Included in this offer :

• 13-day/12-night tour staying in the 4-star hotels as mentioned or similar
• Breakfast-included package during your stay and full-board package on day 10
• Flights departing from the city of your choice
• Round-trip airport/hotel transfer
• Transfers, visits and excursions in a private air-conditioned vehicle with a driver
• Welcome and assistance at the airport of arrival
• A bottle of wine on arrival in Chennai
• The services of a local guide during visits to Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Chidambaram, Pondicherry, Tanjore, Trichy, Madurai, Munnar and Cochin
• Admission fees for the monuments as mentioned
• A hand weaving demonstration in Kanchipuram
• A rickshaw ride in Pondicherry
• Vedic chanting in Kumbakonam
• Discovering the veenai in Tanjore
• A tuk-tuk ride in Madurai
• Tea-making in Munnar
• Cruise and overnight stay in a houseboat in Alleppey
• A traditional Kathakali dance show in Cochin
• All visits as mentioned in the programme

✆ Any questions?

NEED HELP FINALISING YOUR BOOKING?

020 3318 2660
Everyday from 8am-8pm (Local rates apply)

From Abroad +44 20 3318 2660 International call rate

ESSENTIAL SOUTH INDIA

This tour offers a comprehensive introduction to South India. From the Coromandel Coast to the Malabar Coast, the tour offers visitors the opportunity to appreciate a diverse range of landscapes, including beaches, lush vegetation, ancient trading posts and Dravidian temples with their distinctive architectural style. The itinerary also includes visits to tea gardens, which are a significant aspect of the region's cultural heritage. The private tour includes a well-balanced and comprehensive itinerary with a wide range of interests, offering a unique insight into tropical India, which differs significantly from the north.

Your itinerary day by day:

Day 1: Arrive and settle in Chennai

Day 2: Chennai to Mahabalipuram

Day 3: Mahabalipuram

Day 4: Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry

Day 5: Pondicherry to Tanjore

Day 6: Tanjore

Day 7: Tanjore to Madurai

Day 8: Madurai to Munnar

Day 9: Munnar

Day 10: Munnar to Alleppey

Day 11: Alleppey to Cochin

Day 12: Cochin

Day 13: **Last day in Cochin and return flight home

Your detailed itinerary

DAY 1: Arrival in Chennai

Arrival in Chennai, which is the capital of Tamil Nadu and was founded in the 17th century by the British Empire. You will be welcomed by our representative and transferred to your hotel (your room will be available from 2 p.m. onwards).

Free time. Overnight stay at your hotel.

DAY 2: Chennai to Mahabalipuram

Breakfast at the hotel.

Set off by road to Mahabalipuram. En route, visit Kanchipuram, known as the Golden City with its thousands of temples. It is one of the seven sacred cities of Hinduism and was the capital of the Pallava dynasty. Visit the Ekambereshwara, Kamakshiamman and Kailasanatha temples. Enjoy a hand weaving demonstration.

Resume your journey to Mahabalipuram, a seaside resort with white sandy beaches and clear waters on the Coromandel coast, famous for its seven pagodas. Over 2,000 years ago, this city was a renowned port for trade between Phoenician, Arab and Greek merchants. On arrival, check into the hotel. Overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 3: Mahabalipuram

**Breakfast at the hotel **

Visit to the site of Mahabalipuram, the origin of stone architecture in South India:

• The Descent of the Ganges, carved on the western face of the rocky outcrop, which is thus lit by the rising sun, this 27 x 9-metre panel tells us via an immense "fresco" the legend of the descent of the Ganges, which Shiva received in his hair to preserve the earth from destruction under the violence of the impact.
• The five Ratha, temples in the shape of processional chariots (ratha) as they are still seen in South India. Small monolithic monuments, they are adorned with high-relief sculptures of gods from the Brahman pantheon, such as Shiva, Durga and Indra.
• The Shore Temple is dedicated to Shiva, as evidenced by the many statues in the round of the Nandi bull in the courtyard.

**Overnight at hotel **

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 4: Mahabalipuram - Pondicherry

Breakfast at the hotel.

Set off by road to Pondicherry, a former French trading post and a little slice of France in the tropics. Arrive and settle into your hotel.

Visit the Government Museum (closed on Mondays). Then, visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the spiritual hermitage of one of India's greatest philosophers and spiritualists.

Enjoy a rickshaw ride. Overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 5: Pondicherry to Tanjore

After breakfast at the hotel, take the road to Tanjore.

On the way, stop at Chidambaram where the Nataraja Temple was built. Renowned for its perfect examples of Chola art, the temple was highly regarded by many dynasties. Then continue to Gangaikondacholapuram, the former capital of the Chola Empire built by King Rajendra around 1025 to commemorate his victory over the Pala of Bengal.

Stop at Kumbakonam, visit a school (Sankara mutt) where young children board and train to become priests. Apart from strict adherence to tradition, children are taught the Vedas (ancient Hindu religious text). If you inform the priest in advance, you can listen to a prayer recited by the school's pupils. You can then interact with the students as well as with the teacher who acts as interpreter.

Finally arrive at Tanjore and check into the hotel. Tanjore (or Thanjavur) was the ancient capital of the Chola, Pallava, Pandya and Chera monarchs. The city is famous for its Shiva temple and art gallery.

Overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 6: Tanjore

Breakfast at the hotel.

Visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shiva's Temple, Brihadeeshwara, built by the Chola King Rajaraja between 1003 and 1010. The temple illustrated the power of the Chola dynasty and was used for royal religious ceremonies.

Take advantage of our special Discover the Veena programme:

While you are in Tanjore, ask to be taken to one of the houses where these magnificent instruments are still being produced. You can see how these traditional instruments are hand-carved and talk to the owner, whose family has been making Veena for generations.

Then set off for Trichy and visit the hill fort and its temples: discover the Vishnuite sanctuary of Sri Ranganathaswami located on an island in the heart of a religious city. Return to Tanjore.

Overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 7: Tanjore - Madurai

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure by road to Madurai. On arrival, check into the hotel. Visit Madurai and the Meenakshi Temple, one of the largest and most impressive in India. The temple is dedicated to the God Shiva and his consort the goddess Meenakshi. The Thirumalai Naikan Palace is a fine example of 18th-century Indo-Saracenic architecture. Enjoy a Tuk-Tuk ride.

In the evening, attend the Shiva retiring ceremony. Overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 8: Madurai - Munnar

Visit the flower market. Return to the hotel for breakfast. Take the road to Munnar, a small town surrounded by the Devan Kannan hills. It is famous for its lakes and forests but especially for its tea plantations. This town is one of the biggest tea producers in the world. On arrival, check into the hotel. Free time. Overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 9: Munnar

Breakfast at the hotel.

Experience the "Make your own tea" program offered by the Lockhart Tea Factory. This gives customers a unique experience of producing tea with their own hands. The activity includes picking green leaves, rolling up dried leaves and breaking up rolled up leaves. Finally, you get to sample your own tea. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Meals included: breakfast.

DAY 10: Munnar - Alleppey

Breakfast at the hotel.

Set off by road to Alleppey which is known as the Venice of the East and is famous for its backwaters. On arrival, head to the Alleppey wharf and depart for an overnight backwaters cruise on a houseboat. The backwaters are the only natural environment of their kind in the world. They are a network of lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas of 44 rivers that flow into the Indian Ocean. They are a unique ecosystem with their own aquatic wildlife and plant life. The 900 km of waterways are navigated by small motorboats, traditional boats and houseboats.

Lunch, dinner and overnight stay at your hotel.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch and dinner.

DAY 11: Alleppey - Cochin

After breakfast, disembark.

Depart by road for Cochin. Kochi, better known as Cochin, is a tapestry whose silky threads have been woven over the centuries. Portuguese, Dutch and British influences have left their mark on the city's architecture, the former palace square being the finest example. Today, Kochi is a major port, but still offers many tourist attractions. The city extends over a series of islands and promontories, bathed by the Arabian Sea and the Backwaters. On arrival, transfer to hotel. Free time. In the evening, attend a Kathakali dance show. **Overnight at hotel

Meals included: breakfast

DAY 12: Cochin

**Breakfast at the hotel **

City tour :

• The Dutch Palace: also known as the "Mattancherry Palace", it was built by the Portuguese and donated to the Raja of Cochin in the 16th century.
• The Synagogue: built at the end of the 16th century. On display are Old Testament scrolls, copper dishes engraved with the city charter and exquisitely decorated Chinese ceramic tiles. (Closed Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Jewish vacations).
• The Chinese barrettes: these stand on the seafront and are still used by local fishermen at high tide.
• St. Francis Church**: built in the 15th century by the Portuguese, this is the oldest church built by Europeans in India. It was here that the great explorer Vasco de Gama was buried before his remains were repatriated to Portugal 14 years later.

**Overnight at hotel **

**Breakfast included

DAY 13: Last day in Cochin and flight home

Breakfast at the hotel (your room must be vacated by 12 midday at the latest).

Depending on the flight time, transfer to Cochin International Airport and fly to the next destination.

Meals included: breakfast.

Your accommodation

Your stay includes 12 nights in the four-star (local standards) accommodation listed below or similar:

• Night 1, Chennai: five-star Raintree St. Mary
• Nights 2 and 3, Mahabalipuram: four-star Grande Bay Resort & Spa
• Night 4, Pondicherry: four-star Pondy Resort
• Nights 5 and 6, Tanjore: four-star Sangam
• Night 7, Madurai: four-star Heritage Maddurai
• Nights 8 and 9, Munnar: four-star Tall Trees
• Night 10, Alleppey: four-star Lakes & Lagoons House Boats
• Nights 11 and 12, Cochin: four-star Fragrant Nature Kochi

Your board

This offer is for a breakfast-included package and a full-board package during your houseboat cruise on day 10.

Breakfast

Includes an assortment of hot and cold drinks and sweet and savoury dishes.

USEFUL THINGS TO KNOW

On arrival at the airport, you will be met by our representative for your transfer to the hotel. In case of emergency, please contact this number: +91 9811807976

PLEASE NOTE: Flights arriving in Chennai must land before 11.55 p.m. After this time, transfer to the hotel cannot be guaranteed.

GUIDES

Local guides will be available for your trips to Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Pondicherry, Madurai, Cochin, Chidambaram, Tanjore, Trichy and Munnar.

AVAILABLE FOR AN EXTRA CHARGE

• Day 3: "Mahabalipuram, visiting a fishing village" with an English-speaking expert: visit the beach, attend the fish auction at the market and interact with the fishermen and their families. Price: €15 pp (duration: approx. 1h50).
• Day 3: "Mahabalipuram and its villages by bike" with an English-speaking expert: Mahabalipuram is well known for its architectural wonders and its beach but why not explore its villages? This fascinating bike ride takes you through rice fields, traditional farmer's huts, temples, and shepherds walking their cattle. You will visit a wood, stone and bronze carving centre where you can meet the craftsmen. This will give you a unique interaction with the local population. Last stop at a coconut grove where you will learn the traditional way to pick coconuts and get to taste fresh coconut water. Price: €67 pp (duration: approx. 2h).
• Day 11: "Walking in Cochin. From colonial Fort Cochin to today's Mattancherry" with an English-speaking expert: this walking tour specially created by our Cochin team opens your eyes to the minute details of the old town but also to the colourful atmosphere of Mattancherry, the other, less visited but equally worthwhile part of Fort Cochin. You start your walk by discovering Fort Cochin and its beautiful colonial buildings, its streets lined with numerous shops, its wide choice of restaurants, and its mythical Chinese tile nets (fishing nets). Then, after a rickshaw ride, you reach Mattancherry for an immersion in the different communities that make this place so attractive. You visit a local Gujarati dessert factory, then meet Greshma and her daughter Reshma who specialise in Mehandi (henna tattoos). Afterwards, immerse yourself in the Brahmins' alley, for an interaction with one of the families practising daily Kollam (daily ritual to protect the house from evil spirits). Price: €35 pp (duration: approx. 2h).
• Day 12: Appointment with Dr. Ansar in Cochin for foot therapy with a combination of reflexology and a traditional Marma therapy with a combination of acupressure. Price: €35 pp (duration: approx. 45 min.).

Good to know

If you are travelling alone, you will be asked to pay a surcharge for a single room. This additional charge will be automatically included in your quote.

Child rates will be applied for children from 2 to 12 years old in the case where the child shares the room with two adults. If the child is travelling with just one adult, the surcharge may be applied on an adult basis. If your child or children do not fit into the age group mentioned above, the rate will be communicated to you at the time of processing your order. If the room is equipped with a bunk bed, the bed height is not suitable for children under 6 years of age.

For safety reasons, the wellbeing facilities of most establishments are not accessible to children under 16 years old. Similarly, it is possible that some amenities or services require an additional charge or are unavailable for exceptional reasons.

Unless otherwise stated in the service description, activities and any additional services available at destination, are provided in the language of the destination country and in English.

The opening times and hours of the activities, restaurants and bars are provided as an indication only and may be subject to change. Contact the reception desk in order to be informed of any changes.

Appropriate dress is required. We remind you that gambling may involve risks of isolation, indebtedness, and dependency...

Any additional special requirements the traveller may request which are not included in the travel service description will be communicated to our service provider. Sending this information does not imply acceptance and PerfectStay.com cannot be held responsible for the fulfilment of these special requests. Only the service provider of PerfectStay.com can access this request on location and any additional costs may be paid locally by the traveller.

Unless expressly stated in the description of the services and accommodation, the hotel is not suitable for people with reduced mobility.

Transportation

Choose an offer and, according to your preferences, opt for a seat in economy, business or first class.

See the 'View flight info' section for details on each trip.

In order to best organise your time in the airport, we advise that you arrive 2 hours before boarding for a medium-haul flight, or 3 hours before boarding for a long-haul flight (more than 5 hours). Take advantage of your early arrival to pass through security and check your luggage.

You will be informed whether or not luggage is included at the time of your booking.

You will have the opportunity to add additional luggage for a fee.

There are several different cities that are typically offered as departure points. Your arrival destination will show in your travel documents.

Depending on the flight schedule, some arrivals or returns may be made at night with early arrival or late departure. You will not always be able to have your room available immediately and will need to refer to the check-in and check-out conditions of the hotel.

In the event that your transfer is not included in your hotel reservation, it may be offered at the time of your reservation as an additional option. Unless specifically mentioned, transfers may be made in groups of 15 to 55 people.

Important: the modification or the cancellation of a booking is only possible within the limits and including the fees outlined in our general conditions of sale.

Thank you for kindly taking note of the CO2 emissions produced by your means of transport: http://eco-calculateur.aviation-civile.gouv.fr

Formalities

The following details apply to any British citizen who, during a trip sold by PerfectStay goes to a foreign country. The following is a resource directing you to information related to your travel formalities (identification documents, vaccines, VISA, safety, travel advice, etc.), and may be subject to change. Please note that Brexit negotiations are likely to include travel document modifications, therefore please regularly check most updated information. Please see official resource for British citizens wishing to travel:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

The official UK Foreign Travel site has updates on safety and security, including incidents such as pickpocketing and robbery, along with larger incidents such as measuring the risk of terrorism.
Detailed country by country here:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

If you are travelling with minors, please be sure to verify whether or not you will require a consent: https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad

Please note that these details serve as a guiding resource in order to ensure that you have access to important information in order to pursue the necessary travel formalities required before travelling abroad with PerfectStay. Please note that PerfectStay will not engage in obtaining travel documents for you, such as visas, and you are solely responsible for knowing the potential health risks you may face in the course of your travels for which you may require vaccinations or medications. PerfectStay is not responsible for ensuring your travel formalities are properly undertaken and will only act as an intermediary directing you to resources which have been known to provide reliable information concerning travel formalities specific to British citizens.

VACCINE

For information concerning travel health requirements (vaccinations, health risks, etc.) please see the following resources:
https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/countries
https://www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/destinations.aspx
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations/

VISA

For the latest information on which travel documents (visas, passports, etc.) British citizens will require by destination, please see the following resources:
https://visacentral.co.uk/visa-quick-check
https://www.passportindex.org/comparebyPassport.php?p1=uk&fl=&s=yes
https://www.travisa.com/Visa_Search

IDENTITY

Please be sure to verify that your necessary Identification documents (passport and/or ID card dependent upon the country to which you will be travelling) have valid expiration dates, i.e. verify your ID documents have not yet expired. Also, be sure to remember to bring these necessary documents with you. It is also recommended to make copies of all travel documents in the event of an emergency.

Travel documents

Once your reservation has been made, you will receive a confirmation e-mail before your travel documents are sent.

Regarding the transport documents (in the case of a reservation with transport included), we will provide you with all the information relating to check-in and luggage in the "Your travel documents" email, allowing you to leave with peace of mind.

To take advantage of all your reserved services (hotels, transfers, activities, etc.), you will receive one or more exchange vouchers to be presented to each supplier.

The contact details of the establishment will be specified in these documents, to help make your arrival at your destination as straight-forward as possible.

✆ Any questions?

NEED HELP FINALISING YOUR BOOKING?

020 3318 2660
Everyday from 8am-8pm (Local rates apply)

From Abroad +44 20 3318 2660 International call rate