CGH Heaven & Earth - Kerala at her best.

Day

Activity

Recommended Hotels

Depart London for Cochin

Overnight Flight

Upon arrival in Cochin, you will be met and transferred to your hotel.

You will be met and escorted on a private sightseeing tour of Cochin.

Cochin means harbour and even before the building of Ancient Rome, spices, silks, ivory and sandalwood were traded here. The mixture of influences is particularly striking with Dutch architecture, English cricket pitches, Portuguese churches and a Jewish quarter. The present population is equally balanced between Christian, Hindu and Muslim. A very small number of Jews remain in the Jewish Quarter, which also contains some wonderful antique bazaars, the Spice Exchange and the Synagogue.
 

You will be met and transferred by road up into the Western Ghats, to Thekkady. This is a very scenic drive, as the mountains are dramatic, the road winding and the waterfalls spectacular.

In the highlands of the Western Ghats, on the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu, lies south India"s best National Park. In 1896, the British built Lake Periyar to supply water to Madurai. The trees, semi-submerged by the rising water, remain as ghostly perches for the many birds which have made Periyar their home. A former Maharaja’s hunting lodge, euphemistically called ‘The Lake Palace’ is sited on the lake shore. From there elephant, wild boar, otters, monkeys and spotted deer can be seen coming down to drink.
 

An early morning start as you will be taken into Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. This is a full day programme which includes both trekking in the forest and bamboo rafting on the lake. Lunch will be provided.

You will be transferred down to the Backwaters of Kerala.

Stretching along the coast from Cochin to Quilon and as far inland as Kumarakom, the Backwaters of Kerala consist of an intricately woven network of canals, streams and rivers. This lush green area provides a haven for many species of birds and fish. The local population has adapted to a waterborne existence with the Backwaters providing their highway and recreation as well as their livelihood. Fishermen up to their chests in the lake using their toes to seek out the fish, barges heavily laden with coconut coir or brimming with rice, children frolicking in the shallows and women washing clothes on rudimentary steps, are scenes little changed through the ages.

You will be met and transferred to the tiny fishing village of Mararikulam.

Price On Application

We are tailor made specialists and firmly believe that the best way for you to get the most out of our expertise and your holiday, is to talk to one of our Destination Specialists. This itinerary is designed to give you an idea of some of the possibilities and the price is determined by your hotel selection, mode of transport, duration of your stay and the time of year you travel.

 The air holidays on this website are ATOL protected, since we hold an Air Travel Organiser's Licence granted by the Civil Aviation Authority. Our ATOL number is 5136. In the unlikely event of our insolvency, the CAA will ensure that you are not stranded abroad and will arrange to refund any money you have paid to us for an advanced booking. For further information, visit the ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.