Vanakkam Madurai (Namaste India walking tour)
Duration :2 hours
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15 Days |
IOYO - 50
South India is vibrant, contrary to the hushed peaks of Himalayas. Its lush greens, feral beaches, rock-cut temples, and intense wildlife welcome tourists into the land of wildness. If you want to escape and unwind in lunatic waves in this holiday, opt for paramount South India beach tours! Busy schedules and hectic lifestyle, often, steals the leisure hours. And, now that you have the chance to relax with your friends and family, plan for a beach holiday. South India opens a variety of beaches – some are fierce, whereas, others offer tranquility. Also, South India temples and wildlife has always been a fascinating destination for tourists across the world.
From Chennai- the heartland of Tamilnadu, we take you to the city of ‘Seven Pagodas’, universal town – Auroville, French quarters – Ville Blanche and Ville Noire, Vairavan Kovili temple, and scores of other places ending the journey with the scenic Mararikulam beach village.
In our South India beach tours, we provide every single necessity from accommodation to sightseeing. It’s a 15 days package that entails breakfast along with lodging. You are going to hop from one spot to the other in our comfy, air-conditioned vehicles.
Road trip to Mahabalipuram
Exploring the serene Puducherry
A visit to the city of Rameshwaram
Engrossing in the jungles of Munnar
Absorbing the beauty of Alleppey
On the first day, on your arrival in Chennai, you are going to leave for the city of ‘Seven Pagodas’ from the capital city of Tamil Nadu. This two-hour journey is an excellent way of relaxing and reconnecting with your inner self. Away from the bustles of the city, even the small inconveniences, on the way, become a memory.
Mamallapattana (another name for Mahabalipuram), the historic town, is delineated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Back in the 7th and 9th century, this place has been a renowned seaport of the Pallavas. Most of the shrines here portray distinct events from Mahabharata.
Passing amid the enthralling beauty of South India, the afternoon tour takes you through the rock-cut Varaha Cave temple, Krishna Mandapams, Pancha Rathas and other ruins from the Pallava dynasty. Here you can see the world’s largest base air relief, Arjuna’s Penance, with full-size image carvings on the rock wall. You must visit the Shore Temple, the oldest twin structure of South India. It is one of the Seven Pagodas, the other sixes have been destroyed long before.
Highlights: Mamallapuram - Visit the Shore Temple, The bas relief Arjuna's Penance & The five chariots.
The next morning, we are going to drive you from Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry. The beginning may strike you with a petite fish market, crowded with fishmongers bringing in the catch of the day. Passing by that site, you may see traces of Tsunami laden areas. Moving a bit while turning the entire view. Then, start the panorama of beautiful empty roads with deep blue Ocean and paddy fields, on either side, traveling by, constantly.
Halfway through the ride, a salt span comes into vision. Here, the sea water once evaporated to produce salts. Now, it is the favorite spot of the Flamingos, Eurasian Roller, and Kingfishers. They come over to get the teen-tiny brine shrimps. Engulfed in eternal beauty, you reach the destination – Pondicherry.
As per the package, it is an overnight stay in Pondicherry, so, you have enough time to enjoy the serenity of this place. The calmer seas and quiet, placid woods enhance its aura. Pondicherry has some of the astounding beaches of the world. Promenade beach, Paradise beach, Auroville beach, and Serenity beach are the ones to be named, though there are more. On sitting by the shores and listening to the relaxing sound of waves, you may spend the entire evening without a hint of boredom.
Once a French colony, in 1674, now has the most well-preserved monuments and heritage buildings. Typically, it is broken into Indian quarters ‘Ville Noir’ and French quarters ‘Ville Blanche. It seems the churches, temples, buildings, and statues, till today, hold the colonial ambiance.
Auroville is another grand attraction in Pondicherry. The universal township is known to bring human unity in South India. Based on the vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, Auroville is built for men and women of every caste, to live peacefully with progressive harmony.
Highlights: Pondicherry - visit the French Quarters, Sri Aurobindo Ashram & Lord Ganesha Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple.
On the next dawn, you are going to set off for Thanjavur, commonly referred to as Tanjore. Once, this place had happened to be the capital city of the Chola dynasty. It is now famous for Tanjore paintings and reflects many incidents from the Chola period. Also, this land holds the origin of Bharatanatyam, one of the oldest classical dance forms.
Tanjore is an important center for art, architecture, and religion. Your sightseeing entails a number of temples, built up in the Chola period like Great Living Chole Temples, Thanjai Mamani Koil, Ajyarappar temple and others. Besides, we are also going to take you for a visit to Saraswathi Mahal Library, the oldest library in Asia, and Thanjavur Maratha Palace, a royal residence. In seasons, you can see full-grown rice fields spreading all over – Rice Bowl of Tamilnadu.
Highlights: Tanjore - visit the Brihadeeswarar Shiva Temple, Thanjavur Maratha Palace, Saraswati Mahal Library and the Raja Raja Chola art gallery.
The fifth day of your tour is going to start with a bit of Thanjavur sightseeing. In the early morning, you need to set off for the Brihadeeswara Shiva Temple. It is again a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple walls are beautifully painted and it is crowned with the Monolithic Cupola. The sight is indeed an enthralling one for the tourists visiting there. From there, it is a straight drive to Raja Raja Chola Art Gallery that has a huge collection of bronze and stone idols, dating back to the 12th century AD.
Now that you are done with the remaining sightseeing, it’s time to get excited about the next destination. Chettinad is next on the list another beautiful destination from our list of South India temples and wildlife tours.
Highlights: Visit Chettinad.
According to the trip chart, it’s an overnight stay in Chettinad. The next morning sees into the nearby villages. It is more like leisurely trailing across the lush greeneries while enjoying the picturesque beauty of the countryside.
You must try the original cuisine of Chettinad during your stay. It is quite famous for its aroma and spice. By the time, you are almost done with your Chettinad visit, so, set off for Rameswaram in the day’s light. It is another beautiful roadway in the list with striking scenery all along till Rameshwaram. It is an overnight stay in that location.
Full of history, Rameshwaram is called as the holiest place for Hindus. Here, you get a full free day to discover the place. Serenity is at another level when you have come down to Rameshwaram. The premium attraction here is the Adam’s Bridge or the Rama Setu – a debatable historic destination for the underlying story. People believe that Rama had built this Setu to connect Rameshwaram island with Srilanka with a motive to save his wife, Sita.
Other tourist spots, here, include Ramanathaswamy temple, Jada Tirtham, Dhanushkodi temple, Gandhamadhana Parvatham and many more. Another must-visit is the 12 Jyotirlingas and the 64- Tirthas. Since you have the entire day in your hand, you may go for an evening trail in the beaches.
Highlights: Visit the Temples of Rameshwaram.
On the next morning, we will transfer you by road to the next destination, Madurai. It is one of the oldest living cities in the world. The name of the place has been derived from the term ‘Madhura’ meaning sweetness. If you are lucky enough, you may visit the land on their 10-day annual festival, Chittirai.
Visit the Rani Mangamma’s palace which is now transferred to Gandhi Memorial Museum. It houses Mahatma Gandhi’s bloodstained cloth that he has been wearing at the time of assassination.
The afternoon tour entails the Meenakshi Temple which was a recent entry in the nominee list for the Seven Wonders of the World. Besides, you must visit the Tirumala Nayak Palace, Alagar Hills, and Tirupara Kundran Rock Temple. As you are tired by the time, it is an overnight rest in Madurai. Enjoy their food, talk to the people and get acquainted with their tradition and culture.
Highlights: Madurai - Visit Meenakshi Temple, Tirumala Nayak Palace, Alagar Hills and Tirupara Kundran Rock temple.
Now that you are rich with the Madurai experiences, it is time for a shift to Munnar. The road that leads to Munnar offers an ecstatic view giving a hint to the upcoming destination. It seems like the sky is in harmony with the fields and hills following by. The weather changes with the altitude spreading utmost relief among the tourists.
Munnar, for a long time, has been a The reason is the calmness that prevails in the atmosphere. Needless to say, such a beautiful place happens to make you fall in love, more. After a few hours’ drives, you reach the destination.
This hill station is called the ‘Queen of South’ for its beautiful scenic and cozy weather. The word ‘Munnar’ came from the names of three rivers – Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni, and Kundaly Rivers. Munnar is situated on the Kanan Devan Hills and once a summer retreat for the British. Here you can soothe your eyes on watching the long green tea plantations on the steps of the hills. Chithirapuram, in Munnar, is famous for its tea plantation.
The place is surrounded with countless wildlife sanctuaries that are shelters for elephants, gaur, grizzled giant squirrel, Nilgiri langur, Sambar, and various other animals. Convention says, once you are in Munnar, you may not feel the urge for the next destination. So, it’s a night stay in Munnar.
Highlights: Visit Munnar.
On the eleventh day morning, you are going to visit Periyar National Park. This place is commonly known as Thekkady. Now that you have been traveling in the tail of India for ten days, you have a good idea of the scenic roadways. Everywhere it is green without traces of pollution. But, each one is different from the other as with a new turn comes up a new surprise.
By the afternoon, you happen to reach the destination. This place is famous as a Tiger and Elephant Reserve and also, shelters numerous wildlife animals like Wild Boar, Leopard, Sambar, wild dogs, monkeys and many more. Periyar offers an abundance of distinct unknown plants and birds. Also, you may opt for a boat ride in the Periyar Lake with a hope to watch the distinct animals. If time permits, you can also go for a soft trek to the neighboring areas.
Highlights: Periyar - Boat ride (common boat) on the lake Periyar to watch the wildlife.
On the dawn break, you have to set off for Alappuzha by road. This place, commonly known as Alleppey is a pretty attractive town in South India. The Venice of East is crisscrossed with several canals, and offers lovely backwaters, beaches, and lagoons. To craft an unforgettable experience, you must go for a cruise ride in the backwaters.
Kuttanad is another beautiful place in this location that offers lush green coconut palms and continuous paddy fields. It is called the Rice Bowl of Kerala. This is one among the few places in the world where rice is cultivated below the sea level. It is an overnight stay in Alleppey.
The thirteenth day in the tour package is for trailing across the Alleppey. It is a network of large lakes and small canals fed by rivers. It has formed due to the shore currents and waves of the waters creating low barrier islands. You must board a boathouse in the backwaters to enjoy the charm of kuttevallam, spending a night on the backwaters. Enjoy the food cooked by the staff while watching the night sky and twinkling stars.
Highlights: Visit Alleppey.
Drive to Marari. Marari beach is the main attraction in Mararikulam, a beach village in South India. It is one of the finest destinations in the South for its wilderness blended with tranquility. As per the National Geographic survey, it is one of the top five hammock beaches. Staying for the night is important in this village to enrich yourself with nature’s fanatics.
Highlights: Relax at the beach.
It is the last day in your South India till the time you come back. On this day, you are transferred from Mararikulam to Kochi airport. Here comes the end of your South India beach tours.
End of your Tamil Nadu Kerala tour package. We hope you enjoyed your trip with one of the best travel agencies in Delhi, Services International private limited. We wish to see again to explore some other parts of India.
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