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Kite Festival,
Jaipur , Jodhpur

15 January 2015

On January 14 every year, we celebrate Makar Sankranti. It is the only Indian festival celebrated on a fixed calendric day of the solar calendar. Since many years, the cities- Jodhpur and Jaipur have been hosting Kite Festival on Makar Sankranti with great fervor. The main attribute of the festival is the show of ‘diversity’ in all aspects. Kites all shapes and sizes are seen in the sky and the main competition is to cut the strings of nearby kite flyers and bring it down. For this purpose people intend to make their strings and sharp as possible, to give a tough fight to its opponent flyer. The special kite strings are coated with the mixture of glass and glue called as ‘manjha’. Bright and colourful kites in striking shapes and unusual designs, some never seen before, would dot the sunny sky of Rajasthan on 14 January

>> Au Coeur du Rajasthan

Rann Utsav,
Gujarat

1 December 2014 - 3 March 2015

Organized by the Department of Tourism of Gujarat during the full moon in winter, Kutch festival offers a unique opportunity to witness the creative ingenuity of the artisans of the region. A carnival of colors, folk music, dances, shows and processions enveloping the arid lands of Kutch. Tents are made available to tourists to fully enjoy these magical moments to the desert. It rocks!

>> Discovery of Gujarat

Nagaur Festival,
Rajasthan

26 - 29 January 2015

Nagaur festival is after Pushkar, the second largest festival of Rajasthan. Turbaned Rajasthanis come from throughout the region to the great cattle fair. They value their horses, donkeys, bulls and camels, which are the subject of an incredible grooming: real hair sculptures, graphic designs for dyeing, ceremonial harness. As in Pushkar, the villagers wear the most colorful clothes: turbans for men, skirts and saris and veils for women.

>> Royal Rajasthan

Festival of Holi,
India

6 March 2015

Holi, sometimes called the festival of colors, is a Hindu festival celebrated in the spring. Celebrated throughout India for two days, Holi is a time for children and adults to use water spray and powder of all colors. The night of the first day of the festival, a fire is lit to remind the cremation of Holika. The second day, dressed in white, people enjoy around with color pigments and pounce on each other in a highly charged atmosphere. Come mingle with the crowd! An experience not to be missed.

>> Rajasthan, Land of Princes

Ganesh Chaturthi,
Maharashtra

August 29, 2014

Ganesh Chaturthi is an Indian festival in which Ganesh, the elephant-headed god, son of Shiva and the god of wisdom, is revered. This festival is particularly popular in the state of Maharashtra. Plaster statues of all sizes will be honored and carried in procession for three days with music percussion, then immersed the last day we built. In Mumbai, they all converge towards Chowpatty Beach. Traditional dances and songs accompany the ceremony.

>> The Heart of India

Teej festival in Jaipur, Rajasthan

July 30-31, 2014

Festival dedicated to the Goddess Parvati, commemorating her union with Shiva, Teej is also celebrating the arrival of the monsoon as expected after a hot summer. A procession consisting of thousands of devotees started the Royal Palace and the old city of winds Jaipur for two consecutive days. The festival offers a unique opportunity to witness the creative ingenuity of the artisans of the region. A carnival of colors, folk music, dancing and entertainment.

>> Rajasthan, Land of Princes

Testimonials

First travel experience with Aryavrit Travels and to my faith, very pleasantly surprised. We found the agency on the Lonely Planet website and has much more to us. The first telephone contact we have confidence. Beautiful listen to ...

Monic R,

Here we are back in Luxembourg after our trip to Rajasthan, Agra and Varanasi. We wanted to share with you our impressions about the organization of our trip and the quality of your professionalism. Since our arrival in Delhi until we left 18 days...

Agnès D

We have just completed a tour in India and Nepal with Aryavrit Travels. Back in France, we wanted to express their gratitude for this wonderful trip. Regulars tours in groups (often too many), we did not find in our usual tour operators fairly com...

Jean-Luc B

Wonderful trip to Rajasthan in March. Circuit balanced and varied between villages and beautiful countryside cities. All thanks to Aryavrit Travels. This agency has allowed us to realize a dream. The hotels were perfect, we were fortunate to be up...

Karine G

I did a 15 day tour in Rajasthan. National parks to see the tiger, really beautiful to see this animal in freedom, Corbett, Ranthambore, Barathpur back riding elephant to Amber, picturesque train journey. Group of 17 people and perfect organizatio...

Jean B

They hardly missed anything for total satisfaction, just a bit noisy hotel in Varanasi. But this is India and its horns. Agency: at the top. Tips before starting on site and very caring throughout our stay and always available. A big tip of the ha...

Linda M.

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Delhi Kathmandu Jaipur Chennai Sanchi Agra Allepey Udaipur Varanasi Jodhpur Bangalore Jaisalmer Leh Pushkar Ranthambore Gange Mumbai Rajasthan Bhuj Bharatpur Cochin Khajuraho Train Sasan Gir Goa Gwalior Gujarat Patan Ladakh Rishikesh Periyar Dharamshala Odisha Pondichery Havelock Paro Diu Nepal Kolkata Orchha Kerala Bhutan Safari

The Malabar Coast to Coast Coromandel - 15 days | 14 nights

Highlights of the programme :

Cochin, the Dutch Palace and Synagogue
Periyar National Park
The bucolic area of Chettinad
Pondicherry, a former French colonial counter

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Itinerary
Hotels
Activities

ITINERARY

Day 01 Cochin

Arrival at the Cochin International Airport. And transfer to the hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Day 02 Cochin

Cochin, former first Portuguese and Dutch trading has a cosmopolitan character is reflected in the diversity of styles, moods and architectures that reflect influences from around the world. Visit the church of St Francis, the first Christian sanctuary built in India, to stop Chinese fishing nets. Then, in the old colonial quarter Mattanchery visit the synagogue and the Dutch Palace, residence of the governor. Stroll the streets of junk and antique in the heart of the old town where the traditional district of spice warehouses located. In the evening, representation of a Kathakali dance show, spectacular combination of costume drama, dance and singing. Overnight at hotel.

Day 03 Cochin - Alleppey

Drive to Alleppey between rubber and tea plantations. Alleppey is a nice little town on the great Vembanad lake and one of its main craft activities is the exploitation and processing of coir fiber from the bark of the coconut. Surrounded by canals, Alleppey invites a timeless journey through its backwaters. Bordered by coconut trees and paddy fields, they make the region one of the most picturesque of rural India. On the lagoons, one can observe the lake lives of its inhabitants go about their various occupations. It is a unique experience close to nature that reveals how they live over water. Getting on a houseboat for a leisurely cruise through the canals. Overnight on houseboat.

Day 04 Alleppey - Periyar

Disembark after breakfast and direction Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. The road leading to it passes inland and passes through beautiful landscapes. The tropical vegetation gives way to forests of pine and rubber trees and mountain takes possession. The Periyar National Park is located in the heart of the Nilgiri, the blue mountains, covered with plantations of tea, coffee and spices. In the afternoon boat ride on the lake, an artificial lake of 26 km² absolutely beautiful to observe hundreds of species of birds not to mention the wealth of tropical vegetation. then visiting a spice garden and a pineapple plantation. Overnight at hotel.

Day 05 Periyar

In the morning, continuing the exploration of the park by a ride on an elephant. In the afternoon, drive to the factory tea processing Connemara and visit the plantations and the factory.This is a great way to understand the stages since the fresh leaf to the finished product ready for export through the drying and fermentation.Overnight at hotel.

Day 06 Periyar - Munnar

After a winding road through beautiful landscapes, arrived in the resort of Munnar. Located at 1600 meters above sea level, it was a popular holiday resort by the English at the time of the British Raj. The town lies in the valley of teas, Valley discovery in the first place by the Scots. Two varieties of tea plants are planted in Munnar: China and Assam. Visit a tea plantation and museum tracing the origin of this famous drink since 1880 and a pharmacy stocked with spices. This is the first museum of its kind in India, opened by the Tata company, Indian businessmen. Overnight at hotel.

Day 07 Munnar - Madurai

Morning drive to Madurai, the cultural capital of the Tamil country. Discover the city, one of the centers of Hinduism, and visit the gigantic Meenakshi Temple, the most famous place of pilgrimage all over Tamil Nadu, like a medieval fortress. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi, Parvati and her illustrious husband, Shiva. The evening ceremony « sleep Shiva » who leaves the temple to reach the sanctuary of Meenakshi. Overnight at hotel.

Day 08 Madurai - Chettinad

Continue to the bucolic Chettinad region, renowned for its craftsmanship, the quality of its food and the nostalgic luxury of its palaces. The area was inhabited by a community of very wealthy merchants and bankers, Chettiars and fortune allowed the construction of sumptuous Baroque houses and quite unique. The craft tradition is still very much alive in this region and can be visited workshops in wood, silver or a factory of earthenware and tiles, specialty of the region. Overnight at hotel.

Day 09 Chettinad - Trichy - Tanjore

In the morning, drive to Tiruchirapalli Trichy familiarly called, the fourth largest city in the state of Tamil Nadu. The city of Rock probably owes its name to the rocky peak that dominates and it owes its existence. This remarkable and strategic site was an almost impregnable fortress in ancient times. Trichy has always been the seat of power in South India and numerous battle scars, often led by the French and the English, are still visible today. Mounted on top of Fort Rock to visit the temples. Visit the sanctuary Ranganatha Swami, true religious city dedicated to Vishnu whose streets and fortified sanctuaries form a labyrinth of several courses protected by the speakers. Continue to Tanjore.Overnight at hotel.

Day 09 Tanjore

Tanjore located in the fertile valley of Kaveri and often called theRice granary of India. The city has played an important role in the political history of this region for over a thousand years and was the capital of three dynasties: the Cholas, Nayak and the Maratha. Visit the Temple of Brihadeswara, Shaivite shrine, the jewel of the era with its high pyramidal towers rising to almost 100 meters. We remain silent in front of this imposing but nevertheless, has a beautiful harmony. Then visit the Maratha Palace and its museum, which houses a remarkable gallery of bronzes of kings and queens of the Chola period. Then visit a craft shop to see make bronze statues lost wax.Overnight at hotel.

Day 11 Tanjore - Kumbakonam - Chidambaram - Pondicherry

Departure to Kumbakonam and visit this ancient capital of the Chola empire in the 11th century and for about 250 years extended its control to Sri Lanka.Continue to Darasuram around and visit the beautiful temple of Airavateshvara remarkably preserved. A wonderful example of sculpture from this period. A Gangaikondacholapuram, discovered the temple, a masterpiece in itself. Before Pondicherry, visit the ancient city of Chidambaram, a fine example of Dravidian architecture. Continue to Pondicherry. Overnight at hotel.

Day 12 Pondicherry

Pondicherry, a former French colony, bridgehead commercial interests the France India is full of surprises. Visit this city of good French accent still keeps the atmosphere of the old colonial trading. The streets intersect at right angles, still bear French names and many buildings reminiscent of that era. Visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, philosopher and poet who founded in 1926 with a French community that bears his name, now a meditation center. This ashram is very dynamic and very involved in everyday life. Walk in Tamil market and the Promenade, where many families find themselves. Overnight at hotel.

Day 13 Pondicherry - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram

Morning drive to Kanchipuram, the City of Gold, with 1 000 temples which 126 remain today. It was the capital of the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries under their rule, the city became the center of the Renaissance of Hinduism in the south. It is a sacred city for both its religious centers and the impressive number of temples it contained within its walls. Then, visit a factory saris and discovery of a silk weaving workshop, the city is known for its colorful saris and for over four hundred years.Continue to Mahabalipuram located on the Coromandel coast and considered the cradle of temple architecture in South India. Overnight at hotel.

Day 14 Mahabalipuram

There are two thousand years, Mahabalipuram was a seaport known Roman merchants, Arabic and Greek. This is where the Pallavas established their maritime capital that flourished until about Siam, China or Fiji between the 7th and 10th centuries. The site consists of temples, a huge mural in low relief and high relief carved caves, the whole being a masterpiece of the time. Discover the extraordinary stone bas-relief, the "Descent of the Ganges', probably the biggest in the world, the Shore Temple erected on the sand by the ocean and all five Rathas, small temples cut in the shape of a procession of floats. Overnight at hotel.

Day 15 Mahabalipuram - Chennai

In the morning, drive to Chennai, formerly known as Madras, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. Gateway of South India entry, this beautiful garden city formerly consisted of several small villages scattered installed in the middle of rice fields lined with palm trees until it becomes the first counter of the East India Company. Visit the Cathedral of St. Thomas, the neighborhood of Fort St. George and the Kapaleeswarar temple. By late afternoon, transfer to Chennai International Airport for the return flight.

SUGGESTED HOTELS

You will find below our selection of hotels for this trip. Hotels indicative, subject to availability. The choice of accommodation category belongs to you. You will be able to specify it in your quote.

Old Harbour Hotel - Cochin

Hotel in the center of Hospet and enjoyable. Very warm welcome. Bedroom and spacious bathroom. Friendly staff. Pool, spa with massage and Ayurvedic treatments, restaurants available.

Spice Village Resort - Periyar

Establishment luxury ecolodge. Bungalows scattered in a garden full of spices. Bright, comfortable, clean and spacious rooms. Attentive and efficient. Nice pool.

Swiss County - Munnar

A small hotel located in an incredible property in the hills of tea plants. The rooms are large and some offer a mini suite with lounge. Courteous, attentive and caring staff. Fine cuisine.

The Gateway Hotel Pasumalaim - Madurai

Beautiful colonial-style hotel in the countryside on a hill with peacocks and squirrels. Very friendly staff. Large beautifully decorated rooms, very correct restoration. A beautiful pool and lush gardens. Beautiful views of the city below.

Saratha Villas - Chettinad

A home Chettiar beautifully restored to large well appointed rooms which are very comfortable. The owners are welcoming. The staff is efficient and discreet.

Gnanam Hotel - Tanjore

Hotel uniquely situated to visit Tanjore. Comfortable, clean and friendly welcome. Quiet and large rooms.

Grande Bay Resort & Spa - Mahabalipuram

New resort hotel offers comfortable rooms and plenty of space. Attentive and helpful staff. Fantastic pool and sandy beach at five minutes walk. A place to dream.

Suggested Activities

You will find below our suggestion of activities to do throughout your journey. Do not hesitate to contact a counselor Aryavrit Travels for any specific request.

Ayurveda massage

Ayurveda invites us to stay in harmony with nature, in touch with the elements of nature by practicing yoga and meditation which help us to purify and nourish our body and mind. A massage on the eye helps to rebalance the body and its functions. Enjoy your visit to the birthplace of Ayurveda to experience a massage in the purest tradition.

Cooking lessons

You fell for tandoori chicken, Kerala fish curry, samosas, the thali, the dal, biryani? Do not leave without having learned to cook these dishes. We offer courses in vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisine. At the end of the session, you are invited to examine and taste your own the prepared dishes.

Henna session

Mehndi usually refers to the art of drawing with henna on the skin. It is an ephemeral equivalent of tattooing. In Rajasthan, mehndi is an fplk art and it is common for women to get as sophisticated as those of newlyweds drawings. Attend a session to decorate your hands with henna and why not take the opportunity to keep track of your visit!

Yoga

Immerse yourself in the practice of Yoga and meditation which helps you to know your body and mind. An experienced yoga teacher will teach you the various techniques of "pranayama" (breathing), "asanas" (positions) and 'dhyana' (meditation). A unique opportunity in the purest tradition.

Film show

Indians like to say that what unites them is a passion for cricket and love of cinema. India is the largest film industry in the world in terms of production and the number of entries. Attend the screening of a film, it's a unique experience and share a moment of jubilation.

Kathakali show

Kathakali is a form of traditional dance and theater sacred native of Kerala. Appeared in the seventeenth century, it showcases stories from the Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas, and great epics of Hindu mythology. Kathakali is different from other traditional dances by the complexity of its costumes and extravagant make-up dancers. Show not to be missed!

Local family

What could be more authentic than sharing a moment with a local family? An opportunity to understand the Indianess from very close which is worth reading several books on India. A unique opportunity to learn about the customs of your hosts, with whom you share a traditional meal. A moment of conviviality, memorable exchanges that will only add magic to your stay.

Bike ride

We invite you to immerse in unusual: a bike ride on the roads of India, Nepal and Bhutan. Cycling is a way to meet people, a tool to reach out to the population, which allows you to be closer than at the window of an air conditioned car. Let yourself drift along with your meetings, you will appreciate the paths which reserve surprises, all more enjoyable than the other.

Motorcycle ride

Wander through India or Nepal aboard the legendary Royal Enfield. This breakaway motorcycle delight lovers of nature and you will discover the diversity of landscapes.