Day 1: Arrive in Bangalore, where you’ll be met by our representative and drive to Mysore (3.5hrs) to check into your hotel for 2 nights.
Day 2: Explore Mysore – City Palace, Mysore Silk factory, Railway Museum, markets, temples, author R.K. Narayan’s house
Day 3: Seringapatnam – Tipu Sultan’s Palace, mosque, temples and other sights in this small historic town. Later drive to Nagarhole National Park (2 hrs) and check into your jungle lodge for 3 nights.
Day 4,5,6: Explore Kabini forests, searching for black panther, leopard, tiger, elephant and other wild animals on morning and evening jeep safaris
Day 7: Enjoy one last morning safari in Kabini , then drive to Bandipur National Park (2.5hrs) to check into your jungle lodge for 2 nights.
Day 8: Enjoy morning and evening safari in Bandipur National Park
Day 9: After relaxed breakfast, drive to Ooty (2 hrs) to arrive around lunch time and check into your hotel for 1 night. Explore city of Ooty after lunch.
Day 10: After early breakfast, check out and drive to Coonoor (45min). There, enjoy a visit to a small boutique tea estate and a tea tasting session with a tea master. After lunch, take a ride on the World Heritage Nilgiri Mountain Railway from Coonoor to Mettupalayam. Your vehicle will be waiting for you at Mettupalayum to drive to Coimbatore (2hrs) to check into your hotel for 1 night.
Day 11: After breakfast, drive to Thrissur (2.5 hrs) and check into your hotel for 1 night. Explore Thrissur after lunch – go up to the top of the Basilica for nice city views and visit old churches. Explore the markets. Visit the historic temple in the centre of the city for the evening prayers.
Day 12: After a relaxed morning, visit the small but wonderful Thrissur Heritage Museum with its great collection of Keralan murals. Most are replicas of originals from Kerala’s various temples and palaces, but the advantage here is that you are allowed to study them closely and take photographs. Drive 2.5 hrs to Thattekad Bird Sanctuary. Go on a night walk in the jungle with a naturalist.
Day 13: Go on a morning and evening bird walk in Thattekad.
Day 14: After breakfast, drive to Cochin (2hrs) to check into your hotel in Fort Cochin for 2 nights. Explore the old Fort Cochin, with its many attractions. In the evening, watch the famous classical Indian dance-drama Kathakali in dance centre to enjoy the show followed by dinner.
Day 15: Continue exploring Cochin – visit Jew town, Mattancherry Palace and other historic and cultural sites.
Day 16: After breakfast drive to Vaikom Village (45 minutes). Reception will be arranged in a traditional house and further enjoy the life-style of the villagers and village backwater cruise through narrow canals for 3 hours with a local guide.
En-route visit coconut farms, Coir villages, spices and herbal farms, bird watching and other village activities like making ropes with coconut fibre, mat weaving with leaves of wild-pineapple, pottery, traditional coconut processing, collecting sand from river-bed, fishing, farming, etc.
The cruise will bet through the narrow canals of 4 feet in depth and the boat passes through coconut palm groves like a canopy, providing a cool atmosphere. We conclude this excursion by enjoying a ‘Sadya’ -solemn lunch served during Kerala’s regional festival ONAM and Hindu marriage functions. This is served on banana leaves with different curries.
Day 17: Return to UK from Cochin – depending upon the timing for your flight, you will be dropped at the airport for your return flight.
