South India - "Ancient Cultures"

13th of October 2010 - 25th of October 2010 On our fifteen day round trip across South India we will visit ancient temple towns and ruins, witnesses of a forgotten sophisticated civilisation. Experience culture like the traditional Kathakali dance and the breathtaking variety of South Indias nature.

TOUR PLAN

Karnataka

Day 1:

Arrival in Bangalore and Check-In into the Hotel

Day 2:

On the next morning will travel to Mysore. On the way we will visit the temple of Sri Ranganath, Vishnu, in Sri Rangapatnam. After the check in and the lunch we are going to visit the temple of Chamundeshwari, a local goddess of protection, which is situated on the Chamundi Hills, in the middle of a beautiful landscape. In the afternoon we will visit the city palace of Tipu Sultan and on our way back to Bangalore we will enjoy the fantastic Brindavan Gardens with it´s Musical Fountain.

Day 3:

We will visit the Bull Temple, which was constructed solely for the bull Nandi, Shivas animal mount. There is one of the biggest idols of Nandi, about 4,60 meters high and carved from a single rock of granite. Next to it the Dodda Ganesha Temple is situated. In the afternoon there is free time for shopping and in the evening we will travel overnight by train to Hospet.

Day 4:

From Hospet we will go to Hampi. Since 1986 Hampi is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it was the capital of the Hindu kingdom Vijayanagar from 1343 to 1564. At that time Hampi had more than 200.000 inhabitants. In the evening we will return to Hospet and travel overnight by train to Bangalore.

Tamil Nadu

Day 5:

local flight from Bangalore to Chennai (Madras) city tour and free time

Day 6:

From Chennai we will travel to the ruins of the erstwhile port city Mahabalipuram which blossomed in the 7th century under the rule of the Pallava dynasty. The remnants of Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) belong to the UNESCO World Heritage. In the evening we continue our tour going to Chidambaram.

Day 7:

On the next morning we will visit the temple of Shiva Nataraj. Nataraj is a name of the dancing Shiva, when the dark blaze of destruction erupts from his third eye and he finishes the world with his dance before it is created once again. In the afternoon we will tour on boat through the famous mangrove forest.

Day 8:

In the next morning we will head towards Madurai and enjoy the breathtaking variety of South India´s nature.

Day 9:

The 2500 years old city of Madurai constructed concentrically around the Meenakshi Temple which we will visit first. Afterwards we will walk through the impressive palace of the hindu king Thirumalai Nayakar and then visit the Kudal Azhagar Koil Vishnu Temple.

Kerala

Day 10:

Early in the morning we will travel across the picturesque Kerala to the Periyar National Park. There we will take part in a boat tour on the Periyar Lake and in the afternoon we will visit "Spice Paradise Garden", where we can learn a lot about cultivation and processing of spices.

Day 11:

In the morning we will set out for a beautiful hike through the unique Periyar National Park with it´s astonishing variety of wildlife. After the lunch we will travel to Alappuzha.

Day 12:

Alappuzha (Alleppey) is well known as the "Venice of the East". The city is the famous hub for boat tours on Keralas backwaters. These are a complex system of water canals connecting Kerala´s 44 rivers and we will relax on houseboats (the so-called "Kettuvallams") the whole afternoon and enjoy an insight into the local people´s life.

Day 13:

In the morning we will go to Kochi. In the evening we will enjoy a phantastic performance of the Kathakali Dance which has a centuries old tradition. Afterwards or in the next morning we will go to Kanyakumari.

Day 14:

Kanyakumari is situated at the southern end of India. There we will walk across the aqueduct which is one of the highest and longest of Asia and enjoy a gorgeous view. Afterwards we will visit cape and there the statue of the great hindu saint Thiruvalluvar who lived about 2000 years ago as well as the Suchindram temple.

Day 15:

Local flight from Thiruvanantapuram to Bangalore and from there flight back home For those who like we offer the opportunity to stay in an ayurvedic spa for three days of fantastic wellness treatment. Besides this the spa offers yoga, meditation, massages, shirodhara and an excellent health consultation. Tour Gallery Karnataka The first four days of our tour across South India we will spend in the federal state of Karnataka and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site Hampi, which once was the blossoming capital of the hindu kingdom Vijayanagar. Also we will visit the city of Mysore, which is well known for Sri Rangapatnam, a temple town close to the city, and paintings, it´s cuisine, silk saris as well as sophisticated products made from sandal wood. Around Mysore there are the picturesque Chamundi Hills. Tamil Nadu The following five days of our round trip across South India are fully dedicated to the cultural heritage of India´s ancient vedic civilisation. We will visit millennia old temples and cities. In some of these temples the fire of sacrifice burns for many centuries without interruption. Kerala In the last six days we travel across the state of Kerala. In this part of our tour we will experience the centuries old tradition of god worshipping dances such as Kathakali. We will enjoy breathtaking nature and the simplicity of the local life in the backwaters near Alappuzha as well as the picturesque Periyar National Park.