Munnar Get ready after breakfast for your morning drive to Munnar, where sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns, winding lanes, trekking and holiday facilities make it a unique experience. Check in to your resort and get ready for the special trip to Pothamedu for an excellent view of the tea, coffee and cardamom plantations in Munnar. The breath taking scenery here is ideal for trekking and long mountain walks. Return to your resort in the evening. Day3 - Munnar Move through the tea gardens spread like a green carpet over hundreds of kilometers. Lush green hills all around - a place difficult to describe. Sightseeing includes Raja Malai, a top peak of Munnar where you can see Neel Thar (mountain goats), Muttuputty dam and the Indo Swiss project. You can also enjoy boating in the Lake. Enjoying the scenic beauty & the marvelous waterfalls, high mountains with the low flying clouds passing by. Overnight stay at Munnar. |
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Day4 - Munnar - Periyar Get ready after breakfast for your morning drive to Periyar nestled in spice and rubber plantations. Known to be Kerala’s pride and testimony to nature’s splendor, Periyar has a lot to offer in terms of wildlife. Periyar is famous for its rare habitat of birds and animals and is one of the most popular destinations for nature lovers. Check in to your resort and get ready for your trip to cardamom hills where you could have a closer look at the spice plantations. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the places where the chances are pretty high that you will spot an elephant in the wild at close quarters and from the safe confines of a boat. Rest of the |
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Day5 - Periyar Set high in the ranges of the Western Ghats, in God’s Own Country, Kerala, is the Periyar National Park and Tiger Reserve. Periyar wildlife sanctuary has a picturesque lake at the heart of the sanctuary. Formed with the building of a dam in 1895, this reservoir meanders around the contours of the wooded hills, providing a permanent source of water for the local wildlife. Though it’s a Tiger Reserve, tourists come here to view the Indian elephants in the act of ablution and playfulness by the Periyar lake. Apart from Elephants, the other animals to be seen in the Periyar sanctuary are Gaur, Wild Pigs, Sambar, Barking Deer, Mouse Deer, Dole or Indian Wild Dog and very rarely, a Tiger. There are, now, an estimated 40 tigers here. Four species of primates are found at Periyar - the rare lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri Langur, Common Langur And Bonnet Macaque. Periyar also happens to be the habitat of the elusive Nilgiri Tahr, which is rarely to be seen. Day 6 - Periyar - Madurai Morning drive to Madurai. Madurai-one of south India's most ancient city, on the banks of the River Vaigai, has been an important center of workship and commerce for as long as there has been civilization in South India - indeed, it has long been described as “the Athens of the East”. The Meenakshi Temple in the heart of the old town is the supreme attraction here. A rightfully flamboyant example of Dravidian architecture it has gopurams covered from top to bottom with vibrant images of deities, animals and mythical figures. Overnight at the hotel in Madurai. Day 7 - Madurai After breakfast take a sight seeing of Madurai visiting the Meenakshi Temple, Tirumalai Nayak Palace, Gandhi Museum, Government Museum, Koodal Alagar Temple and Vandiyur Mariamman Teepakulam.Overnight at the hotel in Madurai. Day 8 - Madurai - Ooty Early morning travel by road to Ooty.Ooty, the Scotland of the East, is one of the most popular holiday destinations in South India. Go discover an Ooty that veils herself in season.Ooty has plenty of attractions, both on and off the beaten path. The Botanical Garden are well laid out with avenues of shady trees and myriad ornamental plants and flowers. But the main attraction here is the fossilized tree trunk - all of 20 million years old. Overnight stay at Ooty. Day 9 - Ooty Move through the tea gardens spread like a green carpet over hundreds of kilometers. Lush green hills all around - a place difficult to describe. The Rose Garden, atop a hill off Etiennes Road, is all of 10 acres. In winter, when the 1919 varieties of roses of all hues are out, a stroll in this scented garden is an unforgettable experience. John Sullivan, the first Collector and virtual founder of Ooty, constructed 2½ km long artificial lake in 1824.There is a charming lake garden, a jetty, snack bars and pony and toy train rides on offer for the kiddies. Other attractions are Raj Bhavan and St, Stephen’s Church. Overnight stay at Ooty. Day 10 - Ooty - Wayand Early morning drive to Wayanad.One of the most beautiful regions of Kerala is the hill district of Wayanad, situated 70km east of Kozhicode, with tracts of forest covering the western flanks of the Niilgiris.The scenery is rich and varied, ranging from plantations of tea, spices, coffee and cocoa to the dry scruffy jungle of the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. Overnight at Wayanad. Day 11 - Wayanad Day is free to relax and to walk around Wayanad Trekking facilities is available on request. Tourists are allowed to go on foot up to Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. This is also a place for adventure tourism. Day 12 - Wayanad - Kabini This is an invitation to take part in one of the greatest elephant shows in Asia. This is an arena where you have not three or four or six elephants doing the star turn, but 200.or maybe 250,in just one evening…. From the giant tuskers to the mouse deer, to barking deer and chital, to herds of gaur and sambhar, to the rare but definitely ‘spottable’ tiger and pather, and the sloth bear…they are all here. But then again, Kabini is all about elephants and more elephants. Some 1,500 of them roam free in the jungles of Nagarhole alone, of which Kabini is a primary part. Overnight stay at Kabini. Day 13 Kabini Quite the extraordinary thing about the Kabini area is the existence of a mind-blowing 60 sq.km of static water inside the forest precincts, the result of a dam built across the river at Beechanahalli.Glinding along the water with the thick jungles all around you, you’re able to come close to various herds of animals on the shores. Overnight stay at Kabini. Day 14 - Kabini - Nagarhole Once an exclusive hunting preserve of the Maharajas of Mysore, Nagarhole National Park was renamed after the late Rajiv Gandhi, but faces the same fate as Delhi's Connaught Place and Connaught Circle which are still called by their popular old names. The park, situated in the Deccan Plateau, form an integral part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Overnight stay at Nagarhole. Day 15 - Nagarhole - Mysore After breakfast checkout the hotel and drive to Mysore.A centre of sandalwood carving, silk and incense production, 159 Km southwest of Bangalore, Mysore, the erstwhile capital of the Wadiyar Rajas, is one of South India's most -visited places. Mysore is a charming, old fashioned and undaunting town, dominated by the spectacular Maharaja's Palace. A after lunch and relaxation, we will visit Maharaja's Palace. Designed in the hybrid Indo-Saracenic style by Henry Irwin, the British consultant architect of Madras state. Overnight at Mysore. Day 16 - Mysore Day for sightseeing in and around Mysore, Jaganmohan Palace & Art Gallery, St.Philomena’s Cathedral, Chamundi Hill, Brindavan Gardens. Day 17 - Mysore After breakfast proceed to visit Srirangapattna, summer Palace of Tipu Sultan, is an island fortress encircled by river Cauvery, High stone walls and moats enclose temples, palaces and a great mosque. Tipu Sultan's Srirangapatnam was largely destroyed by British, but parts of the fort area in the northwest survive, including gates, ramparts, arsenals, the grim dungeons (where chained British prisoners were allegedly forced to stand neck-deep in water) and the domed and minaret Jami Masjid mosque. Day 18 - Mysore - Banglore After breakfast checkout the hotel and drive to Bangalore. After relaxation take a sightseeing trip to Lalbagh Botanical Garden and Vidhana Soudha.Overnight at Bangalore. Day 19 - Banglore After breakfast take a sight seeing trip in and around Bangalore. Bangalore often referred to as ' The Garden City ' for its numerous parks and avenues of jacaranda, gulmohar and cassia is the sixth largest and one of the cleanest cities in India. Visit some of the attractions listed below. (1) Cubbon Park & Museum (2) Bull Temple (3) City Market (4) Fort & Tipu Sultan's Palace and (5) Ulsoor Lake.Overnight at Bangalore. Day 19 - Banglore - Airport After leisurely breakfast leave for Bangalore / Mumbai and drop at airport for your flight to onward destination.On departure the tour concludes with happy memories. Tour Concludes. |
Day 7 - Alappuzha - Kovalam Breakfast on board. Disembark at Alappuzha.70 Kms from Cochin, this unique backwater destination situated on the banks of the Vembanad lake is considered as gateway to the backwater of Kuttanad, the granary of Kerala. Drive to Kovalam through green coastal belt and cashew plantations. Despite the fact that virtually the entire 550 Km length of the Kerala coast is lined with sandy beaches, rocky promontories and coconut palms,Kovalam is one of the only place where swimming in the sea is not considered eccentric by locals. Check into the hotel. Overnight stay at Kovalam. |
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Day 8 - Kovalam Kovalam has been a favorite haunt of tourist especially Europeans,since the 1930s.A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful Bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathinf.The day is free for leisure at resort,Ayurveda treatment,message,yoga classes,swimming,beach volleyball,indoor games and Learn to cook with spices,sunbathing,special cultural programs,Catamaran cruising etc. Overnight at Kovalam. Day 9 - Kovalam - Railway Station After breakfast transfer to Trivandrum railway station/airport. On departure the tour concludes with happy memories. Tour concludes. Suggested Hotels
Tour Includes : - Hotel Accommodation in above star hotels/resorts on twin sharing basis. - All transfers to or from hotels, city tours, excursions, drives by A/c car. - All toll, driver’s batta and taxes. - Daily breakfast. - All meals during the houseboat cruise. - Boat ride at Periyar. - Kathakali Dance presentation at Kochi. - Meet and Assist services. - Valid from 1st of April, 2010 to 31st of March, 2011 except from 15th of December, 2010 to 15th of January, 2011. - All prevailing taxes like Luxury tax in all hotels and Expenditure tax wherever applicable. - Service Tax of 4.99 % as per Govt.rules. Tour do not include - Rates are not valid in between 15th of December, 2010 and 15th of January, 2011. - Any Air/train fares. - Personal expenses like telephone, fax, internet, laundry. - Entry ticket, permit fees, boat/ferry ticket, camera ticket at various places of sight seeing. |
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DESTINATIONS
Kerala offers the traveller a throng of choices, from famous beaches to big metropolises to quiet secluded islands. The beauty of it says it all, you don't need to spend a lot of time or
money - the places we have selected can be just a weekend getaway to soothe those
tensed nerves.
Kerala offers the traveller a throng of choices, from famous beaches to big metropolises to quiet secluded islands. The beauty of it says it all, you don't need to spend a lot of time or
money - the places we have selected can be just a weekend getaway to soothe those
tensed nerves.
