You are met at the airport in Trivandrum and escorted to your hotel in the paradise of the south. With its palm trees, white sandy beaches and rocky outcroppings, Kovalam is the perfect place to combat jet lag. “Kerala” means “a grove of the coconuts” and it won’t take you long to find out why. After a day of relaxing on the beach we make an excursion to Padmanabhapuram in Tamil Nadu. This was the ancient capital of Travancore and the Palace still remains. It is a wonderfully maintained, beautiful building that epitomizes Keralan architecture. The journey through small villages and lush jungle wonderful.

We head inland to the Periyar Wildlife sanctuary in Thekkady. Periyar is home to bison, antelope, sambar, wild boar, monkeys, a wide variety of birds, and some 750 elephants. The sanctuary is located on Periyar Lake in the hills of the Western Ghats. We view the game at Periyar lake by private motorboat, as they come to the lake side for water. We also take an excursion on elephant back into the park!

From Periyar, it’s a picturesque drive to Kumarakom, nestled in Kerala’s centuries old palm fringed backwaters that stretch over 1900 kms. The backwaters refer to the large inland lakes and canals of Kerala. They snake over the land, bestowing paddy fields with good harvests and providing villages with water. Today these backwaters act as vital waterways for the transport of goods, people, and products. They are often the only link between remote, isolated villages. It’s an incredible experience to float along these soothing waters in a local boat. We spend our time here either relaxing in our hotel along the water, or sailing through the narrow canals. Either way we can enjoy the scenic natural beauty of coconut trees, rice paddies and village life.

Traveling by boat and coach, we make our way back to the coast at Varkala. Long a place of pilgrimage to Keralans, it is beginning to be noticed by foreign travelers for its beautiful beach and cliffs, as well as the quiet pace of the nearby village. In Varkala we have time to explore the surroundings and perhaps indulge in some of Kerala’s famous aryuvedic treatments such as oil massage and steam baths. The tour concludes in the morning with breakfast and escort to Trivandrum for your onward journey.