CHENNAI (formerly Madras) – the gateway to the sunny south, the capital of Tamil Nadu is also the seat of an ancient civilization and a rich heritage in the arts, sculpture, and architecture.
In the realm of history, Chennai has an extraordinary antecedent, dating back 2000 years, when the ancient district of Mylapore was a port on the legendary Coromandel Coast trading with the Chinese, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and later, the French, Portuguese, Armenians, and Arabs. St. Thomas, the apostle of Christ, landed here in 58 AD and was martyred in 72 AD on a hillock inland. About three and a half centuries later, the modern city of Chennai is the cultural and commercial capital of the South and also the fourth largest metropolis in the country.

Overnight in Chennai.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Pilgrimage in the City of Chennai. On the program: guided tour of the main districts of Madras, the capital of the State of Tamil Nadu, with its many green spaces: Fort Saint George, the Palace of Justice, the University, Saint Thomas Cathedral, the Parthasarati, and Kapaleswara Temples. Departure by minivan from the hotel and drive to Mahabalipuram.
Arrival in the evening.

Night in Mahabalipuram. 

Breakfast at the hotel.

Mahabalipuram was, under the Pallava dynasty in the 7th century, a very active port through which Indian civilization was exported to the Far East, from Ceylon to Java. The site is made up of temples, a huge bas-relief fresco and caves carved with high reliefs dealing with the myths of Hinduism. All are masterpieces of Pallava art. Mahabalipuram, a World Heritage Site. It is renowned in the field of sculpture and is a center for the diffusion of Indian culture and religions to Southeast Asia. This ancient capital of the Pallava kingdom has remained one of the holy cities of India, dedicated to the gods Shiva and Vishnu. The city has 124 temples and sanctuaries visited each year by millions of pilgrims. It is said that originally, the city was built in the shape of a peacock. About 75% of the population is linked to the silk-weaving industry.

On the program: visit the site of Mahabalipuram which allows you to combine the exploration of superb monuments and an exceptional seaside site. The Five Rathas, these five monolithic temples bear the popular names of the Pandava brothers, heroes of the Mahabharata, a mythical Hindu epic. At the heart of the Mahabalipuram site, the magnificent rock called “the Descent of the Ganges” will surprise you. A natural crack in the center of the rock represents the Ganges descending into the hair of the God Shiva. On both sides of the rock, deities, saints, men, and women are sculpted.
Then drive to Kancheepuram, the “city of 1,000 temples”, one of the seven sacred cities of India. The only holy city in the South, it is home to a multitude of temples such as that of Kailashanatha, a temple dedicated to Shiva, one of the oldest in Kanchi but also one of the most beautiful.

Return to Mahabalipuram.
Night in Mahabalipuram.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure for Pondicherry , a city that has a unique ambiance and charm quite unlike the rest of India. Once a French colony, the city of Pondicherry is the capital of the Union Territorial Union of Pondicherry. Known as the French Riviera of the East, the many influences that have shaped the culture of Pondicherry make it unique. The French were present for centuries, but the Danish, English, Portuguese and Dutch all stopped over, thus accentuating the intoxicating blend of European flavors and local Tamil culture. The city is divided into two parts by the canal that separates the French Quarter-White City from the rest of the city. Today, Pondicherry reveals the charming image of a quaint French town with its clean, cobbled streets, elegant houses, policemen in kepis, street names sometimes inscribed in French, statues of Dupleix and Joan of Arc, and pleasant gardens. With its spiritual atmosphere, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram founded by Sri Aurobindo in 1926 attracts people from all over the world to this charming little town.

Free evening.

Night in Pondicherry.

Breakfast at the hotel then departure by road for Chidambaram: a fine example of Dravidian architecture and bastion of Shiva.

Visit the ancient city: the sanctuary of Shiva Nataraja, in the center of the city, is one of the largest temples in Dravidian India. A true religious city, surrounded by several enclosure walls, the temple of knowledge is pierced by doors topped with gopurams. Inside there are many sanctuaries, dance halls, or meeting rooms for the Brahmins who watch over the ritual, a huge pond, devotees’ hearts laden with garlands of flowers and fruits for offerings.
Continue to Kumbakonam . Arrival in Kumbakonam in the afternoon for a walk in the village on foot and a visit to the local temples. Discovery of the surrounding temples in Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram.
Departure for Tanjore, Thanjavur, or Tanjore was the ancient capital of the Chola, Pallava, Pandya, and Chera monarchs. Incessant struggles tore apart these dynasties, who took turns seizing power. Thanjavur is famous for its Shiva temple and its art gallery. Discovery of a bronze manufacturing workshop, the city’s specialty.

Night in Tanjore.

Breakfast at the hotel.

In the morning, departure through the countryside towards Chettinad, the country of the Chettiars, former merchants who made their fortune during the colonial era and who had real small palaces built for themselves. Discovery of the Kanadukathan Palace, occasionally inhabited by the owners during large family celebrations such as weddings.
Then head for Madurai. The city of Madurai is said to have been born from the drops of nectar that fell from Shiva’s hair. It is the city of the Pandyas, a powerful dynasty that distinguished itself in the Middle Ages by fighting against the neighboring kingdoms, Pallavas, Cholas, Chalukyas, and Hoysala, before sinking at the beginning of the 14th century. It is to the Nayaks, masters of the place from the 16th century, that we owe the construction of the jewel of the city: “the temple of Minakshi Sundareshwar” one of the most extraordinary sanctuaries in India.
In the evening, you will take a rickshaw and attend the “god’s bedtime ceremony”: Shiva leaves his temple to reach the sanctuary of the goddess Minakshi. The idol, richly adorned, carried by priests in a palanquin is followed by a fervent crowd…
An amazing street show!

Night in Madurai.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the city of Madurai and the temple dedicated to Minakshi, a very ancient local deity: belligerent, she had three breasts and “fish eyes”. Shiva married her and the beauty’s gaze brightened, her aggressive instinct calmed down and her extra breast disappeared. You will begin the visit to this temple by climbing to the gopuram, 60 meters high from where you have an overall view of the five hectares that form the great temple.
Departure for Munnar. Very appreciated for its climate, Munnar is a mountain station located at the confluence of three rivers: Mudrapuzha, Nallathanni,and Kundala, it rises to 1600 m above sea level. Everywhere the tea gardens extend like a green carpet for hundreds of kilometers, the waterfalls compete in beauty, the exuberant nature extends as far as the eye can see. On arrival, check in to the hotel.

Overnight in Munnar.

Breakfast at the hotel then departure for Periyar.

The road crosses the magnificent landscapes of mountains covered with plantations of rubber trees, coffee, and tea as far as the eye can see. Arrival at the Periyar National Park, located in the heart of the mountains. It is the most famous nature reserve in southern India. In the afternoon, visit a spice plantation and boat trip on the lake (depending on availability), the opportunity to discover flamboyant nature, and perhaps wild animals (elephants or bison drinking in the lake).
Then continue by road on the west coast of India crossing tea plantations and then plantations of cardamom, cinnamon, and other spices.

Night in Perriyar.

Breakfast at the hotel and then departure for Kumarakom.

Arrived in Kumarakom in the afternoon, a beautiful and picturesque backwater destination. The backwaters represent a unique natural environment in the world. It is a network of lakes, canals, estuaries, and deltas of 44 rivers that flow into the Indian Ocean. The freshwater of the rivers meets the salt water of the ocean. An ecosystem with rare aquatic fauna and flora!

Night in Kumarakom.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Drive to Cochin to discover the city of Cochin. The name Cochin refers to a collection of islands and cities. Vasco de Gama stopped here and died there with the title of Portuguese Viceroy of India. It is a unique and magical city with a diversity of styles, atmospheres, and architectures, with its Hindu, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim populations and its sixty castes. Kochi, better known as Cochin, is a tapestry whose silky threads have been woven over the centuries. Today, Kochi is an important port but still offers many tourist attractions. The city is spread over a group of islands and promontories, bathed by the Arabian Sea and the Backwaters.
On the program: visit of Cochin and its port: the Dutch palace, which was built by the Portuguese around 1557 on behalf of Vira Kerala Varma, Raja of Cochin, the synagogue, located in the heart of the Mattancheri district, where a small Jewish community founded in 1568 lives, the church of Saint Francis, the first Christian sanctuary on Indian soil, the island of Bolghatty. Walk in the fort district, whose narrow alleys seem to keep the memory of the time when the large sailing ships transported spices.
Discovery of the Chinese fishing nets and the fish market.
In the evening, the Kathakali show, the dance theater of Kerala whose tradition dates back to the 17th century.

Night in Cochin.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Transfer to a floating house (Kettuvallam) on the marine lake, Vendembanad.

On the program: welcome on the boat (floating house) with coconut and flower necklace. Lunch on board.

This region is nicknamed the “rice bowl of Kerala” because of its rich paddy cultivation. The countryside with its shimmering waterways also offers delicious bananas, cassavas, and yams. It is perhaps the only region in the world where cultivation is done 1.5 to 2 meters below sea level. This is the region of the Syriac Christians of Kerala. The small towns and villages are surrounded by canals, coconut groves, and rice fields. Legend has it that Parasurama, the sixth avatar of the god Vishnu, threw his war axe out to sea, and thus a strip of land emerged from the sea. This land became Kerala and was offered to the Brahmins.
Afternoon cruise in the Backwaters, which peacefully takes you through the tropical countryside inland along the banks shaded by coconut trees and emerald rice fields irrigated by a labyrinth of canals and lagoons, where traditional boats glide. The boat skirts the Spice Coast and the traditional villages located on the water’s edge. In this setting of peace and harmony, you will see the day unfold immersed in the life of the inhabitants away from the beaten track.

Dinner and overnight on board.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Drive to Kovalam, a beach resort on the Arabian Sea.

Arrive in the afternoon. Free day on the beach.

Overnight at the hotel

Breakfast at the hotel.

Free day on the beach.

Transfer to the airport and flight to Chennai around noon. Return to Chennai.

End of stay at Chennai airport.