“A two week holiday in Kerala. ”

Highlights

Mumbai, Elephanta Caves, Fort Cochin, Kerala Backwaters, Tropical beaches, Ayurveda

Itinerary

Day 1

Fly London to Mumbai

Day 2

Full day in Bombay. Afternoon visit to the major sights of Bombay including the Old Victorian buildings such as Victoria terminus, Flora fountain, the Afghan church and St Thomas’s Cathedral. The markets in Bombay are great fun, in particular Crawford bazaar and the Chore Bazaar, the latter of which is full of old curios.

Dinner in one of the great restaurants near the hotel.

Day 3

Morning visit to the Elephanta caves. The boats leave from the Gateway of India that is just next to the Hotel. You sail across the harbour to the Old caves on Elephanta Island. The sculpture here is very impressive especially the famous sculpture of Mahesh the three-headed manifestation of Shiva.

Return to Bombay for lunch. Afternoon at leisure. I would recommend a visit to the Prince of Wales Museum, which is walking distance from the hotel.

Day 4

Transfer to the airport to catch flight to Cochin. As it takes at least 1 hour to drive from the hotel to the airport, a car will collect you at around 10am. Flight 9W403 departs at 12.50 arriving into Cochin at 14.35. On arrival you will be met and driven to the Brunton Boatyard to check in for three nights. If you have the energy we would recommend you had a cruise around the lagoon at sunset this evening before dining at the Brunton. The hotel will be able to organise this for you.

Day 5

Full day in Cochin. Sightseeing with guide to include the Dutch Palace at Mattancherry and the Jewish Synagogue. You should have lunch nearby at Casa Maria. Between Mattancherry and Jewtown are various spice warehouses where you can see the spices graded and sold. Well worth seeing.

Day 6

Full day in Cochin. Recommended visit to the Indo Portuguese Museum and the church of St Francis. You may also like to go over to Vypeen Island.

Day 7

You will be collected from the Brunton Boatyard after breakfast and driven to Alleppey where you would board a rice barge for a day cruise. Lunch will be served on board the barge.

The Malabar House Residency has a small hotel on the backwaters called Privacy. There are only two bedrooms so it makes for a very civilized way of stopping off for the night before continuing for a few hours the following day.

Overnight at the Privacy.

Day 8

Morning sailing to a pre arranged pick-up point on the backwaters. From there you will drive to Kovalam just south of Trivandrum and check into the Taj Green Cove for seven nights.

Day 9

Full day relaxing on the beach.

Day 10

Full day sightseeing tour to see the marvellous wood palace at Padmanabhapuram. This is the former residence of the Maharaja of Travancore. Continue to Kanya Kumari where the Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean all meet. It is a holy place for Hindus and the lands end of India. Return to the Taj Green Cove in the late afternoon.

Day 11

Full day relaxing at the Taj Green Cove. Trivandrum is the local town, which is less attractive than Cochin but has a good museum called the Napier Museum.

Day 12

Full day in and around Kovalam

Day 13

Full day in and around Kovalam

Day 14

Full day in and around Kovalam

Day 15

Spend the morning at the Taj Green Cove before being driven to the airport to catch the jet airways flight back to Bombay.

Day 16

Fly back to London