South India tour:

Day 1               Chennai – Pondicherry

Arrive Chennai. On arrival you will be met and driven 3 hours south to Pondicherry. Pondicherry has a heritage charm that isn’t immediately obvious, but a stroll through the historic ‘French Quarter’ will help give you a feel for it. Evening free to enjoy the festival atmosphere of the promenade at sunset.

Day 2               Pondicherry

Full day to enjoy Pondicherry, with a walking tour of the heritage quarter and visit to the paper and incense making units of the Aurobindo ashram. Shopping and eating are also highlights of Pondicherry, with high-quality French-influenced restaurants and shops in abundance.

Day 3               Pondicherry – Chettinad

After breakfast, drive 4 hours to Tanjore. Lunch on arrival followed by visit to the Brihadeeswara temple – a World Heritage listed temple, where an 80 tonne piece of granite crowns the 60 metre high central vimana or tower. A local guide will explain the complex system of ramps and wheels used to construct the temple complex more than 1000 years ago. Afterwards continue on for 2 hours to the Chettinad region.  The mansions in the area were built by the Chettiars, business tycoons of South India who made their fortunes in south-east Asia in the 19^th century. You accommodation is in one of the restored buildings.

Day 4                           Chettinad – Madurai

In the morning you might like to visit some of the other local buildings of significance, before embarking on the 3 hour drive to Madurai; on arrival check into hotel and afternoon free. Madurai is a bustling town well worth some exploration on foot – it’s small enough to just wander from your hotel without fear of getting lost, especially because many of the roads lead to the famous Meenakshi temple. And even if you do go astray, just hail an auto rickshaw and show the driver the hotel card, and he’ll get you back.

Day 5                           Madurai

Morning visit to the Meenakshi Temple with an expert local guide. This is one of the most awe-inspiring temples to visit in the whole of India, where weddings, worship and commerce happen side by side. It’s also worth visiting the Gandhi museum, tailor’s market, and Nayak Palace. Otherwise take you own time to explore the streets and bazaars.

Day 6                           Madurai – Dindigul

Afterwards start the 3 – 4 hour drive to a small village near the city of Dindigul, where there is a simple but lovely guest house called Cardamom House, set on the edge of a lake nestled at the bottom of the Western Ghats. The guest house is on an ‘eco-farm’ which is run on similar principles to an organic farm, with water and waste recycling and solar power employed. This accommodation is homestay/guest house style but comfortable and well kept, with an affable English owner.

Day 7                           Cardamom House

There is a great deal to occupy you at Cardamom House (or you can take it easy and do nothing!): visit the nearby village to get a sense of a typical Tamil Nadu town, walk around the lake, do some bird and wildlife watching, visit the small local temple. There are also all of the farm-related activities, many based on the sustainable principles of the property. In the late afternoon enjoy the site of the sun sinking behind the Western Ghats, from the rooftop terrace perhaps with gin and tonic in hand.

Day 8                           Dindigul – Palakkad

Morning 4 – 5 hour drive to Palakkad. Palakkad is considered the rice bowl of Kerala, and as such paddy fields abound. Your accommodation here is in an ancestral landowner’s home in a very small village. Afternoon free.

Day 9                           Kandath Tharavad

Today’s activities will be coordinated by your host. Start the morning with a short drive to a nearby tea shop for a breakfast of rice cakes and chai. There are then a range of activities that can be enjoyed: bird watching, a walk through the nearby village and visit to its small temple, a reading from the family astrologer, a visit to the 2000 year old Jain temple in Palakkad and Ayurvedic massage are all options for the day.

Day 10                         Palakkad – Cochin

Morning 4 – 5 hour drive to Cochin and to your hotel in the historic Fort Kochi area of the city. Cochin has been in the hands of the Dutch, British, Portuguese and Chinese, with each having influenced the history and appearance of the Fort area in subtle yet unmistakable ways. With virtually no traffic, it’s the perfect place to explore by bike or foot, or do nothing but enjoy the character of your heritage hotel.

Day 11                         Cochin

This morning your guide will arrive at your hotel and take you on a tour of Cochin, including visits to the Dutch Palace, the St Francis church (India’s oldest), and the iconic Chinese fishing nets. Afternoon free to explore or relax. In the evening attend a Kathakali dance performance, where heavily made up and elaborately dressed artists play out the Hindu epics.

Day 12             Cochin – Alleppey

After breakfast, drive to Alleppey and check into your private houseboat. Start the cruise through the canals and lagoons around Alleppey – the cane deck chairs are perfect for sitting back and observing life in this unique environment. All meals will be prepared in traditional Kerala style from local ingredients by your crew. After lunch you’ll cross Vembanad Lake, the largest body of water in the backwaters, towards Kumarakom. Overnight on board the houseboat.

Day 13                         Alleppey – Palai

Morning drive 3 hours into the foothills of the Western Ghat mountain range, which runs like a spine through south India. Your accommodation here is at Ann’s Homestay, a secluded and peaceful homestay set amongst a rubber plantation. Ann and her husband Alex built a large house on their rubber plantation to accommodate their family, only for their kids to take on careers elsewhere in the world, leaving their home empty. So Ann started inviting guests to stay! I have stayed here many times, and each time Ann treats me like a returning son. Afternoon free to relax.

Day 14                         Palai

Full day to enjoy your surroundings at the property. You can take a walk through the spice garden and into the rubber plantation with your hosts, who will show you how rubber is tapped. There is also the opportunity to see elephants at work (this is not guaranteed as the elephants and mahouts go where the work is). Otherwise take it easy and enjoy the Syrian Catholic food cooked here.

Day 15                         Palai – Cochin

Morning free before 4 hour transfer to Cochin airport for flight home.

South India tour Bangalore to Cochin

Day 1: Arrive Bangalore

On arrival in Bangalore you will be met and transferred to the hotel.

Day 2: Bangalore – Mysore

Spend the morning in Bangalore with your vehicle/driver in order to visit some of Bangalore’s (not very numerous) sights (you can tell the driver what you would like to see or he will be able to suggest some things). Afterwards drive 3 hours to Mysore with a stop en route to visit Tipu Sultan’s summer palace in Srirangapatnam. On arrival in Mysore check in to the hotel and remainder of the day free

Day 3: Mysore

Full day with a local guide to discover the pleasures of Mysore, with its famously elaborate princely palace, lively market and otherwise laid back atmosphere. Being a Sunday, a visit to the palace in the evening is an absolute must: the 97,000 lights are switched on – along with the carnival atmosphere – to make an awesomely illuminated scene.

Day 4: Mysore – Bandipur

Morning drive approx 2 hours to Bandipur. Late afternoon jeep safari into the park (other naturalist activities are on offer at the resort, you might also be able to fit these in – to be paid for directly).

Day 5: Bandipur – Wayanad

Early morning jeep safari into the park. After breakfast, drive 2 -3 hours to Wayanad and check into hotel. Afternoon free to relax or visit Edakkal cave, where 5000-year-old prehistoric rock carvings are found.

Day 6: Wayanad – Kannur

Morning to explore Wayanad further or depart for 4 – 5 hour drive to Kannur. Your home for the next three nights is a small guest house by the beach, where the food is a standout.

Day 7 & 8: Kannur

Two days to enjoy the beautiful beaches and small fishing villages which dot the coast, with plenty of optional day trips. In the afternoon (or at some point during your stay, sometimes very early in the morning) there will hopefully be the opportunity see a performance of the religious dance form ‘Thayyam’, which is a blend of ancient local tribal beliefs and the ‘newer’ – though more than 1500 year old – influence of Hinduism. Your host here can also advise you of other local activities and your vehicle/driver will be there for your use.

Day 9: Kannur – Cochin

Drive 6 hours to Cochin and transfer to your hotel in the historic area of Fort Kochi; in the evening attend an evening Kathakali dance performance.

Day 10: Cochin

Enjoy a morning tour of Fort Kochi with a local guide; afternoon free for shopping, walking or relaxing.

Central north India tour including Varanasi tour:

Day 1            Arrive Delhi

On arrival in Delhi you will be met and transferred to your hotel and assisted with check in. Delhi, India’s capital of around 14 million people – half of whom appear to have come to the airport for your arrival – is a colourful, busy, chaotic city packed with museums, art galleries, historic sites, shops and bazaars. It would take a lifetime to discover all that is Delhi.

Day 2              Delhi

After breakfast start a sightseeing tour with a local guide. Firstly, head to Old Delhi – the former centre of Mughal Power, Old Delhi is a mix of ancient monuments and modern commerce. Visit Jama Masjid, the greatest mosque in India; take a cycle-rickshaw ride through the crowded bazaars to the famous shopping street of Chandni Chowk; and visit Raj Ghat, the simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. After lunch, continue on to New Delhi, including the stately government buildings and Presidential Palace; visit the modern Bahai temple; end the tour at the towering minaret of Qutab Minar. If there are particular things you want to do and see, you can advise the guide and he / she will adjust the day’s program to fit.

Day 3              Delhi – Jaipur

Drive 6 hours to Jaipur. The capital and ‘pink city’ of Rajasthan, Jaipur is a friendly, busy town, with its palaces and bazaars full of jewellery, textiles and folk-based arts and handicrafts. Arrive late afternoon and check in to the hotel. Afternoon at leisure.

Day 4             Jaipur

Morning guided sightseeing of Jaipur, with a visit to Amber Fort, the photogenic Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), still inhabited City Palace, and Maharaja Jai Singh’s astronomy park, including a sundial that tells the time with 30-second accuracy. In the afternoon, there is the option to visit the famous Raj Mandir cinema to catch a Bollywood film, or to go shopping in the local bazaars, where bargaining is as much a part of the fun as the purchase.

Day 5               Jaipur – Karauli

This morning drive to Karauli, arriving in time to enjoy lunch at your lovely heritage hotel.  After lunch take a camel cart ride through the nearby village with its handicraft shops selling lacquer work, bangles, wooden toys, bamboo items, traditional sweets etc. Visit the once magnificent City Palace; although in need of restoration, the palace has some impressive architectural features and the Durbar Hall contains some fine wall paintings and stone carvings.   A Krishna temple – at which the evening ‘Aarti’ ritual takes place – is located in the palace grounds.

Day 6             Karauli

Off the beaten track, your hotel, which houses a collection of vintage cars, is also an organic dairy and farm. It offers a number of interesting activities including yoga, massage, cooking lessons, horse riding, boat rides, cycling, trekking, bird watching and cultural programs. Today, take a jeep safari to the nearby rugged Kaila Devi Game Sanctuary with its beautiful scenery and assorted wildlife, stopping on the way to visit the popular temple of Kaila Devi.

Day 7                    Karauli – Agra

Morning drive to Agra, with a visit en route to the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri. This red Sandstone city, built by Emperor Akbar as his capital in the late 16th century, was abandoned promptly after completion, leaving it in a particularly well-preserved state. After a short tour, continue on to Agra. Four hundred years ago, two great Mughal monarchs transformed the village of Agra into a city befitting the glory of the mighty Mughal Empire, one of them building a monument unrivalled for beauty – the Taj Mahal.  In the afternoon visit the Agra Fort, where a guide will fill you in on the city’s intriguing and ruthless royal past, as well as the Fort’s innovative architectural features.

Day 8                    Agra – Orchha

Rise early in order to enjoy the sight of the sunrise over the magnificent Taj Mahal. Your guide will explain all the intricacies, history and myth of this amazing monument. After breakfast, begin the drive to Orchha, with a stop en route at Gwalior to visit stunning Gwalior Fort and for lunch. Continue on to Orchha and remainder of the afternoon free.

Day 9                   Orchha

Orchha is dominated by a series of magnificent 17th century temples, which are still in use today, visited regularly by thousands of devotees. The soaring spires of Ram Raja Temple and the well-preserved murals of the Lakshmi Naraya Temple are especially worth a visit, as are the 14 beautiful Chhattris (cenotaphs) which are lined up on the River Betwa. Afternoon free to relax after a busy first half of the trip! Overnight Orchha

Day 10            Orchha – Khajuraho

Morning drive 4 hours to Khajuraho. The famously erotic temples of Khajuraho are one of India’s gifts to the world; beautiful physical manifestation of the images conjured up by the Kama Sutra.

This morning a local guide will take you to see a few of the more significant monuments of Khajuraho, which are scattered throughout the area.  You will start at the Western Group of temples, where the main shrine soars 31 metres high, and is in an almost perfect state of preservation. In the afternoon visit the Eastern Jain and Hindu temples. If you are interested, Khajuraho makes for great bike riding, with flat, quiet roads arriving at some magnificent yet less visited temple ruins. In the evening enjoy a sound and light show at the main temple complex

Day 11             Khajuraho – Panna – Khajuraho – Varanasi

Early start for a one-hour drive to Panna National Park, where you take a jeep safari into the park for wildlife viewing. There are tigers in the park, which the wildlife officers are able to track and thus give you the best possible chance of seeing.  Return to Khajuraho; late afternoon free. After dinner transfer to the railway station for overnight train to Varanasi. (Room available for use until late checkout for the train)

Day 12             Varanasi

Arrival in Varanasi and transfer to the guest house. Being one of the most sacred places for Hindus to visit, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Varanasi has a distinctly ancient and religious feel. Narrow lane ways – many leading down to the ghats or steps that descend into the water of the Ganges – are crammed with shops, homes, games of cricket, cows, temples and much more. This is a uniquely Indian city.   In the early evening head to the main ghat in time for the daily ‘Aarti’ ritual, a beautiful sight for visitors and a sacred ceremony for Hindus, which your local guide will help you to understand.

Day 13             Varanasi

In Varanasi, life and various activities revolve around the river. The city stirs before dawn when thousands of pilgrims come down to the river to offer early morning prayers. This morning you can take a dawn boat ride on the Ganges with a guide, enjoying a spectacular view of sunrise on the river, and the sight of the city coming to life. After breakfast, take a guided walk, visiting some of the various ghats and important temples. In the afternoon you can continue sightseeing with a visit to Sarnath, famous as the location of the Buddha’s first sermon; this is a pleasant place, and a welcome respite from the intensity of Varanasi.  Or you may prefer to relax in the tranquillity of your hotel after a busy morning.

Day 14           depart Varanasi – Delhi

After a leisurely breakfast transfer to the airport for your flight to Delhi and onward travel.