The Quintessential South

On arrival in Chennai, your guide and driver will receive you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure.

Depending on your time of arrival, you may enjoy an evening visit to Chennai’s famous city beach.

After breakfast, visit Mahabalipuram, a World Heritage Site lying along the coast just a short drive south of Chennai.

The site has over 40 Hindu temples and monuments from the 7th and 8th centuries.

The elegant Shore Temple combines shrines to Shiva and Vishnu. The five 7th century stone chariots are great early examples of temple architecture evolving from wooden structures. Marvel at the cave temples which include the spectacular reliefs of Durga slaying the buffalo demon and the great Arjuna’s penance.

Mahabalipuram’s shore location is ideal for a delicious seafood lunch at the beach shacks.

After breakfast, drive south to Pondicherry, the former French enclave which which retains much of its colonial architecture.

After checking into your hotel and enjoying lunch, explore the city’s French Quarter and the Tamil Quarter on guided walks.

Today, start early and take a long drive south towards Thanjavur.

Enroute, visit several grand temples built in the 11-12th centuries by the great Chola kings. Three of these have been given World Heritage Status as ‘Great Living Chola Temples‘ . The temples testify to the brilliant achievements of the Cholas in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting.

The first stop will be Gangaikonda Cholapuram, the ‘City of the Chola who conquered the Ganges’ where you’ll visit the World Heritage  Brihadishvara Temple, the 1000 year old imperial Chola temple erected by Rajendra I

The nearby town of Kumbakonam has several Chola temples including the Nageshvara Temple which has some of the finest early Chola sculptures.

A little further south at Darasuram, the Airavateshvara temple, a late Chola masterpiece is the second World Heritage Site.

Check in to your hotel to relax and enjoy dinner.

The city of Thanjavur is dominated by the Brihadishvara temple of Thanjavur , not to be confused with the equally grand temple of the same name, visited the day before. This is the third of the ‘Great Living Chola Temples’ World Heritage Sites.

The vast compound is entered via one of South India’ earliest monumental tower gates (gopurams).

Visit a local workshop to observe bronze making and glass painting.

If you have time, you’ll optionally visit the museum in the Thanjavur Palace, which houses a fine collection of Chola sculpture, including bronzes.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive to Chettinad, a region famous for its aromatic and spicy cuisine, and its unique architectural style.

Visit The Bangala, a heritage hotel renowned for its food and cooking classes, where you will enjoy a cooking demonstration and a delicious lunch. The Bangala was rated the 7th Best Restaurant in India by Condé Nast Traveller in 2019.

After checking into your hotel, the rest of the day is at leisure.

Perhaps you’d like to explore the neighbourhood streets or the market, or just relax in the hotel’s garden and pool.

This morning, visit Athangudi Palace, an ornately built mansion house with lavish interiors.

One of the specialities of the Chettinad region is the art of making tiles. The process is totally manual, and having lost ground to factory made tiles for a while, the traditional tiles are making a comeback with eco-conscious designers.

Visit the Athangudi Tile Factory where you can see local artisans use traditional techniques and tools to create tiles.

After breakfast, drive to Madurai, considered by many to be the archetypal South Indian Temple town.

The vast 17th century Meenakshi Temple complex has towering gateways covered with religious figures in spectacular colours. Although non-Hindus are not allowed within the sanctum, there is plenty to admire from the outer areas.

Your next stop is hardly a stone’s throw away from the Meenakshi temple,  the Thirumalai Nayak Palace, a mix of architectural styles – Italian, Indo-Saracenic and Gothic.

If time permits, Madurai is a good place to shop for handicrafts including wood, brass and stone curios. The Poompuhar Handicrafts Emporium is especially recommended.

After breakfast, drive from Madurai to Thekkady, just across the border of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Thekkady is the gateway to Periyar Tiger Reserve, and is surrounded by lush rolling hills, where the British introduced tea and spice plantations.

After checking in at your hotel and enjoying lunch, you’ll visit the Periyar Tiger Reserve for a boat ride into the Periyar Lake, hoping to spot herds of Elephants, Gaur and perhaps even a big striped cat.

The rest of the evening is at leisure in the lush gardens of the hotel.

Start early for a dawn boat ride in Periyar Tiger Reserve. The lake looks ethereally beautiful in the morning mist, and you’ll have another chance to spot wildlife from the comfort of your boat.

Back at the hotel, after breakfast, visit a spice plantation to learn about spice cultivation. Cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg and vanilla are commonly grown in the region.

After lunch, visit a tea factory and estate to witness the process of tea-making. There will be opportunity to taste and purchase various teas.

The rest of the evening is at leisure in the lush gardens of the hotel.

Drive after breakfast to Kerala’s famed backwaters. Allepey is the gateway to Lake Vembanad, and the embarkation point for many houseboat cruises.

Modern boats are modelled on the traditional riceboats (kettuvallams) once used to carry rice and spices to Kochi.

Board your houseboat and explore the network of lakes, lagoons and canals with its unique ecosystem on a relaxing cruise.

Spend the night on your houseboat, moored on the lakeside. The crew will serve meals cooked on the boat, often using freshwater prawns and fish caught on the lake itself.

In the morning, your houseboat cruise will bring you back to Allepey, where you’ll disembark and continue to Cochin (Kochi) by road.

Cochin has a rich history, and you’ll spend the day exploring Fort Cochin with its famous Chinese fishing nets and atmospheric streets. There are several old churches, of which St Francis Church, the temporary resting place of Vasco da Gama is prominent.

Jewish merchants and Christian settlers arrived in Kerala with St Thomas the Apostle in 52 ad. The Paradesi Synagogue, built in 1568 by European Jews, is tucked away in the heart of the Jewish Quarter. Its airy interior is enhanced by hand painted Chinese floor tiles and European glass chandeliers.

Today, you will visit the Mattancherry Palace. First built by the Portuguese in 1557, it was rebuilt by the Dutch in 1663. Don’t miss the murals in the king’s bedroom depicting mythical scenes from the Raas Leela and Ramayana.

Depending on the time off your onward journey, you may have time to spend the last day of the holiday relaxing at your hotel or exploring local markets for souvenirs to take home.

Transfer to Cochin Airport for your onward journey.