Welcome to India!
Our Customer Service executive will meet you on arrival hall at Kochi airport after you clear all immigration and custom formalities. He will be assisting you and transfer you to your hotel where you will check in for your stay. Spend the day at leisure to get over jet lag.
Set on a cluster of islands and a peninsula, Cochin (now, Kochi) is a blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English country village. Here you can see the oldest church in India, winding streets crammed with 500-year old Portuguese houses, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, a well-settled Jewish community, a 16th century synagogue and a palace built by the Portuguese and given to the King of Cochin. Kochi can unarguably be the most ideal point if you wish to see the unfathomable beauty of the state of Kerala.
Overnight in Kochi
- Explore the Fort Kochi and Mattancherry area
Start the day with the visit to Dutch Palace (closed on Fridays), a quadrangular structure built in Nālukettu style, the traditional Kerala style of architecture, with a courtyard in the middle. The glory of the palace lies in its mural paintings depicts scenes from Ramayana. The themes from contemporary literature of Kerala are also depicted here. Also on display are royal paraphernalia like weapons, swings and furniture which offer a glimpse of the lifestyle of the royal family.
Visit the Paradesi Synagogue (closed on Fridays and Saturdays), one of the oldest and very few functional synagogues, built by the European and Middle Eastern Jews in 1568. It is located in Jew Town, adjacent to the Mattancherry Palace temple. Unlike normal Synagogue practice this does not have a Rabbi and is led by the elders of the community. The main highlights of this place are the Scrolls of the Law, several Gold Crowns, Belgian Glass Chandeliers and a brass-railed pulpit and the floor that has hundreds of 18th century Chinese hand-painted porcelain tiles.{Timing 1000Hrs- 1200Hrs and 1500Hrs- 1700Hrs}.
Explore the Spice Market - where most of the spices were traded. Until recent times they even had an old-fashioned Pepper Exchange where it was traded. The old spice shops are sadly all but gone but it is still interesting to browse around these narrow lanes. It is dotted with antique shops.
Also visit the St. Francis Church (closed on Sundays). Started in 1503 and completed in 1516 by the Portuguese this is the oldest European church in India. It gained prominence as it housed the remains of Vasco Da Gama the Great Portuguese Explorer who first came to Calicut, Kerala in 1498 and died during his third visit in 1524 in Cochin. His remains were exhumed and taken to Lisbon in 1539. The present structure of European architecture is a Protected Monument under the Archaeological survey of India but owned by the North Kerala Diocese of Church of South India.
In the evening proceed to witness Kathkali Show –
It combines devotion, drama, dance, music, costumes and make up into a divine experience for all who get to view it. It retells the great stories of the past, mostly from Indian epics, and leaves one spellbound at the various intricacies involved in the performance.
OPTIONAL TOUR:
ANGLO INDIAN COOKING LESSON :
Anglo-Indian cuisine embraced everything that was Indian and mixed it up with all that was European. Our host for this cooking session is Oscar and Jeanette Rozario with Portuguese ancestry.
Jeanette will introduce us to the Anglo-Indian classics - Saffron Coconut Rice & Mince Ball curry or ‘Bad Word Curry’- a staple during Saturday Lunch in any Anglo–Indian home. In the middle of all the cooking, our host will share stories about how she learnt to cook and many more from her aunt who visits them every year even now. The menu will have other Anglo-Indian dishes too.
Overnight in Kochi
- Drive to Kumarakom
Today you will drive to Kumarakom (approx. 4 hrs), arrive and check in at the hotel.
Kumarakom, or the 'Venice of the East' is a veritable paradise in the lush backwaters of Kottayam. It is Kerala’s heartland of lagoons, palm fringed lakes and paddy fields, inter-linked with hundreds of winding canals with the typical low slung country boats that carry everything from people to fish, rice and coconuts to the milkman and newspaper boy, local politicians and priests to wedding parties.
Overnight in Kumarakom
Day is at leisure. You could experience a variety of activities directly at the resort.
Optional Tour:
Village Rubble (Kumarakom, Alleppey, Marari)
Start early to a visit a fisherman’s beach where you witness live action of boatmen bringing in their fresh catch of fishes for auction. En route visit coir yarning and mat weaving units. Later continue your drive to reach the beautiful farmhouse set by the backwater. Breakfast will be served which will energize you for your cycling tour. Interact with the family and exchange experiences with brief introduction to some of the heritage relics available in the house. After breakfast we start pedaling through the local countryside. After 2 kms we come to the river bank, where we get on a canoe to cross over to the other side of the river. Continue cycling for another 4 kms to reach the fish market. Our Expedition Manager will explain the life and activities around the market. This gives you an insight of how well the economy is balanced among the communities. You cycle again for a stretch of 7 kms back to the farm house
Tour Information:
Duration - 4.5hrs (Depending upon the program chosen)
Inclusions – A local expert, Breakfast
Overnight in Kumarakom
Day is at leisure.
You could experience a variety of activities directly at the resort.
Overnight in Kumarakom
- Drive to Kumarakom to board a traditional Houseboat- explore the famed backwaters of Kerala
Today, you will leave for Kumarakom to board a traditional Houseboat that will take you through a memorable backwater cruise experience.
You will board the Houseboat jetty; these boats were traditionally used to transport rice and other produce from the backwaters to markets. These have now been converted to boats for tourists and have modern en-suite facilities. Your luggage travels with you onboard.
This overnight cruise on the Backwaters of the Vembanad Lake lets you have a look at the vast expanse of waterways and the village life. Lunch, snacks and dinner will be served onboard.
You board the boat at midday, cruise for the afternoon and then anchor for the night at around 1700 Hrs. The boat would then be stationary for the night. To minimize pollution the air-con is switched on only at night. The Houseboats do not stock many beverages so we suggest carrying your own and they will be happy to serve
Overnight in Luxury Houseboat
- Spend the day at leisure.
Spend the day at leisure – you could just relax at the hotel or avail the facilities at the resort
Mandatory Gala Dinner on 31st Dec 2024
Overnight in Mararikulam
Top Tips:
- Visit the local village around the resort – you could choose to walk or cycle to any of these villages. You will get to observe the lifestyle of locals where men come home with the catch of the day and stories of the sea, the women set up small scale units at home to convert natural resources around them to produce for their daily lives.
- Books by the Sea – The cottage by the beach side has a small library of books to help you spend a lazy afternoon browsing on a hammock in a coconut grove. You could also repair there with your own book if you need some quiet space for some serious reading aided by the rustling sounds of palm fronds and the crash of ocean waves not far away.
- Transfer to Kochi International airport and depart back home
Today morning you will be transferred to Kochi Airport to board the flight back home.
Depart as per the flight schedule.
* TOUR ENDS *
