India
Twelve travellers at most, a night on a houseboat and two days by the ocean
India
Kerala in a small group of 12 at most: Fort Cochin by rickshaw, a fishing village, the Kerala Kalamandalam kathakali dance school, the Munnar tea plantations with a naturalist, Madurai and its great temple, lunch with a family and a spice garden in Periyar, a bamboo raft on the reserve's lake, a night on a houseboat on the backwaters, then Marari beach.
When
Oct to March
Price
From 2 570€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
11 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-5
The old port, the fishermen and dance.
Day 1
Flight to India
Flight to Cochin. Night on board.
Day 2
Arrival in Cochin
Welcome and transfer to the hotel.
Day 3
Fort Cochin
Fort Cochin by rickshaw: shady lanes, flower-decked houses and Chinese fishing nets.
Day 4
Chellanam – Thrissur
A morning in the fishing village of Chellanam and its traditional techniques, then Thrissur.
Day 5
Kalamandalam – Munnar
The Kerala Kalamandalam school of dance and music, then the mountain road to Munnar.
Days 6-10
Tea, a temple and spices.
Day 6
Munnar and tea
A walk through the Lockhart plantations with a naturalist and a visit to a tea factory.
Day 7
Munnar – Madurai
Drive to Madurai, in Tamil Nadu, and a potters' village.
Day 8
Madurai
One of the oldest cities in South India and its great Meenakshi temple.
Day 9
Madurai – Periyar
Lunch with a family, then a spice garden.
Day 10
Periyar – Alleppey
A bamboo raft on the lake of Periyar reserve, then Alleppey.
Days 11-14
A night on the water, then the ocean.
Day 11
The backwaters by houseboat
A houseboat cruise along the canals, lagoons and Lake Vembanad, then Marari.
Day 12
Marari
The fishermen coming home at dawn and a free day by the Indian Ocean.
Day 13
Marari – Cochin – flight home
Transfer to Cochin airport and fly to France.
Day 14
Arrival in France
Arrival in France during the day.
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