| Day 1 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Arrive Cochin and transfer to hotel |
| Duration | 45 KMS/1 Hour 30 Mints |
| Accommodation city | Malabar house https://www.malabarhouse.com/ |
| Meals included | Dinner |
| Description | On Arrival at Cochin airport, you will be welcomed by our representative and transfer to hotel where you are assisted with check in .The next day's plans are briefly reviewed and you are presented with your welcome package includes your travel documents.
Later in the evening we will visit a Local but renowned seafood restaurant where pick your own seafood, fresh, and have it cooked as per your taste and preferences. |
| Day 2 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Cohin sightseeing Evening visit to a local family , buy Spices and vegetables from nearby market with host Cooking demonstration and dinner with family |
| Duration | |
| Accommodation city | Malabar house https://www.malabarhouse.com/ |
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Description | Start your day with guided exploration of the fascinating port city of Cochin and marvel in its culture and architecture, a result of centuries of various European influences combined with rich indigenous history. The guided tour begins from the Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays and Saturdays), which was built in 1568 and is still an active house of worship for the few remaining Jews in the area. Next to the synagogue is Cochin’s ancient and colorful Jew Street with its antique stores, souvenir peddlers and spice market. There is evidence of a Jewish presence in Kochi from 70 A.D. After the synagogue you visit the St. Francis Church, which was established by the Portuguese Franciscan friars in 1503. This is one of the first European churches built in India, and the famed Vasco Da Gama was buried in its courtyard for a few years before his remains were returned to Portugal. You now visit the famous dhobi Ghana in Cochin. Dhobi Ghana is an open air Laundromat in Fort Cochin India. The washers, known as dhobis, work in the open to clean clothes and linens from Cochin's hotels and hospitals. The origins of the dhobi khana lie in the colonial period, when British officers brought many Tamil villagers to Kochi to work as washer men. This Tamil community was first organised together in the 1920s, and came to be known as the Vannar community and has retained its cohesive identity over the years. This is what might possibly be the only Dhobi Khana (community laundry space) in Kerala, existing in the city successfully for many decades, thanks to a fair number of Kochi citizens who prefer their clothes washed by hand. There’s is a stop for lunch at Local restaurant. Lunch will be a culinary delight with local overtones is the “chuttulli mean” a dish pioneered by the Jewish community of Fort Kochi. This gastronomic gem will provide you with a rich reference point as you go about your conversations on culture, religion and history of the Jewish diaspora in God’s own country. Finally you visit the most photogenic of Cochin’s attractions, the Chinese fishing nets. Folklore will have it that these enormous nets (or at least their design) were brought here by famed Chinese Explorer Zhang He about 600 years ago. Local fishermen manipulate these massive nets with an ease that comes from centuries of practice – it is a vocation handed down by generations. The lowering and raising of the nets has a synchronicity and rhythm that is quite an amazing experience. Some of the nets are more than a century old as the fishermen patch them up and keep going. Stop at one of the local tea shops to enjoy a refreshing cup of tea. Finish your exploration with a short guided walk through Fort Kochi and experience the unique local culture and architecture – Fort Kochi is one of India’s best cities to explore on foot. You will be driven back to your hotel after your walk. In the evening you are driven to an experience that is the highlight of many of our guests’ time in Kerala. You will be hosted by a famous Kerala Chef and her family at their home. Walk to nearby market with host and buy spices and vegetables for the cooking demonstration. Learn some Kerala cookery from host and delicious dinner will follow. At the end of dinner you will be driven back to your hotel. |
| Day 3 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Proceed to Marari |
| Duration | 60 KMS 1 Hour 30 Mints |
| Accommodation city | Marari beach resort https://www.cghearth.com/marari-beach |
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Description | After breakfast join your chauffer and drive to Marari. Nestled in the Alappuzha District of Kerala, Marari Beach in Kerala is eternal with coconut palm trees and golden sands. The beach is quite beautiful and the name 'Marari' arises from 'Mararikulam', which is a local village on the Arabian Sea Coast. The serenity and tranquility of this beach take beach lovers backwards in time. The indolent pace of local life makes vacationing near the Marari beach a reviving experience. Upon arrival check into your ocean front resort.
Drive to nearby seafood restaurant at Xandari Pearl Marari for your lunch. You can spend time with the chefs who will give you insights into the preparation of the delightful local cuisine that they offer. Drive back to your hotel after the lunch. Later, enjoy Ayurveda Massages and treatments. (Optional) The Ayurveda center at Marari beach resort offers a range of herbal massages and therapies to help one get rid of accumulated stress and shape up a bit while you are here. Dinner at the interactive farm kitchen at Marari beach resort. The restaurant has an organic garden spread over four acres where a variety of vegetables and fruits are grown. Here we can enjoy the experience of plucking the vegetables from the garden and cooking the same with the help of in house chef. |
| Day 4 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Drive to Kumarakom |
| Duration | 30 KMS/1 Hour |
| Accommodation city | Coconut lagoon Kumarakom https://www.cghearth.com/coconut-lagoon |
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Description | After breakfast we will drive to Kumarakom backwaters. Kumarakom which has rightly carved its place among the top heritage resorts of the world. This wonderful backwater resort is hailed as a “Living” Kerala village re-created with real old Kerala homes, some dating back to 200 years. At Coconut Lagoon, you have everything that you expect from a Kumarakom experience, but much more by way of peace, freshness, tranquility, and, total privacy. The beauty of the Coconut Lagoon Resort can be evaluated from the fact that the renowned international travel magazine Condé Nast Traveller rated it among the 25 best getaways in the world. The rooms of this heritage bungalow are well equipped with all the modern facilities backed by the special quality of Indian hospitality. Also, you can go out canoeing along the lakes and streams of this delightful resort. On arrival check into the Coconut Lagoon Resort, Later proceed for a demonstration and preparation of a 'Sadhya' (vegetarian wedding feast). We enjoy a delicious and mouth-watering South Indian food on banana leaves (to be eaten by hand). Sunset Cruise: 04.00pm (At Coconut lagoon) It is an extra ordinary cruise in a beautifully restored kettuvallam (not houseboat), taking guest to the middle of Lake Vembanad watching the sun go down. Evening, we will also have time for an entertaining dance performance in Coconut Lagoon. This beautiful cultural resort plays host to some of the finest dancers, musicians and performers of traditional Keralan art forms. If you are willing, we can also have time for evening cookery classes with the master chefs of Coconut Lagoon . Dinner at hotel |
| Day 5 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Drive to Philipkutty’s farm stay for a day visit |
| Duration | |
| Accommodation city | Coconut lagoon Kumarakom https://www.cghearth.com/coconut-lagoon |
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Description | Early in the morning today, we will have an inspiring session of Kalaripayattu Demonstration (Kerala Martial Art) at the resort. Kalarippayattu is an Indian martial art and fighting system that originated in Kerala. It is considered to be the oldest martial art in existence, with its origin dating back to the 3rd century BCE. Around the 5th century, the Buddhist monk Bodhi dharma took Kalarippayattu to East Asia where he taught the technique to Chinese monks. East Asian adaptations of Kalarippayattu led to the creation of the modern martial arts of Karate, Kung Fu, Judo, Jujutsu, Muay Thai etc. Kalarippayattu is often called the mother of all martial arts. Learn the movements and the training will be given in the authentic way at the Kalari Centre. Later, following breakfast, we will drive to Philip Kutty where we will visit the farm as well as have a cooking demonestration with the locals, and have a delicious South Indian lunch. A short boat cruise brings us to 'Philip Kutty's Farm' to see an extraordinary way of life, farming and fishing. Here, we learn the intricacies of Keralan food preparations. The type of cooking you will be exposed to, is predominantly with a Christian and backwater influence, ie, plenty of meat and fish preparations as well as other vegetarian dishes and also the little family touches passed down over the generations. Evening we will have a great time with the chefs of Coconut lagoon preparing authentic Kerala dishes and you get a hands of experience all through the activity accompanied by a couple of glasses of wine. |
| Day 6 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Drive to Thekkady Spice plantation visit |
| Duration | 150 KMS / 3 Hours 30 Mints |
| Accommodation city | Spice Village Thekkady https://www.cghearth.com/spice-village |
| Meals included | Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner |
| Description | After breakfast, check out from your hotel and proceed to Thekkady. Arrive at Thekkady and you are assisted with your check-in to your scenic nature resort. You are now in the heart of spice country, and, if you breathe deeply, the air carries a faint aroma that will delight you. Periyar National Park is located around a picturesque artificial lake that was formed in 1895 by building a dam on the Periyar River. The terrain is hilly and the elevation of the park ranges from a few hundred feet to about 6,000 feet above sea level. The lake occupies the valleys of the thickly forested hills serving as a permanent source of water for wildlife in the Park. Although it falls under Project Tiger, the most sighted animals are definitely elephants. Periyar is home to just under a thousand elephants and also more than 60 other mammal species including tigers, bison, deer, wild boar and wild dog. There are more than 300 species of birds, and even 160 species of butterflies. Prominent among the birds are Cormorants, Kingfishers, Darters, the great Malabar Hornbill, and the racket-tailed Drongoes. We will relish a hot south Indian lunch at Local restaurant Later, visit a neighboring spice plantation where an experienced naturalist will guide you through scores of different spice plants and illustrate their medicinal and gastronomical properties. The spice plantation in Periyar is a prime attraction of this beautiful land. The most abundantly found spice in Periyar is pepper. However, there is a variety of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric and curry leaves on the slanting slopes of the spice plantation in Periyar. Pick up a few packets of the tea and spices grown here that make for a good buy. Drive back to your hotel and you will be served a refreshing cup of a Tea or Coffee. Dinner at the 50 Mile restaurant, everything served here is grown within a fifty-mile radius. You’ll be surprised at what wonders this can achieve for both the planet of your plate. |
| Day 7 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Bamboo rafting and trekking at Periyar wildlife sanctuary Tribal museum visit |
| Duration | |
| Accommodation city | Spice Village Thekkady https://www.cghearth.com/spice-village |
| Meals included | Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner |
| Description | Start your day with a drive up to Lake Periyar and proceed for a spectacular range hiking and rafting Programme through some of the richest forest tracts of Periyar Tiger Reserve. This unique wildlife experience begins at 7.30 am from the Boat Landing Point in Thekkady; a mosaic of habitats will be traversed before you get into your rafts made of bamboos. Begin with a two-hour long trek, an hour and a half long rafting up Periyar Lake. You will return in the same manner to the starting point of the excursion at 1230 pm. During this trail, you will drift through pristine wilderness, spot large mammals, birds and indigenous people fishing in the lake. Later visit Tribal Heritage Museum. The Tribal legacy Museum hall worked inside the Mannan settlement including different kinds of relics identified with their old rural practices, wedding functions, social occasions, clothing regulation, customs and demise services is the center point of this ecotourism program. Show of angling gear, chasing weaponry, indigenous prescription and vessels, oats, therapeutic herbs, bamboo furniture and so forth are different attractions giving a peep into their unique culture. Lunch at Spice plantation Evening visit the local theatre to experience the Kalarippayattu show. Kalarippayattu Regarded as the oldest and most scientific in the world, Kalarippayattu, the martial art form of Kerala, is an integral of the Kerala culture. Bodhidharama, a Buddist monk, who visited China during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Ling dynasty, is believed to have presented the world with a self-defense system; from which evolved almost all the present day martial are forms. Scholars believe that his philosophy was influenced by the ancient martial culture of Malabar - Kalarippayattu the mother of all martial arts. You can choose to enjoy your scenic pastoral resort and its surroundings this evening. The flora (and other attractions) of your nature resort are very impressive, as is the nearby spice market that sells locally grown products. The resort staff will be happy to give you a guided tour of the variety of plants and trees there, as well as their organic gardens. Upon request you can spend time with the chefs who will give you insights into the preparation of the delightful local cuisine that they offer. There is also a great Ayurveda Spa that you can try (Optional) – advance reservations are recommended. Dinner at Local restaurant |
| Day 8 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Drive to Cochin |
| Duration | 2000 KMS/4 Hours 30 Mints |
| Accommodation city | Stay at Malabar house https://www.malabarhouse.com/ |
| Meals included | Breakfast , Lunch , Dinner |
| Description | After breakfast, we will drive to Cochin. Upon arrival check in to hotel.
We will now proceed for a lunch and couple of glasses of wine in a premier restaurant in Cochin. After rest and relaxation, we will enjoy Kerala Kaleidoscope a daily show at Greenix Village. A medley of various dances, Kaleidoscope Kerala redefines the intangibly elusive aesthetics of bliss as it evokes the eternally alluring charm of this many-splendor land and it’s infinitely enriching cultural ethos. It’s a celebration of a spectacular array of dance forms and musical styles, pure classics along with distinctively ethnic, blending seamlessly with indigenous elements of ritualized theatre, folk traditions and stupefying displays of the native martial art techniques of Kalarippayattu. Evening farewell dinner at Local Restaurant Optional theme dinner Governor’s Theme dinner Kochi was a fishing village in the Kingdom of Cochin in the pre-colonial Kerala. The territory that would be later known as Fort Cochin was granted to the Portuguese in 1503 by the Rajah of Kochi, after the forces of Afonso de Albuquerque helped him fighting the forces of Saamoothiri of Kozhikode. The Rajah also gave them permission to build a fort near the waterfront to protect their commercial interests. The first part of the name Fort Cochin comes from this fort, the Fort Emmanuel, which was later destroyed by the Dutch. The Portuguese built their settlement behind the fort. Fort Cochin remained in Portuguese possession for 160 years. In 1683 the Dutch captured the territory from the Portuguese. Subsequently they built a new fort much smaller than the Portuguese one and held Fort Cochin in their possession for 112 years until 1795, when the British took control through a treaty. The fort was then destroyed by the British using gun powder because they feared that the Dutch may want back possession of Cochin. Foreign control of Fort Cochin ended in 1947 with the Indian independence. Located at Fort Cochin a town known for the spice trade and European influences, Brunton Boatyard offers the experience of the colonial era left by the European settlers. The theme dinner attempts to offer one such piece of history by re-creating the ambience of a Governor’s dinner which would have been typical of the British Raj. It is believed that the Governor of Cochin used to throw these kinds of formal parties whenever he had to entertain dignitaries and honour important people Settings Set in a building that resembles the colonial past and under the punkhas typical of the British raj, the space is set for a formal sit down dinner depicting a red and white theme. The bearers wear traditional attire complete with a turban and a kamarband depicting the British Raj. The maître de conducts the evening, where food is served and cleared as courses on to the table by a procession of bearers, orchestrated by the ring of the bell. Order of events The celebrations start right from the arrival of the guest where a traditional welcome of aarti and tikka awaits the guest as he arrived by boat to be received by Shingarimelam* of 10 performers and musclemen holding torches as how it would be in the past. A welcome drink fit for the seafarers is offered and the guest is led to the venue through the pathway that will be decorated by candles and other forms of natural lighting and walking past a thalapoli** of 10 ladies. On the venue the guest is seated the music starts. As per the program, dinner service commences. The bearers enter and vacate the venue in a procession either to serve or to clear the courses choreographed to four chimes of the bell by the maître de restaurant. Menu Menu is designed for 4 courses consisting of Starter, Soup, Main course and dessert. The no of Pax need to be mentioned at the time of confirmation of the event. Special dietary requirement will need to be mentioned in advance. Location & Capacity Minimum: 30 Maximum: 120 Venue: tea lounge Please note 1st of every month will be a dry day and service of alcoholic beverages will not be possible on this day. So will be on other dry days defined as per law. Liquor needs to be purchased from Brunton Boatyard itself Music played will be unplugged as otherwise it will be a disturbance to other guests staying in the hotel. After 10 pm use of microphone will not be permitted and stage performance will not be allowed Shingarimelam - 'Shingari Melam' a percussion ensemble of “chendas" and "cymbols". Slightly modified version of the ‘chenda melam’. Here the entire group plays the drums rhythmically along with some dance steps. Thalappoli - Thalappoli is a ritual procession taken out by women and young girls which is said to attract prosperity to the community which holds the festival. They dress in traditional saree and hold a thalam (plate) in their hands. The plate is filled with rice, flowers and a lighted lamp. Dafadar - is a soldier loyal to the Governor |
| Day 9 | |
|---|---|
| From / to Subheading | Departure transfer to Cochin airport |
| Duration | 45 KMS/1 Hour 30 Mints |
| Accommodation city | |
| Meals included | Breakfast |
| Description | After breakfast departure transfer to Cochin airport |
| General Info | |
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| Inclusions |
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| Exclusions |
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| Payment policy | If any specific to the itinerary (by default Lotus payment policy will be applied/displayed) |
| Cancellation policy | If any specific to the itinerary (by default Lotus cancellation policy will be applied/displayed) |
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