Kerela tourism is renowned for its ancient heritage of herbal Ayurveda treatments, so enhance your experience with a herbal engagement at one of its world-renowned Ayurveda spas.Ayurveda or the science of life is a 5000-year-old Indian tradition of healing. It deals with natural ways to refresh and rejuvenate the mind, body, and soul by eliminating toxic imbalances using natural herbs and oils. Kerala is supreme in this art and offers two kinds of Ayurveda holidays: rejuvenation and therapeutic.
There are over a dozen forms of massages one can opt for, depending on one’s need, which range from an hour for one day to many hours a day for many weeks. One such is Pizhichil, where lukewarm herbal oils are applied all over the body by two to four trained therapists in a special rhythmic way continuously for about 60 to 90 minutes in a day for a period of 7 to 21 days. The massage is carried out on a special table made from a single piece of Strychnos nux-vomica wood and is very useful in curing arthritis, paralysis, hemiplegia, agitanus, and nervous disorders. However, Ayurvedic massages are not only for curing disorders; they also help in overall mental and physical well-being. So, get fit while holidaying …
Itinerary Day 1. Arrival Delhi
Arrive in Delhi. The driver will be waiting with a placard to receive you at the airport.
Transfer to the Hotel, check in and relax. After breakfast start your full day Delhi sightseeing at 9.00 A.M
A full day tour showing you the Historical monuments of the city.
9.00 A.M You will be picked up from your Hotel and driven to the Red Fort built by the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1648, as he moved his capital from Agra to Delhi after the death of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Drive through the narrow lanes of Chandni Chowk and get a feel of “Old Delhi”. See the most famous and the biggest mosque in India, the Jama Masjid, which was also built by Shah Jahan in 1650.
On the way back to New Delhi visit Raj Ghat, the memorial built for Mahatma Gandhi who was assassinated by a fanatic on 30th January 1948.
Here there will be a break for one hour when you will be taken to a fine Indian Restaurant for lunch.
Drive through India Gate, the All India War Memorial built after the 1st World War in memory of 90,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the war, Rashtrapati Bhawan (the Presidential house), Parliament house.
Post lunch we will take you to the World Heritage site Humayun’sTomb, which was built by Humayun’s widow Hamida Banu, in the memory of her husband and after nine years of his death. It is also believed that this site was an inspiration for the famous Taj Mahal.
From here drive on to the highest Minar (tower) in Delhi known as Qutub Minar. This Minar was built to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Ghori over the Rajputs in 1192 A.D, by his viceroy Qutub-ud-din Aibak, and it became a symbol of the military might of the Turko-Afghan Slave dynasty, and the pole of justice and Islam.
Return to the Hotel Relax. Overnight at the Hotel
Day 2. Delhi - Cochin
Early morning check out from the hotel. Transfer to the airport to board your flight to Cochin. Upon arrival you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Check into the hotel.In Cochin or Kochi dawn is not often a thing of breathtaking beauty, but just a careless smear of tinted light where sea and sky unite. Daybreak is full of indeterminate promise. A slow lividness at the mist-obscured harbor mouth meets the swelling untamed surge of the ocean. Cargo-laden barges and vallams or country boats move, ponderously slow, over the sprawling vastness of the Vembanad Kayal, Kerala’s largest lake that spreads full bosomed and silver gray in the sultry sun. Arrival at Cochin airport and transfer to your hotel for overnight stay. Rest of the day at leisure.
Day 3. Cochin
Whole day to sightsee in Cochin including the Dutch Palace - Also known as the Mattancherry palace with its medieval charm is situated at Palace Road, Mattancherry,, Jewtown , Santa Cruz Basilica - This is a Roman Catholic place of worship that celebrated five centuries of existence only recently in 2004. This old church boasts a most impressive history , and St.FrancisChurch- was the first European Church to be built in India..
Overnight at your hotel.
Day 4. Cochin
Day to relax or a daytrip to the Elephant Sanctuary - The elephant sanctuary, the only one of its kind in the world, 3kms north of Guruvayoor is home to around 50 elephants. The sanctuary is at Punnathur Kotta, which used to be the palace of the Punnathur rajas (kings). and Kathakali School It is Kerala's very own, much celebrated dance drama. Kathakali evolved in the 8th century from 'Ramanattam' a dance drama created by Kottarakkara Thampuran, a great admirer and promoter of traditional art forms. Kathakali draws its theme from the wealth of Indian mythology and folklore. The performer is assisted by vocal and percussion accompaniments. Expressions of face and eyes hold the key to perfection. Kathakali ranks high among the Indian dance forms. Noted for its archaic costumes, weird make up, the elaborately painted faces often mistaken for masks and grand headgears, Kathakali is perhaps the only dance form in India in which the masculine aspect of the dance is preserved in its elemental vigor.. Evening free with overnight stay at your hotel in Cochin.
Day 5. Cochin - Thekkady
Morning drive on up through tea, coffee and spice plantations to the Nilgiri Hills and Thekkady. The pride of Kerela and a testimony to nature's splendour and human innovation, the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on the banks of the Periyar lake - an artificial lake, at Thekkady. The drive to Thekkady itself is enchanting as the road winds through tranquil countryside, rich plantations & thick jungles. The sanctuary, 190 km from Cochin and 114 kms away from Kottayam is open throughout the year , but the best season is from September to March.If you have the time visit Murikkady (5 km from Thekkady) Washed in fresh spice scented air, Murikkady is a panorama of cardamom, coffee and pepper plantations, or a boat ride on lake periyar.Overnight at your hotel in Thekkady.
Day 6. Thekkady - Kumarakom
Drive down to the coastal region and reach to your lagoon hotel by car. When nature is all you need to recuperate, Kumarakom is undoubtedly the most invigorating, fascinating paradise in Kerala, God's own country. The slender coconut palms standing here, there and everywhere, its never ending paddy fields, meandering lagoons and backwaters, mangroves nesting birds of a hundred varieties can peacefully calm and invigorate your mind with renewed inspiration for your vocation and life. That is the pristine beauty of Kumarakom. Here most stays will be in traditional style Keralan houses.
Evening cruise on Lake Vembanad in a rice boat
accompanied by a flute player. Overnight at your hotel
Morning cruise down the backwaters. Afternoon free to relax or try an Ayurvedic massage The perfect place for discovering the benefits of Ayurveda, Kumarakom is blessed with a well-balanced tropical climate, which makes the region rich in medicinal herbs and oils. Ayurveda is an age-old medical practice that heals the soul, mind and the body of all afflictions and invigorates you completely.
Day 7. Kumarakom
After breakfast take the launch or speedboat across the lake to reach the Arabian Sea and the coastal resorts. Unspoiled beaches and coconut groves await you here. Three days to relax and a possibility to try some Ayurvedic treatment and / or a massage at the Ayurvedic Centre. Marari originates from " Mararikulam ", one of the local fishing villages.Here life still goes on much as it did a hundred years ago, with the men going out to sea each day to earn a living bringing in the daily catch. Marari offers endless miles of superb sand beaches.The tourists can experience the local charm and traditional Kerala Hospitality at its best. The village of Mararikulam in Alleppey District, Kerala, is tucked away behind a line of dense palms that rise like a sudden rampart of green out of the sands. Like all villages, it has evolved naturally, in picturesque disorder
Day 8. Marari Beach
At your hotel / resort on the beach at leisure. A popular feature of the Marari experience is the Ayurveda centre. While it is fully equipped for complete treatments of illnesses (these take a week, at the very least), you may need little more than a relaxing oil or herbal massage, perfect for draining away the last residues of urban stress. The open-air yoga classes will have the same effect. These are held at sunrise and sunset, with a qualified master in attendance.
Day 9. Marari Beach
Day at leisure for you to explore the beach and the near by fishing village.
Day 10. Marari -Cochin
After a rejuvenating holiday, check out from the resort. You will be taken by car to the airport in time for your onward destination
