Welcome to India! On arrival in Cochin, you will be greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel. Cochin, the city is called the queen of the Arabian Sea. Kochi is a lovely town to walk around. The city is famous for its Chinese fishing nets & was the center of the Indian spice trade for many centuries and was known to the Yavanas (Greeks and Romans) as well as Jews, Syrians, Arabs, and Chinese since ancient times. Overnight in Hotel.

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Casino Hotel, CGH Earth
• 5 Star Hotel: Fragrant Nature Kochi

After breakfast, proceed for the sightseeing of Kochi the Old Jewish quarters and synagogue, Chinese fishing nets, and the Dutch Palace. Synagogue (closed to non-Jews Fridays and Saturdays) & Dutch Palace (closed on Fridays) Further, you can enjoy the Kathakali Dance Performance - the riveting 400-year-old drama of Kerala that narrates sequences from Indian religious epic, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata. The make-up for the dance starts at 1730 hrs in the evening which is the most interesting part, and it lasts till 1830hrs. The makeup is very elaborate, and the costumes are large and heavy. The makeup is so elaborate that it is more like a mask than makeup in the usual sense. The materials that comprise the makeup are locally available. The white is made from rice flour, the red is made from Vermilion (a red earth such as cinnabar). Evening to explore the local bazaars. Overnight at the hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Casino Hotel, CGH Earth
• 5 Star Hotel: Fragrant Nature Kochi

After breakfast drive to Munnar (hill drive) where the rolling hills of tea plantations are spread before your eyes. Munnar, quite literally “three rivers”, is a verdant paradise situated at the confluence of three mountain streams – Muthipuzza – Nallathanni – Kundala. Called the spice capital of the world, the salubrious climate is conducive for pepper, nutmeg, cardamom, and other spices to grow in abundance. On arrival in Munnar, check-in at the hotel. Overnight in the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Elephant Passage Resort
• 5 Star Hotel: Chandys Windy Woods 5 Star Resort Munnar

Morning enjoys the short hiking to the top station. Afterward, you will take a leisurely hike in the plantations and enjoy the beautiful landscape of this magnificent region. You will visit tea and spice plantations with your guide and get to know the wonderful nature of the hilly mountain landscapes. In the afternoon you will visit a tea factory (closed on Mondays), where you will learn a lot about the production of tea. Overnight in the hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Elephant Passage Resort
• 5 Star Hotel: Chandys Windy Woods 5 Star Resort Munnar

After breakfast, drive to Periyar/ Thekkady, known for its Tiger Reserve, an example of nature’s bounty, with great scenic charm, rich biodiversity, and providing veritable visitor satisfaction. Sprawled over an area of 925 sq .km., Periyar is one of the 27 tiger reserves in India. The rest of the day is free for leisure. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Hotel PepperVine Thekkady
• 5 Star Hotel: Niraamaya Retreats Cardamom Club, Thekkady

Morning breakfast at the hotel. Then, you will go for a short hike around the Periyar national park. Then visit the Spice Plantation with a naturalist- where you can see how spices like pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, and nutmeg are grown. Afterward, stroll through the city's colorful markets before heading through the Cardamom Mountains to Thekkady in the Periyar Game Reserve, where tropical birds, bison, sambar deer, and elephants live. Evening visit Thekkady town for Tribal Art Performance “kalarippayattu” (in the auditorium at 1800-1900hrs) – a community-based eco-tourism program. Overnight at the hotel.

Guide: Included for the day

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Hotel PepperVine Thekkady
• 5 Star Hotel: Niraamaya Retreats Cardamom Club, Thekkady

After breakfast drives to Alleppey and embarks private boat (Kettuvallam). Embarkation time at 1300hrs. This is where the beautiful backwaters of Kerala begin to endless miles of snaking waterways flanked on either side of emerald palms, offering you the experience of a lifetime. This is a unique way to see the backwaters of Kerala. With a cook and captain on board, you will float past the villages and the many small waterways before you anchor in the middle of the lake for the night and have dinner under the stars. The Ketuvallam offers the visitor to Kerala an entirely new kind of experience. Combining holidaying, pleasure boating, and ecological living in an exhilarating way. Lunch & dinner on board. Overnight air-conditioned Houseboat.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation:

• Comfort Hotel: Houseboat in Alappuzha
• 5 Star Hotel: Houseboat in Alappuzha

After leisure breakfast on the houseboat, disembark from the houseboat. And drive to Cochin The international airport is in time to board the flight to the onward destination. Leave India for onward destination by International flight.

Meals: Breakfast