Day 1: Depart from origin. You can ask us to include international flights.
Day 2: Arrive at Cochin* – You are greeted at the airport by an Easy Tours Travel Facilitator or your Tour Director, and then ushered to a chauffeur driven vehicle. You are then driven to your hotel where you are assisted with your check in. The next day’s plans are briefly reviewed and the Travel Facilitator or Tour Director hands over your welcome package to you. Among other things, this package includes a beautiful handcrafted journal for your explorations, travel documents such as your air tickets and hotel vouchers, as well as copies of documents that were sent to you (such as our General Travel Guide) earlier.
* This itinerary can easily be altered to start from Delhi or elsewhere in India.
Day 3: Cochin. Start your exploration of the fascinating port city of Cochin and marvel in its culture and architecture, a result of centuries of various European influences combined with rich indigenous history. The tour begins from the Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays and Saturdays), which was built in 1568 and is still an active house of worship for the few remaining Jews in the area. If the synagogue is closed on this day the visit can be facilitated on the day before or the day after. Next to the synagogue is Cochin’s ancient and colorful Jew Street with its antique stores and souvenir peddlers. There is evidence of a Jewish presence in Kochi from 70 AD. After the synagogue you visit the St. Francis Church, which was established by the Portuguese Franciscan friars in 1503. This is one of the first European churches built in India and the famed Vasco Da Gama was buried in its courtyard for a few years before his remains were returned to Portugal.
You now visit the most photogenic of Cochin’s attractions, the Chinese fishing nets. Folklore will have it that these enormous nets (or at least their design) were brought here by famed Chinese Explorer Zhang He about 600 years ago. Local fishermen manipulate these massive nets with an ease that comes from centuries of practice – it is a vocation handed down by generations. The lowering and raising of the nets has a synchronicity and rhythm that is quite an amazing experience. Some of the nets are more than a century old as the fishermen patch them up and keep going. Finish your exploration with a short guided walk through Fort Kochi and experience the unique local culture and architecture – Fort Kochi is one of India’s best cities to explore on foot. You will be driven to your hotel after your walk.
Evening – An Easy Tours facilitator will pick you up from your hotel and accompany you to a local theatre where you get to experience Kerala’s ancient performing art, a Kathakali dance performance. Kathakali literally means the art of storytelling through dance and the dance form is an ancient forefather of many Asian dance forms.
After the dance performance you are driven to an experience that is the highlight of many of our guests’ time in Kerala. You will be hosted by a famous Keralan Chef and her family at their home. A delicious dinner will follow, and cooking lessons are included. At the end of dinner you will be driven back to your hotel.
Day 4: Cochin – Backwaters cruise. You are assisted with your check-out by an Easy Tours Travel Facilitator and driven to the backwaters. If the previous day was a Saturday, you can visit the Jewish Synagogue on your way to the backwaters. Proceed on the drive to Alleppey in the morning & board your houseboat.
Take our word for this, your backwaters cruise will very likely become one of your most treasured travel memories. The incredible lushness of the vegetation around the fresh water canals, rivulets and lakes, the beauty of the water bodies themselves and the abundance of coconut trees and other exotic plants create a subtropical environment not found elsewhere on this planet. When you combine this with the opportunity to be part of a unique way of life (while being cocooned in luxury) that hasn’t changed much for a few centuries, it results in most visitors’ second highest rated experience in India (after the Taj Mahal). Relax and have a great time till the next morning as you cruise the amazing backwaters. The cook and other staff make sure that all your needs are taken care of, while serving you with delicious Kerala cuisine. You have the option of taking shore excursions at one or two of the tiny rural communities as you cruise by – the locals are very friendly and communicative.
Day 5: Backwaters – Mahabalipuram. Disembark from your houseboat in the morning and embark on your drive to Cochin airport to board the afternoon flight to Chennai.
Upon your arrival at Chennai you are greeted at the airport by Easy Tours Travel Facilitator, and then ushered to a waiting vehicle and your chauffeur. You are driven to your hotel in nearby Mahabalipuram where you are assisted with your check in.
Day 6: Mahabalipuram. Start your day with a guided exploration of the ancient port of Mahabalipuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This laid back coastal town south of Chennai is world famous for its 8th century shore temple & other historical marvels.
Mahabalipuram was the second capital of the Pallava Kings of Kanchipuram, the first Tamil dynasty after the fall of the Gupta Empire. The massive rock sculptures carved into softly sloping hills, monolithic temples, ancient manmade caverns with incredible sculptures, and the world’s largest bas-relief in stone, all combine to make Mahabalipuram a living museum. Vying with this splendor is a beach and the picturesque Bay of Bengal. The famous Pancha Rathas (Five Chariots) Temples, the Penance of Bhagirath (also known as Arjuna’s Penance), the Shore Temple, the massive bas-relief Descent of the Ganges and the eight Mandapams (Shallow halls carved out of sheer rock) are all located within the small coastal community. A captivating sight can be experienced from the beach twice a day as the local fisherman head out in their colorful fishing boats early in the morning and then again when they return in the afternoon with their catch.
Late afternoon – you are at leisure to explore the surroundings on your own or you can relax at your ocean front resort.
Day 7: Mahabalipuram. Enjoy a guided excursion to
Kanchipuram and Chennai. The ancient holy city of Kanchipuram is known as the ‘golden city of a thousand temples’ and is one of the seven sacred cities of India. Its many Gopurams (temple domes) can be seen from a long ways away as you approach the city. Kanchipuram’s history can be traced back for about three millennia, and it was successively the capital of many South Indian dynasties. It was a great center of learning and great sages of the Buddhist and Jain faith originated here. The largest enterprise in this city is silk weaving and Kanchi silk sarees are considered to be the finest on the planet – a visit to a silk weaving family’s home is part of the tour.
After touring Kanchipuram you will drive to Chennai so as to experience India’s third largest city. The tour of Chennai begins from St. Mary’s Church (built in 1678 – 80); this was the first English Church in Chennai. After the church you continue on to visit the Saint Thomas Cathedral (originally built in 1504, then re-built in neo-gothic style in 1893), this Roman Catholic Church is said to house the remains of St. Thomas the Apostle. After the cathedral you visit the National Art Gallery & Museum and explore the beautiful temple friezes, the bronze gallery, and the Archaeological section. Finish your exploration of Chennai with a drive by the High Court, Fort St. George, and the popular Tamil film studios that put out hundreds of movies every year.
Return to your resort in nearby Mahabalipuram at the end of the day.
Day 8: Mahabalipuram – International Flight (OR Mumbai/Delhi). You are assisted with your check-out by an Easy Tours Travel Facilitator and then driven to the Chennai airport. Board your international flight or your flight to Mumbai / Delhi. If you are doing the latter, upon your arrival at Mumbai / Delhi you are greeted at the airport by an Easy Tours Facilitator & your chauffeur. If you are doing this visit as part of an ultra small group, you are provided with personal vehicles for each single traveler / couple / family traveling together. This is a good time to do some last minute shopping and / or sightseeing if you are so inclined.
Your vehicle and chauffeur stay with you until your (usually late evening) assisted check in at the airport. If your flight departs early in the morning you may want us to arrange a room for you so you can rest.
Our services end at Chennai / Mumbai / Delhi airport.
Day 9: Arrive at your next destination.
