Tour Highlights
Trivendrum	Padmanabha Swami Temple, Shri Chitra Art Gallery & the Museum
Kovalam	Beaches
Alleppey	Houseboat
Kumarakom	Backwaters & Bird Sanctuary
Cochin	St. Francis' Church, Dutch Palace (Built by Portuguese), Jewish Synagogue, spice market, Chinese fishing nets & Kathakali Dance Show

Detailed Itinerary

Day 01 : Arrive Trivendrum Trivendrum – Kovalam (16 kms- 30 minutes)

Arrive Trivendrum, after a traditional 'Swagat' (Welcome) our representative would assist you at the airport.

Later we drive to Kovalam, an internationally renowned beach with three adjacent crescent beaches. It has been a favourite haunt of tourists, especially Europeans, since the 1930s. A massive rocky promontory on the beach has created a beautiful bay of calm waters ideal for sea bathing. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse-sunbathing, swimming, herbal body toning massages, special cultural programs, Catamaran cruising, etc. The tropical sun acts so fast that one can see the faint blush of coppery tan on the skin in a matter of minutes. Life on the beach begins late in the day and carries on well into the night. Overnight Hotel – Kovalam (B)

Day 02 : Excursion to Trivendrum

Today we take an excursion to Trivandrum, an ancient city with traditions dating back to 1000 BC. It was a trading post for spices like the rest of ancient Kerala. However the ancient political & cultural history of the city was almost entirely independent from that of the rest of Kerala. The early rulers of the city were the Ays. With their fall in the 10th century, the city was taken over by the rulers of Venad. Thiru-v-anantha-puram is a three syllable name meaning the abode of the sacred Snake God ‘Anantha’. Lord Vishnu of the ancient Indian mythology rests on this huge serpent.

 

Here we visit the Padmanabha Swami Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and held sacred by the Hindus since ages. The temple has a large complex with a huge Gopuram. It has a tank besides it for ritual bathing. Next we visit the Museum, situated north of the city. It displays an eclectic assortment of historical & contemporary ornaments, temple carts, ivory carvings & life-size figures of Kathakali dancers in full costume. It has a famous collection of 8th-18th century south Indian bronze artifacts. Also visit Sri Chittira Art Gallery, an excellent collection of Indian art with examples from early to modern schools. Paintings by Raja Ravi Varma and works from Mughal & Rajput miniature paintings & Tanjore paintings embellished with semi- precious stones are displayed here.

Overnight Hotel – Kovalam

Day 03 : Kovalam – Alleppy (175 kms – 5 hr) Alleppy – Kumarakom (houseboat)

Today morning after breakfast Proceed to Alleppey, Known as the Venice of the East. On arrival check into a traditional Houseboat of Kerala Style. Cruise through the back waters is the fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauty of the backwaters. Overnight Luxury Houseboat (B,L,D)

Day 04 : Arrive Kumarkaom

Morning after breakfast we disembark the houseboat in Kumarakom. It is a cluster of little islands, on the Vembanad Lake in Kerala. Kuttanad, the 'Wonder Land' believed to have been lying below the sea level, sprang out into the marshes when the sea receded later. Kumarakom, the land of lakes, canals and paddy fields, gives you sheer ecstasy. Holiday on the houseboats, traditional Kettuvallam, are an out-of-this-world experience. Furthermore Vembanad Lake is home to several types of marine life exclusively the Karimeen (Pearl Spotted Fish), Chemeen (Prawns) & Konju (Tiger Prawns). Overnight Hotel – Kumarakom (B)

Day 05 : Kumarkaom

The day at leisure to relax and enjoy the facilities at the hotel. You can also visit Kumarakom Bird sanctuary. There are two seasons for birds: between October & February there are cormorants, teals, & other ducks & from February to July there are darters (snake birds), night herons, egrets, & Siberian storks. It also has golden backed woodpecker, crow pheasant, white-breasted water hen, tree pie. Overnight Hotel – Kumarakom

Day 06 : Kumarakom – Cochin (75 kms – 2 hr)

Today we drive to Cochin always had a very popular & historical sea trade connection with Middle East, Mediterranean Europe & Dutch. It has one of the finest natural harbours on the Arabian coastline. Its cosmopolitan character is reflected in the buildings & structures representing different regions of the world.

In the evening enjoy Kerala’s most popular classical dance, Kathakali. Overnight Hotel – Cochin (B)

Day 07 : Cochin

Today we visit St. Francis Church, which is the oldest European Church in India. Visit the Jewish Synagogue, built in the year 1568 and magnificently decorated by Chinese tiles & Belgian chandeliers. Giant scrolls of the Old Testament can be found here. Also visit the spice market, where the air is filled with the pungent smell of spices & history that brought the world to its doorstep. Chinese fishing nets, (Cheenavala) are distinctly unique to Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here. Overnight Hotel – Cochin (B)

Day 08 : Cochin – Departure

Today we will transfer you to Cochin airport to board flight for onward Journey.

Tour concludes. Caper assists you with your transfer to the airport for boarding onward flight, thanks you for your patronage and looks forward to serving you again in the near future.