Trip Highlights

Walking Tour of Fort Kochi Area Blue Bus Tour in Kochi

Visit Tea Museum & Tea Plantations in Munnar Enjoy hiking and bamboo rafting in Thekkady

A night on board an exclusive luxury houseboat Private home hosted meal with a local family

9 nights 13 meals Transport Luxury

Accommodation Daily breakfast+ 2 lunches + 2 dinner

Private air conditioned vehicle

Add a night in any city of your

choice on complimentary

basis

Experience the Serenity

Itinerary

Day 01: Arrive Cochin

• Welcome to India! You arrive today at Cochin International Airport. Once you are done with customs, immigration, and baggage collection you will notice our representative waiting for you with a placard when you are just about to exit the Arrival Terminal.

• Assisted transfer to the hotel and on arrival, check in for your stay.

• Cochin is a cluster of islands on the vast expanse of the Vembanad Lake. The Lake

opens out into the Arabian Sea to form one of the finest natural harbors in the world. It is this natural advantage that has made Cochin a fascinating blend of the cultures and influences of explorers and traders. The Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, and the British have all left their mark here.

Hotel: Brunton Boatyard Standard Sea Facing room Meals included : None

Day 02: In Cochin

• Start your day with a guided walking tour of the Fort Cochin area to get a glimpse of this former Dutch colony.

• This walking tour is an eye opener to the minute details of the old town. It

definitely pulls you back to the 14th century. Fort Cochin is said to have formed in the 1340’s due to cataclysmic floods.

• The large rain trees, beautiful colonial buildings, streets lined with many shops,

dining options, the Chinese fishing nets, the Parade Ground, the Jain temple, the beach area, St. Francis Church, the Vasco house, the narrow lanes of Mattanchery and the fruit and vegetable markets all make this an interesting area.

• Later board a rickshaw that will take you to the famous Vallarpadam

church. Learn the history, myths and rituals of the church and climb the stairs to the view point of the church.

• Evening, witness a performance of Kerala’s unique dance-drama- Kathakali.

• This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner with Cocktail at your resort overlooking

the sea

Hotel : Brunton’s Boatyard Standard Sea Facing room Meals included : B & D

Day 03: Drive to Munnar

• Today post breakfast drive to Munnar. (approx. 05 hours)

• Munnar is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. 1600 m above sea level, this hill station was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South India.

• Sprawling tea plantations, picture book towns, winding lanes and holiday facilities make this a popular resort town. Munnar also has the highest peak in South India, Anamudi, which towers over 2695 m.

• Upon arrival at Munnar, check-in at your hotel. Rest of the day is at leisure.

Hotel: Windermere Tea Estate Planters room Meals included : B

Day 4: In Munnar

• Morning visit the Tea Museum in Munnar, which is a miniature working tea factory as well as a museum which showcases the old machinery that was used to manufacture tea during the British Raj in India.

• Visit the famous Munnar Rose Garden which is a beautiful garden with hundreds

of rare varieties of flowers and herbal plants.

• Visit the Munnar Market & waterfall located near the hotel.

• Next enjoy a visit to the Tea Museum that narrates an intriguing tale of how Tea was introduced in the region and grown here. Indulge in an interactive tea tasting demonstration and get know-how on the nuances of tea making. Hotel: Windermere Tea Estate Planters room Meals Included : B

Day 05: Drive to Thekkady

• Today after a leisurely breakfast, drive to Thekkady. (approx. 04 hours)

• The Periyar Tiger Reserve named after the Periyar River is one of the most prestigious wild life tracts on the Western Ghats. The Periyar Lake, which runs through the middle of the sanctuary was created in 1895 by building a dam across the Periyar River to divert the water for irrigation.

• Upon arrival at Thekkady, check-in at the hotel.

• On this afternoon guided tour, (duration around 2-3 hours) which is known as Spices & other stories of Thekkedy, you will get a glimpse of how the hopes and aspirations of many a family are pinned on the humble quantity of spices grown in their backyard garden and how the delicate balance between us humans, and the flora and fauna of the Periyar Biodiversity is maintained.

• You tour starts with a short Jeep ride towards a view point where get a bird’s eye

view of Kumily town, the Periyar National Park, Agricultural Fields and Forests.

• The final stop, 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) away, is the home of a Spice famer who has won many awards for best agricultural practices. The host will take you around his farm and explain in detail about spices – the variety, the various processes, the market, and economy etc. The tour ends with a cup of spice tea and homemade chocolates with your host.

Hotel: Spice Village Spice Garden Cottage Meals Included : B

Day 06: In Thekkady

• This day is for you to explore the natural beauty of Thekekdy as an explorer in a dawn to dusk hiking and rafting programme through some of the richest forest tracts of Periyar Tiger Reserve. The rafting is for about three hours and one gets a panoramic view of forest-clad hills. Animals like elephant, gaur and sambar are sighted keeping close to the edges of the lake. The team hitchhikes back by about 5 pm.

• This programme is provided with snacks and bottled water. The programme is about 13 km of walking & 02 hour rafting in the Periyar Lake in which the guest can enjoy a rich part of the forest. The timing of this trek is from 8am to 5pm in which maximum 15 persons and minimum 2 persons to run this programme.

• Evening you have the option of exploring the local spice and vegetable market. Or one can take part in the in-house activities offered by the resort.

Hotel: Spice Village Spice Garden Cottage Meals included : B

Day 7: Drive to Alleppey

• Today post early breakfast you will be transferred to Allepey (Drive approx. 01 hour 30 minute), where you will board the houseboat for overnight stay.

• Along the way you will pass rice fields, tiny villages, boats transporting children to school and farmers transporting their produce to the market and women completing household tasks such as laundry and washing utensils.

• Kettuvalloms were the original transportation of Kerala, boats used to transport produce. With the advent of vehicular traffic, these slowly became redundant.

• Eventually the craft was revived and today these boats are used to tour the

backwaters. They are made completely of natural material (wood and thatch) and have a bedroom and a sit out. The room is decorated using local material and artifacts. Each room has an attached shower and bathroom.

Hotel: Spice Coast One Bedroom AC Houseboat Meals included : B, L, D

Day 8: Drive Kumarakom

• After breakfast on the houseboat, disembark at the boat jetty in Kumarakom where your vehicle will be waiting for you to take you to the hotel in Kumarakom.

• Kumarakom is Kerala’s heartland of lagoons, palm fringed lakes and paddy fields, inter-linked with hundreds of winding canals.

• Afternoon is at leisure to participate in house activities at the resort.

Hotel : Coconut Lagoon Lake front Villa with private pool Meals included : B

Day 9: In Kumarakom

• Morning is at leisure.

• Early afternoon we visit Philipkutty’s Farm which is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the real Keralan experience in a fascinating location, with a caring family will look after you. It is a special place, as it provides something different, especially for those who prefer small and friendly places, and, could just be, the perfect hideaway for the bespoke traveler.

• Here your lunch will be hosted by the charming family from the fresh produce bought form the nearby family organic farms managed and taken care by the family themselves. Share the family story and their experiences with people all these years. Hotel: Coconut Lagoon Lake front Villa with private pool Meals included : B, L

Day 10: Drive to Cochin for your departure flight

• Today you will be transferred to the airport to board flight for onward destination.

Tour Ends

TOUR QUOTE

Validity Cost of 02 people on twin share basis: 01 July 2020 to 30 September 2020 USD 2520/- per person 01 May 2021 to 30 September 2021 Cost of 02 people on twin share basis: 01 October to 20 December 2020 USD 3375/- per person 10 January 2021 to 30 April 2021

Accommodation of 09 nights at the hotels mentioned below

City Hotels Proposed Room Category

Nights

Cochin Brunton Boatyard Standard Sea Facing

02

Munnar Windermere Estate Planters room 02

Thekkady Spice Village Spice Garden Cottage

02

Alleppey Spice Coast 01 Bedroom AC

01

Kumarakom Coconut Lagoon Lake Front Villa with Pool

02

TERMS & CONDITIONS

I. QUOTE INCLUDES:

• Stay on twin occupancy basis for 9 nights • Daily breakfast at the hotels. • Welcome dinner at Brunton Boatyard with cocktail • Stay on full board during stay onboard Houseboat. • Home hosted meal with introduction to Indian cooking at Philpkutty’s Farm. • Transportation in chauffer driven private air conditioned Toyota Innova. • Walking tour of Fort Kochi area • Witness Kathakali Dance performance in Kochi • Hiking & Bamboo rafting • Meet and greet services in Major cities. • Entrance fees at all monuments listed in the itinerary for one visit only, road taxes,

parking fee, fuel charges, interstate taxes.

• Services of English speaking local guide for sightseeing tours. • Bottled water during sightseeing tours/long drives. • All taxes, tolls, parking fees and service tax. • 15% commission

The above cost excludes:

• International airfares. • Visa Fees. • Expenses of Personal nature. • Tips and Laundry expenses during the stay. • Meals not mentioned in the above program.

TCI Value add’s: • A welcome kit on arrival containing snacks, organic cookies, hand sanitizer, mask,

mosquito repellent cream etc. • A complimentary 10th night in any city of guest’s choice in the tour • Complimentary upgrade to next category of room, once during the stay • Bottled water throughout the tour.

Buy with confidence offer: TCI is providing new, more flexible booking policies in order for the guests to plan their future travel with complete peace of mind. For new bookings made for travel this year and in 2021 for travel till September 30, 2021, can change or cancel up to 7 days prior to departure in the event of a COVID-19-related reason — whether at home or in their travel destination — and receive a full refund for the unutilized services. Cancellations will be applicable only for air bookings With TCI, there is an exciting world of travel possibilities and it’s our goal to provide an unforgettable combination of experiences. This routing can be customized based on your preferred destination, experiences and hotels. Contact your North America travel desk to book.