Wendy Wu Kerala & Southern Highlights

– Explore the Maharaja’s Palace in Mysore
– Discover the beautiful hill station of Coonoor
– Ride the ‘Toy Train’ to Ooty
– Visit the Elephants at Periyar Wildlife Reserve
– Cruise Kerala’s peaceful backwaters

Days 1-2: Fly to Chennai
Fly overnight to Chennai. On arrival, the rest of the day is at leisure.
(Dinner)

Day 3: Mahabalipuram
After breakfast, travel to Mahalbalipuram. On arrival, explore the town to see the rock carvings including the Shore Temple and the Varaha Cave.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 4: Discover Chennai
Return to Chennai. Begin a tour at the Marina Beach before a visit to Fort St. George and St Mary’s Church. End the day at the colouful Kapaleeswarar Temple.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 5: Train to Bangalore
Travel by Shatabdi express to the Garden City of Bangalore and visit the Bull Temple, Tipu Sultans Palace and Vidhana Soudha legislative Building.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 6: Mysore
Continue to Mysore via Srirangapatna Fort. Visit the Maharajas Palace and drive up to Chamundi Hill to see the 12th Century Sri Chamundeshwari Temple. Later visit the Nandi Bull statue. That night you will see a traditional cooking demonstration, hosted by a local family.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 7: Ooty
We head to the hills and enjoy a scenic drive to the beautiful hill station of Ooty. Enjoy a walk around this quaint town in the evening.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 8: Coonoor Narrow Gauge Railway
Take the narrow gauge toy train to Coonoor. Upon arrival, tour the tea plantation. Return to Ooty, visiting the botanical gardens.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 9: Travel to Coimbatore
This morning, depart for Coimbatore. Enjoy a city tour on arrival, visiting Sri Svetambra Vimalanthar Jain Temple and Athar Jamid Mosque.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 10: Munnar
We continue our descent from the highlands with a full day of driving through the spectacular Western Ghats to Munnar. Visit a local tea plantation and the Tata Tea Museum
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 11: Thekkady
Today explore Eravikulam National Park where you will have the opportunity to spot the local wildlife (closed Feb-Apr, an alternative light trek will be available). Continue your journey to Thekkady, home of Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary. This day is at altitude.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 12: Periyar Wildlife Reserve
Walk through the reserve in search of wildlife; elephants, wild dog, barking deer, mouse deer and the elusive Bengal Tiger. Visit a local spice village and market. Enjoy a traditional martial arts Kalaripayattu show in the evening.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 13: Drive to Kochi
Travel to the coastal town of Kochi. This evening enjoy an exuberant Kathakali dance performance.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 14: Kochi
Sightseeing today includes a visit to St. Francis Church, Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort Kochi and the Jewish Synagogue. See the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets and stroll through the nearby markets. Finish by admiring the synagogue in the Jewish Quarter.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 15: Backwaters Cruising
Travel to Kumarakom where you’ll board your houseboat, stopping en route at Kumbalangi, a village created to highlight the lifestyle of fisher-folk in the area. Later board your houseboat a converted rice barge, known as a kettuvallam. Sit back and watch life on the water and the surrounding, untouched wilderness as you cruise unhurriedly along the canals. A delicious dinner of traditional cuisine will be served on board and you’ll spend a comfortable night on the water.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 16: Discover Trivandrum
Take breakfast on your boat before disembarking and heading for the beach town of Kovalam. Stop on the way in Kerala’s capital Trivandrum to discover the Sri Padmanabhaswamy Temple, the Observatory and Sri Chitra Art Gallery.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 17: Kovalam
This morning take a walking tour of the town and visit the lighthouse. The rest of the day is yours to relax, or head to the beach, until a farewell dinner this evening.
(Breakfast, lunch and dinner)

Day 18: Fly Trivandrum to UK
Fly to the UK, arriving home the same or following day.
(Breakfast)

You’ll spend 16 nights in 3+/4* accommodations

All group tour hotels have private western bathroom facilities, air conditioning, TV and a telephone. Plumbing and electricity supplies can be erratic and quite often the power in hotel rooms is turned off while guests are out of the room. If you experience any difficulty, please speak to your National Escort or Local Guide.

On this tour, you will stay on a houseboat, or ‘Kettuvallam’, which has all the comforts of a good hotel including furnished bedrooms, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen and even a balcony for angling.

Kumbalangi Village Life
Glimpse the traditional lifestyle of Kerala’s fisher-folk with a visit to Kumbalangi, where you can see the villagers going about their day to day activities and discover traditional handicrafts.

Kalaripayattu Martial Arts
Marvel at the strength and agility of Kalaripayattu practitioners at a performance of Kerala’s traditional art form. This old martial art combines defensive steps and stances with weaponry such as daggers, spears, maces and bows and arrows.

Kerala Cooking Demonstration
Hosted by a local family in their home, take part in a cooking demonstration of tasty, traditional treats, learning the skills and techniques needed to prepare delicious Keralan dishes.

– Return international flights
– All Accommodation
– All meals: 16 breakfasts, 15 lunches and 16 dinners
– All transportation & transfers
– All sightseeing & entrance fees
– English speaking National Escort & local guides
– Visa fees for UK & EU passport holders

Classic

These tours are designed for those who wish to see the iconic sites and magnificent treasures of India on an excellent value group tour whilst travelling with like-minded people. The tours are on a fully-inclusive basis so you’ll travel with the assurance that all your arrangements are taken care of. You will be accompanied by our dedicated and professional National Escort or local guides, whose unparalleled knowledge will turn your holiday into an unforgettable experience.

Most Wendy Wu groups consist of 10 travellers or more and will be accompanied by a National Escort. There will usually be no more than 28 travellers in each group although you may encounter other Wendy Wu tour groups while you are travelling.

This tour has a Level 2 fitness rating. This means that a reasonable level of fitness is required but it’s more about spending time on your feet rather than covering large distances. You’ll be getting on and off coaches and boats, walking around the sights and climbing some steps.