A Journey of Faith : Holy Land – Israel + Jordan

Day Itinerary

Today, you will arrive by International flight and transferred to hotel. Upon arrival check in at the hotel and rest of the day is at leisure. Evening proceed to enjoy Kerala Kaleidoscope show in a theatre in Fort Cochin.

Kochi

Also known as Cochin, Kochi is a city in southwest India's coastal Kerala state. This attractive city has served as a popular port for over 600 years and is known for its eclectic architecture and its array of religious monuments, museums, galleries, cafes and antique shops. The city stretches across a number of peninsulas and islands, which can be reached by a network of water taxis and bridges. The majority of Kochi’s visitor highlights can be found on the peninsula of Fort Kochi. These highlights include the St Francis Church, the oldest European-built church in India; and Mattancherry Palace, which dates back to 1557 and contains some exceptional Kerala murals and temple art. Other must-see attractions include the Kerala Folklore Museum, displaying more than 4,000 cultural and ethnic artefacts; the 16th-century Jewish Synagogue; and the local market, where the air is filled with the aroma of exotic spices.

Activities

Kerala Kaleidoscope

Kerala Kaleidoscope

Showcasing quintessentially magnificent vignettes of Kerala’s rich cultural traditions, Kaleidoscope Kerala is essentially an exclusive, uniquely choreographed repertoire of live classical dance and music performed in a heritage theatre with legendary ritualistic folk invocations and martial arts.

Day Itinerary

Morning proceed for walking tour of Fort Cochin area.

Return to hotel after the tour and check out.

Drive onto Munnar, upon arrival in Munnar check in at the hotel and rest of the day is at leisure.

Munnar

Idyllically set at the confluence of three mountain streams, Munnar is a beautiful hill station in the Western Ghats mountain range in India’s Kerala state. The village once served as a popular vacation resort for the British Raj elite who flocked to here to enjoy the pleasant cool climate and the scenic natural surroundings characterised by rolling hills dotted with colonial bungalows, streams, waterfalls and 19th-century tea plantations. The main attraction in the area is the extraordinary Eravikulam National Park, which is famous for its diverse array of wildlife including the endangered mountain goat known as Nilgiri tahr. The park is also home to the exquisite Lakkam Waterfalls, some excellent hiking trails, and the impressive 2,695m-tall Anamudi Peak.

Activities

Walking tour of Cochin

Walking tour of Cochin

This walking tour is an eye opener to the minute details of Old towns. It definitely pulls you back to 14th century. Fort Cochin is said to have formed in the 1340’s due to cataclysmic floods. Fort Cochin being the natural gateway to the Kochi harbour grew in importance as travellers from far and wide came to Kochi. The Arabs, the Chinese, the Dutch & the Portuguese.

The large rain trees, beautiful colonial buildings, streets lined with many shops, dining options, the Chinese fishing nets, the beach area, different community in Mattancherry, local activities, fruit street to name a few make this a very attractive place to be.

Day Itinerary

Today, visit Tea Plantation and Tea Museum.

Return to hotel and rest of the day is at leisure.

Activities

Tea Plantation Visit

Tea Museum (Munnar)

Tea Plantation Visit

Munnar is synonymous with rolling hills that are carpeted with lush plantations of tea – a delicious beverage loved worldwide. Munnar is recognised for having some of the best and most beautiful tea gardens across the globe. In this experience, learn plucking of tea leaves (subject to the growth of plantation at the time of visit) from the workers. And also interact with the local people and learn about their life and cultures.

Tea Museum (Munnar)

The Tata Tea Museum (Monday Closed) diligently portrays the growth of Munnar tea estates, veritably conveyed through some of the displays like the rudimentary tea roller to the modern fully automated tea factory. Visitors to the museum can satiate their curiosity on various stages of tea processing and also learn a thing or two about the production of black tea.

Day Itinerary

Day at leisure.

Clients can do a local walk as well as they can go for picnic as well (can be arranged by hotel).

Activities

Letchmi Hills Trek

Letchmi Hills Trek

Grab your cameras and head for an amazing trek! Escalate to one of the most intimidating hills, as this trek is an amazing respite for those who wish to beat the city blues. The trek provides a great view of grasslands, tea plantations and also the majestic Munnar city from the top (approx. 1800 mts above sea level). The highlight of this trek is the rocky slopes and the grasslands that are witnessed on the way.

Day Itinerary

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to Thekkady. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and rest of the day is at leisure.

Thekkady

A tourist attraction in Kerala, Thekkady is a district located at the Periyar National Park. Thekkady comprises evergreen forests and savanna grasslands, and is known for its natural spices such as black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and clove. Elephants, tigers, sambar and many other species inhabit the park. Top attractions include the exquisite ancient Mangla Devi Temple, the aromatic Abraham’s spice garden, and the massive waterfall at the sleepy, picturesque village of Chellarkovil. Take in panoramic views of the extraordinary landscape from the Chellarkovil viewpoint, and picnic on the rolling, lush green lawns at Pandikuzhi. Don’t miss the opportunity to visit the Kadathanadan Kalari Centre, to see demonstrations of the best traditional martial arts. Thekkady is home to India’s sole Tiger Reserve, and has a rich living tribal culture.

Day Itinerary

Morning proceed for Pugmark Trail.

Later, proceed for a visit to Spice Garden.

Activities

Pugmark Trail

Spice Garden Visit

Pugmark Trail

The Pugmark Trail is not a loop trail and you basically end up walking back the same way once you reach the end of the route. There is a marker indicating the end of the route but it is also obvious as the trail ends on the road that runs through the park. There are several endemic trees on either side of the trail and are informative because of the well maintained display boards that are kept along the track. Though the track runs only for a small distance, it is worth it.

Spice Garden Visit (Thekkady)

Rendezvous with the owner of a Spice Plantation.

The plantation tour is an opportunity to meander through cardamom, pepper, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and many other varieties of spices and medicinal plants and gives you an insight into how these are grown, harvested and processed.

Day Itinerary

Day at leisure.

Activities

Periyar - Adopt an elephant

Periyar Bouquet

Periyar – Adopt an elephant

Try this experience of adopting an elephant in Periyar.

Five elephants live in this farm, under the attentive care of their Mahouts. A very particular relationship is here created between these wonderful pachyderms and you. Take this opportunity to spend a rare and special moment with them. Located just outside of the city, nestled within the cardamom, coffee and pepper plantations, the surrounding itself is already very peaceful. During this activity, feed your new friend, do a walk within the plantations and then give him his bath.

Periyar Bouquet

In this guided tour, clients are given a glimpse of how the hopes and aspirations of many a family are pinned on the humble quantity of spices grown in their backyard garden and how the delicate balance between us humans and the flora and fauna of the Periyar Biodiversity is maintained. Clients get to interact with local farmers to understand their way of life, how spices play a vital role in their economy and how they strive to achieve a balance between being an agrarian community and conserving nature by putting ecologically sustainable practices into farming.

Recommended to start at 1500 hrs

Day Itinerary

Today, after breakfast you will be driven to Kumarakom. Upon arrival, check in at the hotel and rest of the day is at leisure.

Kumarakom

One of Kerala’s most alluring backwaters is Kumarakom, a hub of biodiversity where mangrove forests are mixed in with rice paddies, coconut palms and bursts of white lilies. This vivid subtropical peninsula juts into Vembanad Lake and is a popular place to study yoga, meditation and Ayurvedic massage, and from which to take bird-watching, boating and fishing trips. Nearby attractions include the Aruvikkuzhi Waterfalls, just two kilometres from Kumarakom, which cascade down the mountain slopes from roughly 30 metres above, and Pathiramanal (meaning ‘sands of midnight’) a beguiling island and bird sanctuary in the middle of the lake.

Day Itinerary

Today, you will be driven to Alleppey to embark for a day backwater cruise on the backwaters of Kerala (1230-1630 hrs). Lunch on board. Disembark the houseboat and drive back to Kumarakom.

Rest of the day is at leisure.

Activities

Houseboat Cruise (Alleppey)

Houseboat Cruise (Alleppey)

A cruise along the mirror-still lagoons, picture-book lakeside, palm-fringed canals and shimmering rivulets of `God's Own Country' is the most enthralling holidaying experience. The journey offers breath-taking view of the untouched and otherwise inaccessible rural Kerala.

Day Itinerary

Today, drive to Kochi airport to board International flight back home.

Standard check out time is 12:00 hrs.