Day 01: Mumbai (Bombay)

After you have cleared immigration and customs formalities, you are met outside the International Arrivals Hall and transferred to the hotel (check-in at noon).

In the afternoon take a tour of this metropolis. From humble obscure beginnings as a set of seven small islands, Bombay (now called Mumbai) has today risen to the eminence of India's most important commercial and industrial centre. 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. Flora Fountain, now called Hutatma Chowk (Martyr's Square) is a major landmark in the heart of the city's Fort area. Marine Drive is a long gracefully curving road along the buttressed seacoast. The city has several fine examples of colonial architecture including 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 02: Mumbai (Bombay) To Bangalore

After breakfast visit Elephanta Island which lies 6 miles across the harbour and contains a fine cluster of 6th to 8th century rock-cut caves, carved during the Golden Age of the Guptas and inspired by the worship of Lord Shiva. The most outstanding of the beautiful sculptures is the Maheshmurthy or Trimurthi, an 18-foot high three-headed bust hewn from a single rock, representing the three aspects of Shiva - the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer.

Late afternoon transfer to the airport for flight IC 107, departing Mumbai at 1730 hours and arriving Bangalore at 1900 hours. You are met on arrival and transferred to the hotel for overnight stay.

Day 03: Bangalore To Mysore

After breakfast take a tour of Bangalore. The capital of the state of Karnataka offers the graceful charms of a well-laid out garden city with parks and beautiful buildings. Its lack of ancient monuments is compensated for by first rate modern city planning. The 'Garden City' has several fine parks; Lal Bagh, the botanical gardens laid out by Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan in the 18th century, is the loveliest spot in Bangalore. Extending in terraces for over 240 acres, the garden has centuries-old trees, lakes, lotus pools, rose gardens, a deer park and an assortment of tropical and subtropical herbs and plants. The pretty glass house in the centre is the venue of the bi-annual Horticultural Exhibition.

Cubbon Park is an extensive stretch of green sprawling over an area of 300 acres. The imposing red gothic structure within the park is now the public library. Vidhan Soudha is an imposing granite structure built in the neo-Dravidian style and houses the Secretariat and the State Legislature. Its cabinet room has a massive door made from pure sandalwood.

In the afternoon depart on the 3-hour drive to Mysore. En route visit Srirangapatnam, the capital of Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan till 1799, when the British captured it. It was here that the Tiger of Mysore, as Tipu was called, fought and died. Outside the ruins of the old fort is Daria Daulat (Splendour of the sea), Tipu's summer palace, set in an exquisite garden. The palace has been converted into a museum and houses some of Tipu Sultan's belongings. The tomb of Tipu Sultan and his parents marks the end of the glorious history of this town. On arrival in Mysore check in at the hotel for overnight stay.

Day 04: In Mysore

After breakfast take a tour of Mysore. The capital of the erstwhile princely state of that name, Mysore is famous for its silk and sandalwood, as well as its numerous palaces, well laid out boulevards and beautiful parks. Visit the Maharaja's Palace, the most impressive of Mysore's ochre-coloured buildings - a modern edifice built in 1897, where the oriental decorative imagination runs wild. One of the largest palaces in India, it is a sort of gigantic synthesis of Hindu and Muslim styles. Entrance gateways, domes, arches, turrets, colonnades, sculptures can be seen here in magnificent profusion. The royal family's private chambers, including the impressive Durbar Hall, are open to the public. The Marriage Hall has life-like paintings of the Dassera procession and in the museum is the ruler's golden elephant throne, used during these festivities. St Phelomena's Church is a magnificent cathedral, the largest in South India.

The afternoon is at leisure. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 05: Mysore To Ooty

After breakfast depart on the 4-hour drive to Ootacamund, popularly known as Ooty, which is the leading hill station in South India. Situated in the heart of the beautiful Nilgiris (Blue Mountains) at an altitude of 2,286 meters, Ooty offers salubrious air, rolling parkland, gorse-covered downs and trout- filled streams. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 06: In Ooty

After breakfast take a tour of some of the many gardens, tea and coffee plantations Ooty is renowned for.

The afternoon is at leisure. The hillsides are swathed in eucalyptus and blue gum trees. The Botanical Gardens, which are a landmark in Ooty, have many rare trees and flowering plants. There is a beautiful lake with boating facilities. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 07: Ooty To Cochin

After an early breakfast depart on the long but interesting 8-hour drive to Cochin. On arrival check in at the hotel for overnight stay.

Day 08: In Cochin

A special delight Kerala offers is the trip on a slow boat through its forests, palm-shaded backwaters and canals. Take a leisurely cruise on the beautiful backwaters from Alleppey to Kottayam, enjoying the magnificent scenery along the waterways and stopping to admire what history and religion have left along the way. After breakfast drive to Alleppey, known as the "Venice of the East", situated on the Vembabad Lake, the longest lake in India. 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.

The cruise ends some 25 km away as the crow flies, at the prosperous town of Kottayam, an important trading centre and the first town in India to attain 100% literacy. Nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats, it has beautiful backwaters to its west and scenic fertile mountains to its east. A major centre of the trade, Kottayam also has a strong spiritual side to it, with several sects and divisions of the Syrian Christian faith due to the influence of history over the centuries. The best known churches are the historic Valia Palli and Cheria Palli, both with colourful frescoes enriching their dim interiors. Return to Cochin for overnight stay in the hotel.

Day 09: Cochin To Mumbai

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 egg whites - which gives the effect of polished marble.

Afternoon transfer to the airport for Jet Airways flight 9W 404, departing Cochin at 1340 hours and arriving Mumbai at 1525 hours. Transfer to the international airport for the flight to onward destination.