Essence of Kerala

<p>You are welcomed at the airport by our tour executive and transferred to the hotel where you are assisted with your check in.</p><p>If time permits; you are driven to a theater in the evening. Witness Kerala’s traditional performing arts such as Kathakali, Mohini Attam, Theyyam and the martial art.</p><p>You are driven to a central Kerala’s Orthodox Christian family in the evening for cooking lesson and dinner with the family. </p>

<p>After an early breakfast check out from your hotel; accompanied by a local guide visit some of the historical monuments & landmarks in Fort Cochin area in the afternoon. Your tour begins from Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays and Saturdays).It contains beautiful Belgian glass chandeliers and paved with painted tiles from China. Later visit the Dutch Palace (closed on Fridays) with its wonderful murals depicting the entire story of the Ramayana. Then visit St. Francis Church, established by the Portuguese Franciscan friars in 1503. Vasco Da Gama was buried in the courtyard of this European church, one of the first built in India. Visit the Chinese fishing nets. More than a century old and still in use, they are a great part of this tour.</p><p>After the visits; you are driven to driven to Oberoi Motor Vessel Vrinda.</p><p>Once all guests are on board, Vrinda sets sail along the main waterway on Vembanad Lake and enters the Alleppey canal. You could actively participate with the local fishermen and understand the life cycle of "karimeen" also called as "pearl spot". Lunch will be served on board.</p><p>The cruiser sails along the scenic waterways for four hours and returns to the Vembanad Lake in time to watch the sunset.</p><p>Later in the evening, guests enjoy a performance of the highly ritualized "Kathakali" dance which tells stories from the ancient Hindu epics - Ramayana and Mahabarata. Performances begin with the application of elaborate makeup which is based in traditional Ayurvedic principles. </p><p>The vessel will anchor for the night at the Vembanad Lake jetty. Dinner on board.</p>

<p>Motor Vessel Vrinda will sail from the Vembanad Lake jetty and head south, towards Alleppey. Breakfast will be served on board.</p><p>Sailing through scenic backwaters, guests can observe life along these "water highways" while passing through one of the few areas in the world where farming is done below sea level. You will be transferred to a traditional rice boat to navigate through the narrower sections of the backwaters.</p><p>For the next few hours, you will observe and experience a way of life unique to this region, accompanied by a guide. This section of the cruise includes a visit to the half-statue of Lord Buddha at Karumadi and a traditional Kerala tharavad (family residence).</p><p>Later in the day, return to Motor Vessel Vrinda where lunch will be served as the boat passes through picturesque stretches of the backwaters on the way back to Alleppey, known as the "Venice of the East". Motor Vessel Vrinda will return to Vembanad Lake, where you can enjoy Vrinda Vadiyam a musical fusion of classical instruments. Motor Vessel Vrinda will anchor for the night at the Vembanad Lake jetty. Dinner on board. OR</p><p>On board Vrinda, with a rice boat excursion.</p><p>Motor Vessel Vrinda will sail from the Vembanad Lake jetty and head South, past Kanjippadam. Vrinda will anchor near Chambakulam where guests will transfer onto the rice boat once again for a pre-lunch sightseeing excursion.</p><p>You will visit St. Mary's Church, established by St. Thomas in 1721 and Sree Bhagavathy Kshetram - a 100-year old Hindu temple to Mother Goddess - at Nedumudy. You can also explore the Chambakulam snake boat yard, which displays one of the traditional long snake boats used in races. </p><p>To further the understanding and appreciation of this experience, a qualified guide will be present on board for the full day after cruising through the backwaters in the afternoon, Motor Vessel Vrinda will return to Vembanad Lake, where guests can enjoy a "Mohiniattam" recital on board. This classical dance form, distinctive to Kerala, is also called the 'Dance of the Enchantress'. Dancers attired in beautiful traditional costumes perform with slow, graceful movements and highly emotive expressions. Dinner on board.</p>

<p>Motor Vessel Vrinda will sail North along the main waterway channel on the Vembanad Lake and head South, past Pallathurathy. </p><p>Post breakfast on board; check out at 10AM you will be picked up from the vessel</p><p>and driven to Thekkady.</p><p>Balance of the day you are at leisure. Your vehicle remains with you until 8:00PM</p><p>for local use.</p><p>If you are unable to witness the cultural program in Cochin; then you are driven to a theater in the evening. Witness Kerala’s traditional performing arts such as Kathakali, Mohini Attam, Theyyam and the martial art.</p>

<p>Accompanied by a naturalist proceed on a spice garden tour and trekking </p><p>through the national park. </p><p>The panorama spreads into tropical jungles full of wild elephants, Indian Gaur, monkeys, spotted deer, barking deer, wild boar and birds of myriad varieties. </p><p>Late afternoon: Bullock cart ride through the village.</p>

<p>You are driven to nearby elephant farm. Here you get the opportunity to go near to the mammoth animal where you can feed, bath and ride on it.</p><p>Later you are driven to Munnar, the tea capital of India.</p>

<p>Your Munnar visit is incomplete without experiencing tea leaves picking & a visit to tea processing unit. </p><p>You are driven to a tea plantation estate in the morning. Join the workforce and pick your own tea leaves from the garden. Bring the freshly picked tea leaves to the tea factory and get it processed into fresh tea dust. You are then allowed to carry the freshly processed tea dust to home as souvenir. You’ll also get lessons on different types of liquid tea preparation. You have the option to visit Rajamali National park where you might get a chance to see some of the rarest wild animals and the endangered Tahr (a type of mountain goat) in the afternoon.</p>

<p>You are picked up from your hotel and transferred to Cochin airport.</p><p>Board your flight to onward destination. </p>