Kerala Rhapsody

DAY 1: ARRIVE IN COCHIN

Arrive in Cochin and transfer to the hotel. Check into the hotel and enjoy rest of the day at leisure. Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 2: COCHIN

After Breakfast, take a sightseeing tour of Cochin visiting the Dutch Palace, St. Francis Church, Jewish Synagogue and the Chinese fishing nets at the harbour. Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 2: COCHIN - THEKKADY (145 KM / 4 HOUR DRIVE)

In the morning, drive to Periyar. On arrival, check into the hotel. The Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is situated on the banks of the Periyar Lake - an artificial lake, at Thekkady. Here the high ranges of the Western Ghats are clothed in dense evergreen, moist deciduous forests and savannah grasslands. Below this thick green canopy roam herds of elephants, sambars, tigers, gaurs, lion tailed macaques and Nilgiri langurs. Enjoy a boat ride on the lake in the afternoon, and see the wild animals in their natural habitat. Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 4: THEKKADY

Full day game viewing in the National Park. Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 5: THEKKADY - KUMARAKOM (135 KM / 3.5 HOUR DRIVE)

After breakfast, depart by road to Kumarakom. Enjoy the endless stretch of water running miles to nowhere; its banks lined with swaying palms fanning the lush green rice fields below dancing in rhythm with the gentle sea breeze carrying a medley of flavors of fish, coconut and spice. On arrival, check into the hotel for overnight stay.

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DAY 6: KUMARAKOM

After breakfast, full day is free at leisure. Optional activity: Take a short boat ride to Philip Kutty's Farm to experience country life (On extra payment). Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 7: KUMARAKOM - ALLEPPEY (35 KM / .5 HOURS BY ROAD)

After breakfast transfer to Alleppey. On arrival check in to the house boat. Stay overnight onboard the House Boat.

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DAY 8: ALLEPPEY - MARARI (50 KM / 2 HOURS BY ROAD)

After breakfast drive for Marari. Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 9: MARARI

Full day at disposal to enjoy beach / ayurveda activities / therapies on owns. Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 10: MARARI

Full day at disposal to enjoy beach / ayurveda activities / therapies on owns. Stay overnight at the hotel.

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DAY 11: MARARI - COCHIN (60 KM / 2 HOURS BY ROAD)

After breakfast check out from the hotel and transfer to the airport in Cochin to connect flight for onward journey.

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SOUTH TOURISM HOUSE BOAT

City: Allepey

MARARI BEACH RESORT

City: Mararikulam

CASINO HOTEL

City: Cochin

Situated in the Willingdon Island of Cochin, Casino Hotel captures the essence of this city - the charm of one of the world's finest harbours, the vibrancy of a rich legacy shaped by trade contacts, the beauty of a tradition that is so well reflected in the culture and cuisine. The hotel carries tradition and modernity with elan with the richness of its simple, natural yet elegant interiors. This is a famed CGH Earth property and stays true to its name - Clean, Green & Healthy with its interiors and exteriors.

Lobby
You will be beckoned in with a heart warming reception complete with garlands and an aarti. Classical instrumental music floods the space and hues of calming, earthy colours provide a tasteful and comfortable setting. It is a spacious lobby, with a lot of open empty spaces, brown tiled and wood flooring, a false ceiling with halogen lights illuminating the area and a wood reception table with a brown marble top. Glass windows allow for natural light during the day and plants in brass pots embellish the brown floors. With two levels in the lobby, the lower level boasts of a charming seating space with patterned cane sofas, jute rugs and ethnic paintings embroidering the walls. Beside the reception is the Internet Browsing Table which can be availed only by in house guests at Rupees 100 per hour.

Rooms
The hotel provides luxurious accommodation in fine rooms, nothing short of a classy, comfortable stay. A total of 67 rooms categorise into 66 Standard rooms which come in double and twin bed categories and 1 Suite. Rooms on the ground floor provide a bathtub while the other floors have shower cubicles in the washrooms. The facilities common to all the rooms are cable television, air conditioning, direct dial STD/ISD telephones, hot and cold running water, 24 hours room service, minibar, tea/coffee maker, hair dryer on request, luxurious toiletries and two complimentary bottles of mineral water everyday. The Suites are larger spaces with a separate low rise seating space in the living room, two televisions, a kitchenette of sorts and a beautiful feature of a magnificently large study table in the bedroom. Be it the base category of rooms or the Suite, comfort and luxury are prevalent.

Services & Amenities
The hotel provides all possible services and convenience for the guests is of the utmost priority. A comprehensive list of facilities include wireless internet in the lobby, The Shop - which is the gift shop open from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm and provides garments, books, handicrafts and jewellery, Ayurvedic Centre, an amphitheatre for cultural shows, swimming pool, conferencing and banquet facilities, a reading room, fitness centre, laundry & dry cleaning, parking facility, valet parking, travel desk, doctor on call, currency exchange and acceptance of credit cards.

Dining
The dining facilities at the hotel include one of the most renowned seafood restaurants in India as quoted in the Good Housekeeping magazine. There is Tharavadu Restaurant which offers multi cuisine fare with the choice of a buffet or a la carte and is open for breakfast (7:00 am to 11:00 pm), lunch (12:00 noon to 3:00 pm) and dinner (7:00 pm to 11:00 pm). The staff is a delight as they serve you in sparkling white lungis and kurtas. A live band or live gazals are sung every evening to entertain the guests. The interiors are fresh and new with earthy colours and white and the walls are lined with ink on canvas paintings. Fort Cochin is the famed seafood specialty restaurant which is only open for an a la carte dinner from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm. It offers a variety of succulent dishes - so good it's almost a sin. It is an outdoor sheltered space with hand woven pots decorating the space and a large fish tank in the middle of the restaurant. There is also Vasco Da Gama which is the hotel's bar, open from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm. It is fully carpeted and offers a perfect setting for an evening with friends and family. The windows are sheltered with layered and very pretty, white lace curtains. You can get light meals and a large variety of domestic and international alcohol. This hotel offers dining areas which are hard to resist and you shouldn't be resisting them in the first place. Kicking back and enjoying a meal here is ideal.

Banquets & Conferences
The hotel offers a banquet hall - Durbar Hall which can accommodate 350 persons and is a fully carpeted, soundproofed space located on the first floor. Harbour Lounge is the board room which has beige carpeting and padded walls. All audio visual and conferencing equipment is supplied by the hotel at an extra charge.

Health & Fitness
The hotel's fitness centre is open from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and is located on the second floor. It can be availed complimentary by in house guests. The Cascade Swimming Pool is open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm and has a maximum depth of 7 feet. Snacks and alcohol can be served by the pool side. The Tulsi Ayurvedic Centre and Beauty Parlour is a calm and soothing place with exudes elegance and a comfortable, refreshing charm. It is open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and has professional masseurs and therapists, separate for ladies and gents.

The hotel offers everything under the sun and on no day would you have a complaint. Enjoy this property while on a business travel or on leisure with family and friends - it caters to all.

Location
The hotel is located on Willingdon Island around 42 kilometres from the airport, 15 minutes from Fort Cochin, MG Road and the South Railway Station. It is situated amidst scores and scores of greenery offering beautiful views of the land of Kerala.

Don't Miss
Savour a meal at Fort Cochin - the seafood specialty restaurant where you can pick your choice of fish. This sheltered top space has open sides and offers a relaxed evening.

BACKWATER RIPPLES

City: Kumarakom

Spread over 7 acres of meticulously landscaped exteriors, Backwater Ripples has been created by a team of architects, designers and consultants and is truly a world class facility with unique lakefront features and contemporary interiors. The resort has 34 independent luxury cottages and executive rooms in a range of layouts including cottages with a spectacular view of the Vembanadu Lake. Arayannam, the unique houseboat with two fully furnished bedrooms and private decks can provide a middle of the lake stay.

Rooms
Spacious open air bathrooms are seamlessly connected to large bed rooms with king size beds. Natural material such as wood, granite and marble create a feeling of warmth and luxury. From the traditionally crafted wooden furniture, local nature paintings and ethnic handicrafts to the modern gadgets, the resort harmoniously blends ancient heritage and latest technology. All cottages are equipped with a television, direct dial telephone, tea/coffee maker, mini bar, refrigerator, internet connectivity and 24 hour personalised room service.

Hotel Facilities
Dining facilities include a multi cuisine restaurant and a lake front barbeque facility. The resort has air-conditioned conference halls for the convenience of business travellers. The resort boasts of Vedasparsh, the fully equipped Ayurvedic Spa that offers the finest possible care, treatments and therapies. Other facilities include a health club, water sports center, sunset cruise, swimming pool, curio shop, currency exchange and travel desk.

Location
The resort is located just 70 km from Kochi International Airport and 171 km from Trivandrum International Airport.

ABAD GREEN FOREST

City: Thekkady

An aerial view of the lush green coast of Cochin