God’s own country

On arrival in Cochin, you will be met and assisted be our Hi Tours's representative at the airport and transferred to hotel. Cochin or Kochi, as it is called now, has been variously hailed as Queen of the Arabian Sea, Venice of Orient, etc. It is till date influenced by medieval Portugal, Holland and England. Some choose to call it simply a museum city for its rich past and colorful present. The city displays a blend of different people and architecture and it is one place where you can see a Jewish synagogue, Portuguese churches, Dutch architecture, Mosques, Hindu temples and Chinese fishing nets all in one day.

After breakfast, we will take a tour of the city visiting the Mattancherry Palace, popularly known as Dutch Palace,  has some of India’s most beautiful murals, the Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays & Saturdays) in the heart of Jew Town and the cantilevered Chinese fishing nets. See St. Francis Church where Vasco da Gama was originally buried. Evening watch Kathakali dance. Kathakali literally meaning "story dance" is the pantomimic dance drama, the dancing and the acting being blended together into an inseparable form. It is a combination of facial expressions and body movements, which brings out the thought and emotion of the character. Kathakali is predominantly a male art and the dancing is mostly of the masculine type. Optional: Cooking demonstration with Nimmy Paul: Nimmy is a professional cookery instructor for more than twenty years. She and her husband belong to traditional Syrian Christian Community in Kerala. Almost every Keral dish has coconut and spices added for flavour, giving its cuisine a sharp pungency that is heightened with the use of tamarind. Seafood is the main diet in coastal Kerala, whereas vegetables are the main diet on the plains. The Demonstration is followed by lunch.

Drive to Munnar (170 kms/ 4 hrs). Upon arrival check in at your hotel. Munnar is situated at the confluence of three mountain streams - Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundala. 1600 m above sea level, this hill station was once the summer resort of the erstwhile British Government in South India. Sprawling tea plantations, picture-book towns, winding lanes and holiday facilities make this a popular resort town. Day at leisure.

Visit Tea Plantation. Munnar is an attractive destination with the world's best and renowned tea estates. There are more than 50 tea estates in and around Munnar. It is one of the biggest centers of tea trade in India. Until 1790, Munnar and the surrounding area were forests covered, when they were first recognized by the European known as Duke of Wellington. Later in the year 1870, a subordinate of the ruler of Travancore, leased 588 sq. km of land to a Scottish tea planter named J.D. Munro, who was the lawyer in the employee of the Travancore Government. Afternoon at leisure. Optional: Nature walk with picnic lunch. Walk in Munnar with picnic lunch: This is one of the best way to absorb the breeze of Munnar.  One can take the road leading to the Pallivasal junction and at a point turning off the road crosses a narrow bridge over a boulder strewn bed of a stream that starts higher up in the mountains to finally descend as a waterfall hissing through the rocks. This nature walk offers a spectacular view of the whole town of Munnar. Culmnate your tour with a picnic Lunch. Optional: Trekking on Laksmi Hills. Morning take a soft trekking on Lakshmi hills. This is one of the best way to absorb the breeze of Munnar.  Trekking through the most sought-after destination in Munnar,Lakshmi Hills in Munnar is another important tourist spot that is flocked by tourists from across the world to enjoy the breathtaking views that the hills offer.  It will be a walk goes through lush green grasslands, tea estates and you will get to explore over Sevenmalai hills! This is an exciting Trekking experience that is sure to stay afresh in your mind long after.

Drive to Periyar. On arrival in Periyar, transfer to hotel. Periyar National Park is situated in the hills of the Western Ghats. The centre piece of Periyar National park is the 5,500-hectare Periyar lake formed by the construction of a dam on the Periyar river in 1895.The dam submerged low-lying forest whose dead tree trunks still jut out of the waters. Along the fringes of the lake are marshy areas with tall grasslands. This is one of the richest habitats of large mammals, as it provides both excellent cover and nourishment in the form of succulent shoots and grasses. Watch Kalaripayattu: is a martial art which originated as a style in Kerala during the 13th Century AD. The word kalari first appears in Sangam literature to describe both a battlefield and combat arena. The word kalari tatt denoted a martial feat, while kalari kozhai meant a coward in war. Each warrior in the Sangam era received regular military training. It is considered to be one of the oldest fighting systems in existence. It is now practiced in Kerala.

Visit of Spice Plantation. You will see verities of spices indigenously grown here. The surrounding filled with its aroma will sooth your soul. The spice plantation in Thekkady is one of the major spice plantations in Kerala. These plantations are captivating farms to wander in, since different spices are cultivated in different sections of each plantation. Rest of the day will be at leisure. Optional: Enjoy the game viewing by boats in Periyar National Park, which is a unique wildlife sanctuary and is about 780 sq. km centered on an artificial lake fed by the Periyar River. The boats will carry you through the jungle along convoluted waterways and afford sightings of elephant, bison and deer. There are trees more than 100 years old and over 50 m high.

Drive to jetty and embark the houseboat. The houseboats are huge, slow moving, exotic barge used for leisure trips - are the reworked kettuvallams of olden times. The original kettuvallams were used to carry tons of rice and spices - a standard kettuvallam can hold up to 30 tons - from Kuttanad to the Kochi port. The kettuvallam or ‘boat with knots’- was so called because the entire boat was held together with coir knots only - not even a single nail is used during the construction.  The boat is made of planks of jack-wood joined together with coir. This is then coated with a caustic black resin made from boiled cashew kernels. With careful maintenance, a kettuvallam can last for generations. Lunch and dinner will be served on houseboat.

Disembark the houseboat and drive to Kovalam, Day at leisure. Optional: Avail the Ayurveda therapy at your hotel on direct payment basis. Ayurveda, the science of life and longevity, is the oldest healthcare system in the world and it combines the profound thoughts of medicine and philosophy. Since then Ayurveda has stood for the wholesome physical, mental and spiritual growth of humanity around the world. Today, it's a unique, indispensable branch of medicine, a complete naturalistic system that depends on the diagnosis of your body's humours - vata, pitta and kapha - to achieve the right balance.

Day at leisure.  you may avail the Ayurveda therapy at your hotel on direct payment basis.

Day at leisure.  you may avail the Ayurveda therapy at your hotel on direct payment basis.

Standard check out time is 1100 hrs: You will be transferred to the airport to board flight for onward journey. ---------------------------------------------