Southern India

Fly to Mysore, India ; Meet Edutrips Representative at baggage claim & our coach bus will transfer you to your hotel. Later today you’ll visit the immense palace of Mysore to gaze in awe at the huge silver doors and lavishly decorated rooms of marble and gold. You’ll also visit the Chamumdi Hill Temple. The temple is perched on a hilltop at 1062 metres and offers some spectacular views over the city.

Today you’ll head for Mudumalai National Park, a 3-hour drive from Mysore. The park is home to the largest population of elephants in India and you might also come across deer, monkeys, honey bears, giant squirrels and even tigers. Otters and crocodiles inhabit the Moyar River that runs through the park. Mudumalai Park lies at the foot of the Nilgiris mountain range and borders the Bandipur, Nagarahole and Wayanad reserves. You will spend the evening on a jeep tour in search of wild elephants.

Today you’ll drive across the green tea plantations and palm valleys of the Wayanad hills. All across the tea fields you can see the brightly coloured saris of the tea pickers, and big baskets filled with freshly picked tea leaves waiting to be picked up by the side of the road. You’ll be stopping off at a plantation to see the whole tea production process and even have a go at tea-picking yourself.

After breakfast we you take the train to Cochin, a quaint coastal town with heavy Portuguese and Dutch influences. You will spend the next two days visiting Cochin the largest city in Kerala and an important seaport for trade in gold, textiles and fish. Down by the water, you can see the legendary Chinese fishing nets in action – incredible wooden structures that are used to catch fish even to this day. Cochin also used to have a lively trade in spices, and the spice market here is still one of the best in Kerala. In the evening,why not visit a traditional Keralan Kathakali dance show. Kathakali literally means ‘played story’ and is characterized by very colorful make-up, dancing, dress and music.

Today you will spend the day in Periyar National Park. Here you’ll embark on a walking tour in the park. There will be plenty of opportunities to spot birds, butterflies and with a bit of luck, other wildlife. The park is home to several types of deer, otters, bison, monkeys and even wild bears.

Today you’ll leave Thekkady for Alleppey, the center of the backwaters that the locals fondly refer to as the ‘Venice of the East’. You will spend the next two days on a houseboat exploring the labyrinth of tiny canals. The waterways are fringed by palms on all sides and everywhere you’ll see people working the land, waving cheerfully as you sail by. Along the way, you’ll pass various villages, hidden temples, churches and traditional boats. If you're lucky, you might catch a local boat race in action, with dozens of brightly clothed rowers.

Today you will depart for Maduri. The history of Madurai dates back over 2500 years. The city is without a doubt the most spectacular temple city in Tamil Nadu, but it’s still surprisingly undiscovered by tourists. The Meenakshi Temple, from the 12th century has four towers each intricately decorated with thousands of colored figures. You’ll see many Brahmas and pilgrims repeating mantras and kneeling before the holy shrines. Don’t miss the five famous musical pillars and if you knock on them, they each produce a different sound.

Today you will catch a flight to Mysore & then connect with your flight home.