Itinerary

Day 1 U.S/Mumbai, India
Fly U.S. to Mumbai (formerly Bombay).

Day 2 Mumbai
Arrive Mumbai. Meet your tour leader and/or
local guide and transfer to our renowned hotel,
Mumbai’s most famous address. Situated on
the waterfront overlooking Mumbai’s bays and
islands, this historic property is an imposing yet
gracious landmark facing the Gateway of India.
It exudes a grand royal air, and is a member
of the select “Leading Hotels of the World.”
Overnight Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

Day 3 Mumbai
Prepare to be amazed today as you explore the
melding of the ancient and the modern that
defines this incredible city. This morning we visit
the mystical, incense-shrouded Jain Temple at
Malabar Hill, then stroll along Chowpatty Beach
before paying a visit the Museum of Mahatma
Gandhi for insights into satyagraha, the principle
of non-violent resistance that brought
the British Empire to its knees. Next it’s off to
the dhobi ghats. At this outdoor mega-laundry
site the dhobhiwallahs (laundry workers) stomp
through suds, and beat, wring, iron and code
millions of pieces of laundry daily. Then visit the
train station to see the sorting of the
tiffin boxes (tin lunch boxes) by the
dhabawallas, who deliver lunches
from private homes to the work
place. Their 100-year-old, system
of collecting, sorting and delivering
over a million tiffin boxes is flawlessly
executed on a daily basis. The
dhabawallas employ an ingenious
color-coded system, necessitated by
the fact that they are unfortunately
largely illiterate. This excursion provides
unique insight into Mumbai’s
culture. Enjoy a special thali lunch
at the popular Status Restaurant in
Cuffe Parade. We return to our hotel
with time to freshen up before a welcome
dinner at our hotel. Overnight
Taj Mahal Palace & Tower (B,L,D)

Day 4 Mumbai/Chennai/
Kovalam
This morning we transfer to the airport for
our flight to Chennai. After lunch at a favorite
restaurant we continue on the short drive to
Kovalam (Covelong), a small seaside village
located 37 kilometers from Chennai (not to be
confused with Kovalam, the town in Kerela). En
route, visit the Cholamandal Artists Village and
the Dakshinchitra Museum, which showcases
traditional art, crafts and architecture of South
India. Check in to our hotel, once
an impressive Dutch Fort, and now
one of the finest beach resorts in
southern India. Luxurious cottages,
comfortably appointed rooms, and
a lovely spa are set on a gorgeous
stretch of beach. Dinner will be on
your own tonight, offering opportunities
to explore or relax. Overnight Taj
Fisherman’s Cove (B,L)

Day 5 Kovalam/
Mahabalipuram
This morning we visit the world
famous temples of Mahabalipuram,
a UNESCO World Heritage site. In
the 7th century this port city on the
Bay of Bengal was the capital of the
Pallava Kings of Kanchipuram. It
is now a small seaside village that
draws people from around the world
who come to see the extraordinary
rock-cut temples. These temples evidence
the early stages of Dravidian
architecture, which finds its most
elaborate expression in the Meenakshi Temple
at Madurai. The carvings at Mahabalipuram
are of particular note for depicting scenes of
daily life and ordinary people, in contrast to the
rest of the state of Tamil Nadu, where carvings
generally depict gods and goddesses. Time
permitting we’ll also visit Tirukalikundram. The
hill-top Vedagirishvara Temple here is dedicated
to Shiva. It is said that two Hindu saints in the
form of eagles fly 600 miles here from Varanasi
daily, to be fed by the temple priest. Overnight
Taj Fisherman’s Cove (B,L,D)

Day 6 Kovalam/Madurai
This morning we fly to Madurai. This ancient
city is reckoned to be 2,600 years old. The Greek
historian Megasthenes described Madurai in
detail, and except for some cars and a few plastic
buckets, the descriptions bear astonishing
resemblance to the scene that exists today. It’s
as if one could visit contemporary Athens and
encounter locals in robes and sandals making
offerings in the Temple of Athena.
After checking into our hotel we’ll explore
the city. Madurai is the most famous of the
temple towns of the south, and is known for the
Meenakshi Temple. Like the ghats of Varanasi
in the north, the Meenakshi Temple is at the
spiritual heart of south India, and a visit to this
riotously colorful temple will put your finger
on its pulse. Famed for it’s many carved and
painted halls, this magnificent temple to the
goddess Meenakshi and Lord Shiva has the
tallest gopuram (temple gateway) in the world.
It also houses the Temple Art Museum and a
1,000 pillared Grand Hall. Elaborately decorated
elephants roam its corridors, and all manner
of goods—from jewelry to posters to spice—is
traded in its bazaar. After an early dinner, witness
the closing ceremony at the Meenakshi
Temple, where the idols of Lord Shiva and his
consort Meenakshi are taken in a procession
and confined to the bedchamber. Our hotel is a
haven of solitude and relaxation set amidst 62
acres of landscaped gardens. A palette of local
colors and fabrics adorn its colonial-era architecture.
Overnight Taj Garden Retreat (B,L,D)

Day 7 Madurai/Munnar
This morning we’ll board a train from Madurai
to Bodi. Local trains in India host a fascinating
jumble of scenes and impressions—more than
just a means of locomotion, it is an experience
in itself. Following the train ride, we’ll drive
to Munnar in the state of Kerala, known as
“God’s own country” for its great natural beauty.
Munnar is blanketed with tea gardens and rolling
hills. This afternoon stroll to the cardamom
plantation before returning to our estate, a collection
of comfortable cottages and farmhouses
amidst manicured tea gardens. The presence of
the planter’s family next door ensures a warm,
welcoming atmosphere. Overnight Windermere
Estate (B,L,D)

Day 8 Munnar
We’ll continue exploring
this plantation area by 4WD
today. We’ll walk through the
plantation and enjoy lunch.
Afterwards we’ll visit the
Tea Museum, market and
handicraft center. Overnight
Windermere Estate (B,L,D)

Day 9 Munnar/
Wadakkancherry
Drive to Wadakkancherry.
En route, enjoy a traditional
thali lunch served on
a banana leaf at the beautifully
appointed Tharavadu
Heritage Home. Then walk
through the undulating spice
plantation with the owners.
Don’t think rows of corn
ala Kansas: this plantation
is more akin to a jungle,
growing an astonishing, intermingled
variety of spices, fruit and rubber trees
that thrive in this fabulously lush land. Enjoy a
delicious home-cooked meal in the family’s bungalow,
then drive to Wadakkancherry. Our hotel
offers a comfortable base for enjoying the festival
celebrations. Overnight River Retreat (B,L,D)

Day 10 Wadakkancherry Festival
Today we witness the Uthrallikkavu Pooram
festivities. Almost totally untouristed, this
exuberant celebration features processions of
lavishly decorated, caparisoned elephants in
headwear of plated gold. Riders carrying white
silken parasols ride in rhythm with traditional
music, and local crowds gather to watch ritual
folk art performances. Surrounding villages vie
to outperform the others and dazzle the crowd.
Celebrating this little-known local festival will
afford us an authentic, delightful and memorable
experience. This afternoon we will also
visit Kalamandalam School of Kathakali. This
school of dance and music will make for a very
interesting and unique experience. Overnight
River Retreat. (B,L,D)

Day 11 Wadakkancherry/Cochin
This morning we’ll have an opportunity for an
early visit back at the festival grounds before
breakfast. We’ll drive to Cochin to check in to
our hotel. This town of great historical importance
has a wonderful, natural harbor and is
India’s biggest shipping port. Spice trading has
brought prosperity to the region for centuries,
and one-third of all pepper worldwide is still
exported from Cochin. The Portuguese, Dutch,
and British influence is evidenced in the abundant
Indo-European architecture. At sunset enjoy
a cruise on Cochin Harbor; passing Wellington
Island, the Bolgatty Islands and more fishing
boats than you can count. This evening, enjoy
a private cooking class. Mrs. Nimmy Paul has
been a cooking instructor for more than twenty
years. She teaches classes in Indian and local
Keralan cuisine to visiting guests, food writers
and chefs. Our hotel features classic colonial
Portuguese architecture and a tradition of
luxurious hospitality. Situated on the harbor,
all rooms boast of a gorgeous view of the sea).
Overnight Brunton Boatyard (B,D)

Day 12 Cochin
Enjoy a full day exploring Cochin. Wandering
Cochin’s bustling harbor area and quaint
streets, we will discover a plethora of interesting
sights. The synagogue in Jewish town
was built in 1568 and rebuilt in 1664. Its
interior is a hodge-podge of styles, with hand
painted blue and white floor tiles from Canton,
19th century Belgian chandeliers, and an
elaborately carved Ark housing four scrolls
from the Torah (the first five books of the Old
Testament). Overlooking the Jewish synagogue,
protectively, is the Mattancherry Palace of
the former rajas of Cochin. Today it holds
royal palanquins, weapons, robes and beautiful
murals of ancient Hindu epics painted in
vegetable dyes, yet when the Dutch ousted the
Portuguese on January 7, 1663, the people of
Cochin renamed the Mattancherry Palace the
“Dutch Palace” to honor the Netherlanders.
Afterwards visit St. Francis Church, originally
built by the Portuguese in 1510; it is believed to
be the oldest church in India. The building was
originally constructed out of timber and later
reconstructed in stone masonry during the 16th
century. Vasco da Gama, who died in Cochin in
1524, was buried here before his remains were
returned to Portugal 14 years later. We’ll be sure
to explore the Jewish Market to see the wares of
this historic city. Overnight Brunton Boatyard.
(B,L,D)

Day 13 Cochin/Kumarakom
Today we drive to Alleppey to board a
kettavallam, the splendid traditional
boat used for transport in Kerala, and
glide through the backwaters. This
labyrinth of shimmering waterways
is comprised of innumerable lagoons,
lakes, canals, estuaries, and the deltas
of forty-four rivers that drain into
the Arabian Sea. Kerala is considered
India’s most progressive society, with a
99% literacy rate, excellent health care
systems, India’s lowest infant mortality
rate, and a reputation as India’s cleanest
state. Cruise past temples, churches
(Christianity is well represented), and
schools where uniformed children wave
and shout as you float past. We’ll enjoy
lunch on board before disembarking and
transferring to our accommodations. An immersion
in tranquility awaits at our idyllic resort,
accessible only by boat. Individual cottages
reflect the traditional lines of Kerala’s wooden
houses. Rooms retain the charm of a family
home, while ultramodern en suite open-air bathrooms
located in an inner courtyard each boast
their own banana tree. Dinner will be on your
own tonight. The resorts kitchen garners rave
reviews. Perhaps try the karimeen, a delicious
curried local fish specialty. Overnight Coconut
Lagoon (B,L)

Day 14 Kumarakom
This morning visit lovely Philipkutty’s Farm for a
delicious lunch. Surrounded by canals that are a
habitat for fish and fresh-water jumbo prawns,
the grounds grow coconut, nutmeg, cocoa,
banana, pepper and many other fruits, vegetables
and spices. Cows, geese, ducks and hens
roam through the lush foliage. This afternoon is
free to relax before reconvening for our farewell
dinner. Overnight Coconut Lagoon. (B,L,D)

Day 15 Cochin/Mumbai
This morning fly to Mumbai. Transfer to our hotel
conveniently located near the airport. Overnight
Taj Land’s End Hotel. Dinner will be on your own
tonight. (B)

Day 16 Home or Extend
Fly home, or extend to other great destinations in
the Asia/Pacific region. (B)

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