Enjoy a lovely breakfast at your hotel and by 9 am we begin our journey to the French quartet of Pondicherry. Unmistakably and charmingly distinct European feel of Pondicherry makes for an excellent outing.

• Visit Auroville: A unique experiment in community living
• Auroville township is home to an international community (from 43 nations) dedicated to peace and sustainable living.
• Spend the evening at the French quarter. Walk around and explore
• Enjoy Do-it-yourself heritage walks through the seafront promenade, white mustard buildings, neo-classical governor’s residence (Raj Nivas) and white town.
• You could also visit the Aurobindo ashram and its bookstall.
• Don’t miss French food (hello steak!) and beer.
• Enjoy the good life and relax for the night at your resort.

After a refreshing break at Pondicherry, we are back on our trail of temples and world heritage sites. At 9 am after breakfast, we travel to our first destination of the day, Chidambaram.

• Visit Natarajar temple of Chidambaram dedicated to Shiva as a cosmic dancer
• The east passageway of the temple is carved with 108 sacred postures which inspired the classical dance, Bharthanatyam.
• This is the only temple with a brass idol where Shiva is worshiped in this cosmic dancer form. The architecture is Chola style.
• Our destination today is Kumbakonam, a small Indian town along the Cauvery river. The town is famous for many superb Chola temples scattered around nearby.
• Wonder at the Airavateswara Temple: Chola architectural marvel
• Part of the Great living Chola Temples UNESCO heritage site, the temple is a fine example of Dravidian architecture and was built in 12th century AD.
• This speciality of this temple is the exquisite detail of the stone work.
• Appreciate the Chola art of bronze casting: The only school of iconography
• We will take you to a village workshop where the famous bronze idols are cast and defined.
• Relax for the night in your resort.

Enjoy a lovely breakfast at your hotel and by 9 am we begin our journey to Trichy via Tanjore. Welcome to the ancient capital of the Chola Kings and important centre of South Indian art. The Tanjore school of painting is famous for depicting Lord Krishna in white.

• Explore the Brihadishwara Temple: ‘Big temple’ with the largest temple tower.
• This famous Shiva temple is also part of the great living Chola temples heritage site. The temple houses one of Asia’s largest stone Nandi (bull) statues.
• You could consider a quick shopping tour for Tanjore paintings, dancing dolls and musical instruments. Also consider a visit to the Palace Museum in Tanjore.
• Arrive at Trichy and check-in to your hotel. Enjoy your lunch and relax for some time.
• Visit the Rockfort Temple: Cave temples perched on a 83 m high rock.
• There are close to 600 steps to climb to reach the top. There are multiple shrines and caves along the way. The top will give you a beautiful aerial view of Trichy.
• You could visit a local market in town where you can enjoy the aromatic experience of spices, fruits and flowers are sold.
• Enjoy a nice dinner and enjoy you stay.

Enjoy a lovely breakfast at your hotel and by 9 am we begin our journey to Karaikudi/chettinad the land of mansions. Today we visit the biggest temple in our tour and spend time royally in the mansions of Chettinad.

• Visit Ranganathaswamy temple, the Largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.
• With an area of 160 acres, this reclining Vishnu shrine has 21 towers and fifty shrines.
• This temple also features a hall of thousand pillars with sculptures of riders on horses.
• Among other attractions is the art museum which has a worthwhile collection of ivory figurines.
• Arrive at Chettinad and check-in to your mansion.
• Enjoy a Chettinad style lunch and relax for some time. This is where you will hear the fascinating story of the naatukottaichettiars (a business community), how they built their townships and mansions and also the secrets of their famous cuisine.
• Explore the mansions of Chettinad: Relive the ancient glory.
• Every village has a few stately mansions built in the late 19th century with material sourced from around the world.Explore a couple of them to understand the history of Chettinad.
• Completely man-made tiles: Discover the art of tile making at Athangudi.
• The Athangudi design on tiles is of a bygone era but they still grace the floors of most chettiar mansions. You will be surprised by observing tile-making: totally handmade using local soil and natural colour to get geometric patterns.
• Return to your mansion and enjoy the regal life in your mansion for the rest of the day. Live in the charm of a bygone era.

This morning head to one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Madurai. An ancient centre of Tamil Knowledge, centre of power of many dynasties and the seat of divinity from time immemorial, The main attraction here is Meeakshi temple, the abode of fish eyed Goddess. The imposing 15-acre temple complex ornate by gateway towers with exquisitely multi-coloured images of gods, demons and mythical figures is an architectural marvel.

• Start with the famous Meenakshi temple, which is an architectural marvel.
• Enter through the busy eastern entrance (a lot of craft shops here) and move on to see the 1000 pillar hall (Ayiramkal mandapam) sculpted with life size ornamented figures.
• After Darshan, spend time at the massive temple tank and leave the temple through the hall with magnificently painted ceilings.
• Consider visiting the famous Tirumala Nayak Palace, the 17th century palace of Tirumalai Nayak.
• Also spend time at the Gandhi museum which presents detailed accounts of the Indian freedom struggle and has rare Gandhi memorabilia.
• Relax for the night at your hotel.

Sheltered in the tranquil spice hub of Periyar is one of India’s best managed wildlife reserves (home to 40 odd hard-to-spot tigers) and a 25-sq-km artificial lake perfect for a scenic spotting cruise. Dig deeper into the range of activities, perhaps trek with a tribal villager or go rafting to see Periyar’s real jungle magic unravel.

• This morning, drive through a landscape of cardamom plantations, grasslands and tea gardens to the forests of Thekkady
• Halt at a Spice plantation, learn from an expert about cultivation and the healing power of spices (Optional)
• Enjoy a scenic Lake cruise inside the thickly forested Periyar reserve to spot wildlife by the water edge
• Evening, visit a local theatre to see warriors showcase Kalaripayattu, a 3000 year old Keralan martial art (Optional)
• Shop around the spice town tonight, enjoy dinner and relax at your resort

Today you will have some of the best wild life experiences on offer in Periyar. A nature walk by the lake side, an elephant safari, shopping and evening seeing tribal art (if interested)

• Early morning consider a nature walk in the reserve
• Dawn is an excellent time to view exotic wildlife with your trained tribal guide in the periyar reserve. Walk through the safe path and spot wildlife along the way. Head back to your resort for a late breakfast
• Experience Kalaripayattu: One of the oldest fighting systems in existence (optional)
• Unwind at your resort today evening with inhouse activities and dinner.

Discover the most fascinating waterworld on earth - every road is a canal, every home is an island. Kumarakom will marvel you with its unique biodiverse landscape, heavenly local cuisine and its altogether different ‘backwater village’ lifestyle.

• Morning, enjoy a scenic drive past paddy fields and palms to your backwater resort
• Experience a traditional Kerala lunch and settle into the gentle pace of life here
• Ayurveda therapies would be a great option for the late afternoon
• Unwind at the resort as you witness boats pass by and a relaxed backwater sunset
• Evening walks to explore local villages and fresh seafood at ‘shaaps’ will be fun before relaxing for the night

To glide along backwater canals by day and to sleep under a sky full of stars, a houseboat cruise is pure enchantment! Your private boat, setup as a home on a traditional rice barge, takes you on a journey to discover a water-world brimming with experiences that last a lifetime.

• Morning, take a short drive through vibrant villages to board your ‘Kettuvallom’
• Your cruise will take you through splendid waterways giving you sights of homes on the backwaters, shops, the people and their villages.
• Stop to enjoy a traditional Kerala lunch freshly prepared by the chef on your boat
• Afternoon, drift by canals fringed with endless paddy fields while you socialise with your crew. Watch backwater life unfold from your boat deck.
• Your houseboat will be anchored near a village by early evening, Stroll around to interact with locals, go fishing and witness a spectacular sunset.
• Relax after dinner on the boat experiencing the gentle lapping of water, night sky and balmy breeze.

Nowhere else in India can you find such an intriguing mix: a 450-year-old synagogue, colourful street art, iconic fishing nets and gable-roofed victorian structures squeezed together with boho cafes. A tropical port city which sits astride a cluster of little islands, Kochi is far more than your gateway to Kerala.

• On arrival, meet your Indus representative who will drive you to mainland Kochi. Fresh up at your hotel and head to Fort Kochi.
• Afternoon, dig into Kochi’s colonial past by foot to explore heritage churches, landmarks and the well preserved Dutch Palace.
• Stroll past shops selling antiques and spices to visit the beautiful Jewish synagogue
• Walk by the sea to observe the still-in-use Chinese fishing nets and even try operating one
• Laze around in the town’s arty cafes or hop on a local ferry to see the city skyline at sunset
• As in important center for arts, Kochi is a standout place to witness an evening Kathakali show (Optional)
• For dinner, try one of the exquisite seafood restaurants around and relax for the night

Today experience the beauty of nature’s creations with forests, waterfalls and beaches. By 9 am set off on a journey to the Sholayar forests.Tucked in a dense rainforest is the stunning sight of the Chalakudy river taking an 80 ft plunge down a rock-face and flowing into the distant horizon.

• Enjoy a mild trek through the forests to the base of the thunderous waterfall at Athirapally.
• Also visit the cascading waterfalls at Vazhachal 5km away and get some snaps of wild insects and water pools along the way.
• Enjoy lunch on the way to Cherai.
• Enjoy a sunset at the safe shallow and quiet Cherai Beach.
• The uniqueness of Cherai is the proximity of lagoons which makes for a remarkable sight. Occasionally, people also see dolphins in the waters over here.
• Relax for the night in your resort.

Today is the last day of your tour. Enjoy a splendid breakfast and check out from the resort.

• If you are interested in picking up some Kerala souvenirs we will take you to some of the good handicraft shops around town.
• Consider buying traditional Kerala sarees or spices from local market.
• Alternatively you may rest in your hotel swimming pool and prepare for onward journey.
• We will drop you at the airport by evening on time for your departure flight.