Todays orientation tour will take us through this sprawling city which covers Kapaleeshwar temple, Marina Beach and the Cathedral of St Thomas. Chennai is famous for its superb foreshore, which includes the 8 - mile long Marina, and is an important center devoted to the revival of classical Indian dancing. The capital of Tamil Nadu State, it is a spacious and attractive city with many imposing buildings and charming old houses.

DAY 02. CHENNAI – MAHABALIPURAM
Drive 58 Km 1 ½ Hrs.
Morning drive to Mahabalipuram, arrive and check in at hotel. This small village offers us the ideal opportunity to relax; the area is well known for its beautiful temples and miles of beaches, perfect for an evening stroll or beach - combing.

Full day to explore world heritage 17th century Shore temple, Arjuna's Penance, the world's largest bas – relief (some 27 m long by 20 m high ), and one of the most impressive friezes in India, Mandapa cave temples with interesting relief’s, Five Raths and monolithic temples sculptured out of the rock in the mid 7th century. Optional short drive brings us to Kanchipuram, the Golden City of 1000 Temples one of the Seven Sacred Places of India. Its famous 7th century temples include the Pallavas, the oldest examples of Hindu architecture in South India.

DAY 03. MAHABALIPURAM – CHENNAI Drive 58 Km 1 ½ Hrs. and Fly to MADURAI
Morning depart and drive to Chennai airport, early afternoon fly to Madurai. Arrive and transfer to hotel. Afternoon explore town and temple.

Madurai is the Tamil heartland and the acknowledged center of Dravidian culture. The old town clings around the 9 tall gopurams (monumental gates) of the 16th century Meenakshi Temple. We explore the Hall of 1000 Pillars, the Palace of King Tiramalai (a blend of Hindu and Saracen architectural styles), the Great Tank and the Gandhi Museum. Rising above the complex, above the festive Pandemonium of swirling crowds of pilgrims that never seem to cease, are 11 stupendous towers.

DAY 04. MADURAI – PERIYAR
Drive 135 Km 3 Hrs.
Morning depart and drive to Periyar Wild Life Sanctuary. Arrive and check in at hotel. Afternoon boat cruise on the lake to get a closer look at the wild elephants.

DAY 05. IN PERIYAR
Morning game viewing by boat. Afternoon visit spice market.The black stumps still to be seen jutting out of the water, which are an eerie and wonderful sight in the early winter mornings as the mist rises, are the only remains of the richly vegetated valley. A typical sight in Periyar are the darters and cormorants which bask on the remnant poles of the submerged forest. The depth of the lake excludes wading birds but offers splendid opportunities for anglers such as ospreys, kingfishers and kites. Both the great hornbill and the grey hornbill can be easily seen in Periyar.

DAY 06. PERIYAR – ALLEPPEY
Drive 155 Km 3 Hrs.
Morning transfer to Kottayam, embark on the local motorized riverboat – cum – ferry for an exotic journey, chugging in unhurried style of water ways used by villagers commuting from village to village. Arrive and transfer to hotel.

DAY 07. ALLEPPEY - COCHIN

Drive 63 Km 1 ½ Hrs.
Morning explore Alleppey, afternoon short drive to Cochin. Arrive and check in at hotel. Evening Kathakali dance.

DAY 08. IN COCHIN
Morning city sightseeing. Afternoon harbor cruise.Cochin, a 'Venice of the East' and gathering place of merchants since antiquity, is full of bustling traders. Fort Cochin is the oldest European settlement in India (1500), and has a mixture of English, Dutch and Portuguese influence. The Mattanchery Palace was built by the Portuguese in the 16c, but extensive renovations by the Dutch some hundred years later earned it the name 'Dutch Palace; It has some of the best murals in India, depicting scenes from the Ramayana and other great legends. It is possible to take a tour by river - craft to many of the major points of interest.

DAY 09. DEPARTURE
Transfer to airport for onward / homeward journey.

DAY 09 / 01. COCHIN – GOA (Flight twice a week Mon / Fri)
Transfer to airport, for Goa bound flight, arrive and transfer to hotel.

DAY 10 – 11 / 02 - 03. IN GOA
For our first day in Goa we take a half-day orientation tour in the morning. Rest of the half-day and next full day at leisure for personal exploration and relaxing. The Portuguese under Alfonso de Albuquerque made landfall here in the 16th century, captured the original Arab trade settlement and began building a city of fine houses, gardens and fountains, monasteries, chapels and dozens of churches (most of them gone), including the white, severe, shapely cathedral of St Catherine (early 17th century, which still stands).

It eventually became the entry point for East and West, where merchants could buy pearls, coral, rubies, golden jewelry, Silk, China porcelain, lacquered furniture, ambergris and exotic spices. Panaji ( Panjim ) is now Goa's easy - going capital, a friendly, sleepy place of narrow winding streets and white - washed houses with red and green shutters.Close by the capital are the beaches of Gaspar Dias and Dona Paula, and across the Mandovi river from Panaji is the superb Calangute Beach, the Malabar beaches here are so long and so white against the Arabian Sea, but the careful - bathing in some areas can be marred by a strong undertow.

DAY 12 / 04. GOA – BOMBAY
Transfer to airport, fly to Bombay, arrive and transfer to hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

DAY 13 / 05. IN BOMBAY
Morning excursion to Elephanta caves, famous for rock-cut temples. We cross the harbor by motor launch (about an hour's ride) and you are at once in the fantastically complex realm of Hindu mythology, beautifully sculpted out of the walls (4th - 8th century). These are powerful works of art, representing the god Siva, love, strength and spiritual peace, which can best be appreciated with the help of a good torch. A columned veranda 30 feet wide and 6 feet deep approaches the main temple 'cave, which is 130 feet square. Among the many stunning images is Siva as hermaphrodite, combining both male and female forms.

Culturally, Bombay draws people from all over the country to make living. However, apart from the Parsee 'Towers of Silence' on Malabar Hill and the modern Gateway of India arch, the city has few sightseeing spots of major interest.

DAY 14 / 06. DEPARTURE
Transfer to airport for onward / homeward journey