Day 1: Arrival Mumbai (Bombay )

Arrive Bombay. You are met outside the International Arrivals Hall and transferred to the hotel. (Check in at noon). From humble obscure beginnings as a set of seven small islands, Bombay (now called Mumbai) has risen to the eminence of India's most important commercial and industrial centre.

In the afternoon take a tour of the city. The Gateway of India was conceived as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary for the Delhi Durbar in 1911. The honey coloured basalt of the arch, facing the Arabian Sea, catches the light of the rising and setting sun and changes from shades of gold to orange and pink. The Prince of Wales Museum, built of blue-grey basalt and yellow sandstone, contains some excellent examples of Indian miniature paintings of the Mughal and Rajasthan Schools, as well as collections of jade and chinaware artifacts. Marine Drive is a long gracefully curving road along the buttressed sea-coast. The city has several fine examples of colonial architecture including the Afghan Memorial Church, established in 1847 which has Gothic arches and stained- glass windows; the Clock Tower - now called Rajabai Tower, the University Hall and Elphiston College with canopied balconies, the School of Art, built in the late 1800s, where Rudyard Kipling was born; Crawford Market which has bas-reliefs designed by Kipling's father; the massive Victoria Terminus, built of yellow sandstone and granite combined with polychromatic stones and blue-grey basalt and the Municipal Corporation building. Also of interest are the Hanging Gardens on Malabar Hill, from where you get a magnificent panoramic view of the metropolis and the Arabian Sea. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2: Mumbai(Bombay) To Madras(Chennai)

After breakfast assistance and transfer to the airport for flight IC 972, departing Mumbai at 0715 hours and arriving Chennai at 0900 hours. You are met on arrival and transferred to the hotel.

In the afternon, take a tour of “The gateway to the sunny south” Madras, (now called Chennai). The capital of Tamil Nadu is also a seat of ancient civilization, with a rich heritage of fine arts, sculpture and architecture. It has withstood the pressure of modernization to some extent and even today retains an old-world charm, which has an instant appeal for the visitor. The British East India Company established one of its earliest seats of power in India in Madras. The construction of Fort St. George was begun around 1650. Today the old buildings in the fort house the Tamil Nadu Government Secretariat and the Legislative Assembly. St. Mary's Church, consecrated in 1680, is the earliest English building surviving intact in India and also the earliest Anglican church in the east. The Fort St. George Museum contains some fascinating items belonging to the early days of the East India Company and the colonial period - coins, weapons, pictures and books form part of the collection.. San Thome Church is associated with the Apostle St. Thomas. It is believed that he was martyred on St. Thomas' Mount and his remains are enshrined in this church. The Marina, is a 13-km long sandy beach running along the whole length of Madras, fringed with palms and casuarinas. One of the most important localities of Madras is the unified complex of Mylapore where the Kapaleswara Shiva temple, the tank, market area and old Brahmin residential houses are situated. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 3: Chennai To Mahabalpuram, Covelong

After breakfast, depart for Mahabalipuram, the port city of the Pallavas in the 7th century, situated 55 km south of Madras. In this picturesque setting of sandy beaches and the sea can be seen some 70 monuments that influenced temple architecture in Tamil Nadu for centuries to come. The first important group is formed by the five rathas - rock-cut monoliths named after the heros of the Mahabharata which simulate ceremonial chariots. Some of these rathas are unfinished and in them can be seen the carving technique used to form temples out of living rock. Also within this complex are large sculptures of a lion, an elephant and a seated Nandi (the bull) Lord Shiva's mount. The other cave temples of Mahishasuramardini and Olalkkannesware (God of the Flaming Eye) are carved out of the hillside to form pillared halls and enclosed shrines within which are some magnificent sculptures, some larger than life, of gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon. Continue on to Covelong. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 4: Covelong To Chennai, Fly, Madurai

American breakfast at the hotel. The morning is at leisure to relax on the beach. Late morning return to Chennai and transfer to the airport for flight CD 535, departing Chennai at 1430 hours and arriving Madurai at 1520 hours. You are met on arrival and transferred to the hotel.

Madurai, known as the City of Festivals, is the most ancient home of culture, with the first Tamil Academy being founded here by scholars and pious kings. The town has developed around the famous Meenakshi temple, built in the Dravidian style, dedicated to Lord Shiva and his spouse Meenakshi. The Court of Thousand Pillars, built in 1560, has lovely sculptures. Outside the temple are the Musical Pillars, which produce different ‘swaras’ or notes, when tapped. The Vasanth Mandapam has life-size statues of the Nayakas of Madurai. In the evening witness the Puja ceremony at the famous Meenakshi temple. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 5: Madurai To Periyar

After breakfast at the hotel, depart on the 5-hour drive to the Periyar Tiger Reserve and National Park. Established in 1934 as the Nelliampatty Sanctuary, the park was enlarged in 1950 and is India's southernmost tiger reserve. On arrival check in at the hotel.

In the late afternoon take a boat ride in the game sanctuary. The lake covers some 10 sq. km and most of the sanctuary is undulating. Since boat travel is the only means of transport in the park, large areas can be covered in a short time. Among the game found here are gaur (the largest of the world's wild oxen), elephant, wild pig, sambar, barking deer, mouse deer, the rare and endangered lion-tailed macaque, the Nilgiri langur, the common langur and the bonnet macaque, porcupine, Malabar squirrel, wild dog and the rare and highly endangered Royal Bengal Tiger. Among the birds commonly seen are darters, cormorant, osprey, kingfisher and kite, great hornbill, grey hornbill, hill mynas, orioles and racket-tailed drongos. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 6: Periyar To Kumarakom

After breakfast at the hotel, depart on the 5-hour drive to Kumarakom. On arrival, check in at the hotel. The afternoon is at leisure. Kumarakom is set around the Vembanad Lake, the longest lake in India, which is now a bird sanctuary. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 7: Board Houseboat

After breakfast drive to the jetty to board the Kettuvallam (houseboat), a special delight which Kerala offers. You travel on these traditional slow boats through forests, palm-shaded backwaters and canals. All meals and overnight on the HOUSEBOAT.

Day 8: Alleppy To Cochin

Continue the leisurely cruise on the beautiful backwaters, enjoying the magnificent scenery along the waterways and stopping to admire what history and religion have left along the way. The cruise ends at Alleppey, (now called Allepuzha), known as the "Venice of the East". A maze of canals and a network of bridges give this busy commercial town its descriptive sobriquet. Alleppey is known for its coir, the retted fibre of the coconut husk and for black pepper. Coir yarn, mats and matting and a wealth of other coir products are manufactured here and are good buys.

Vehicles await you at Alleppey for the 2-hour drive to Cochin. On arrival, check in at the hotel. The rest of the afternoon is at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 9: In Cochin

After breakfast, take a tour of Cochin. Comprising of a cluster of islands and towns, Cochin is a living museum. Fort Cochin is believed to be the oldest European settlement in India, with the Portuguese flag first hoisted here in 1500. St Francis Church, built in 1510 by friars brought to India by Vasco da Gama, is the first European church built in India and is the site where da Gama was buried. While the remains were later taken back to Lisbon, the gravestone can still be seen here. The Jewish Synagogue was built in 1568 and considerably embellished in the mid 18th century by Ezekiel Rahabi, who built a clock tower and paved the floor of the synagogue with hand- painted tiles brought all the way from Canton in China. The "Dutch Palace" was built in the 1550s by the Portuguese and taken over by the Dutch, who later presented it to the Rajas of Cochin. The palace contains excellent mythological murals and a rare example of traditional Keralite flooring - a subtle mix of burnt coconut shells, lime, plant juices and eggwhites - which gives the effect of polished marble. The afternoon is at leisure.

In the evening witness a Kathakali dance performance. This is the most developed dance drama art of India. Drums beckon an audience to a performance most magnificent - actors depict characters from the Puranas and the Mahabharata, the great Indian epics - demons, superhuman beings and ordinary men and women. The dancers, all male, adorn themselves in huge skirts and elaborate headdress, wearing what must surely be the most intricate make up known to any dance style in the world. Dialogue is combined with dance to bring myth and legend to life in the temple courtyards of Kerala. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 10: Cochin To Mumbai (Bombay)

American breakfast at the hotel. The morning is at leisure.

Late morning assistance and transfer to the airport for flight 9W 404, departing Cochin at 1340 hours and arriving Mumbai at 1525 hours. You are met at the domestic terminal and transferred to the international airport for onward flight.