We welcome you warmly to the airport and bring you to your hotel located in Kovalam with sea view. Depending on your arrival time, stroll on the beaches of Kovalam. Overnight in Kovalam.

This day is dedicated to the visit of Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), capital of Kerala. In the early morning, we will leave for the beach of Poovar where you can witness the return of the fishermen and the fish auction, a real spectacle in itself. After breakfast, we will go and see the Sri Padmanabhaswam temple (from outside only), then we will visit the Indo-Saracenic-style Napier Museum which houses a rare collection of archaeological and historical artefacts. In the afternoon, we will visit the temple of Attukal Bhagavaty dedicated to Goddess Kannaki, an avatar of Parvati. In addition to its rich and colorful Dravidian style architecture, this sanctuary is famous for its annual Attukal Pongala festival where nearly 3 million women gather. Overnight in Trivandrum.

After breakfast, we will leave for the coloured harbour of Vizhinjam near Kovalam. The Portuguese and Dutch had established their trading there. In the afternoon, we will drive 50 km further south to visit the Padmanabhapuram Palace, a perfect example of Kerala architecture. Padmanabhapuram is the ancient capital of the kingdom of Travancore. Back to Trivandum. Overnight in Trivandrum.

We leave for Alleppey, the capital of eh backwaters. Along the way we make a stop on Papanasam beach in Verkala where tourist and pilgrims gather. The Janardhanaswamy Temple, more than two thousand years old, dedicated to the god Vishnu, stands on the cliffs overlooking the beach. We will also visit the samadhi of the great reformer and philosopher Sri Narayana Guru who fought to end the caste systems in India. Arrival in the mid-afternoon at Alleppey, we board on a 'Kettuvallom', the famous houseboats Kerala and sail on the lagoons and spend a romantic night. Overnight aboard a Kettuvallom.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to our lovely houseboat and drive up to Munnar, one of the most famous mountain resorts of Kerala. Check in at the hotel. In the evening, an Ayurvedic treatment awaits you. Overnight in Munnar.

After a good night, we will leave for a tour of the hills of Munnar and its tea plantations. A rather bumpy ride takes us to the Kolukkumalai tea estate, which is one of the highest tea plantations in the world. When going down, we will visit the oldest tea factory in India. Back to the hotel in the late afternoon. Overnight in Munnar.

We leave for the coast of Kerala towards Kochi, cultural capital of Kerala. Depending on the time of arrival, we will stroll along the port of Fort Kochi famous for its 'cheenavala' or Chinese fishing nets. Overnight in Fort Kochi.

We will begin our tour of the city with the visit of the Church of St. Francis, the oldest church built by Europeans in India (1503) where, for a time, Vasco Da Gama was buried. Then we will go to the Mattancherry Palace built in the Nalukettu style, the traditional architecture of Kerala. In the Jewish town, we will visit the Paradesi synagogue, one of seven synagogues of the 'Yehudan Mappila' or Jewish community of Kochi. The Yehudan Mappilar Jews of Kochi formed a prosperous community in Kerala, controlling most of the spice trade. We will end the day with a Kathakali dance show. Overnight in Kochi.

We drive up further north, stopping for a day in Kozhikode (Calicut), once the capital of the mighty Zamorins, the great lords of the seas. Calicut also made history when Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama landed with three ships and 170 men on the shores of Kappad Beach. Depending on the time of arrival, we will hang out in the wholesale market of Kozhikode. At sunset, walk on the Kozhikode beach. Overnight in Kozhikode.

The main attractions of Kozhikode are its ancient mosques built in Kerala architectural style. We will begin the tour with the emerald green Mishkal Mosque, built by a wealthy Arab merchant in the 14th century. Located midway between Mishkal Mosque and Muchundipalli Mosque is the Kuttichira Juma Mosque, which dates back to the 9th century. It has a remarkable wooden architecture with two large pluvariums. A few steps away from the Kuttichira Juma, there is the Muchundipalli Mosque, which is the oldest mosque in the city; its first foundations go back more than 1000 years. In the afternoon, we will leave for Beypore, a small village at the mouth of the Chaliyar River in Kozhikode District. It is a historic port where trade between Asia and the Middle East has been initiated. It is also famous for its naval constructions of beautiful traditional wooden boats, the 'Uru' whose main importers are the Arab countries. Back to the hotel in Calicut. Overnight in Calicut.

We will leave the urban jungle to go to one of India's wildest jungles: the Wayanad. Covering more than 20.000 hectares of forest, it is home to one of the world's largest concentrations of wild Asian elephants and it is not uncommon to cross their path. In this region covered with coffee, teak and eucalyptus plantations, more than half of the inhabitants are indigenous peoples who derive their livelihood almost exclusively from the forest. We check in at the hotel and enjoy the fresh air. Overnight in a resort or in a tree house in Vythiri.

We will begin our visit of the Wayanad with a 2-hour safari in Muthanga Park considered the second largest reserve of Kerala in terms of wildlife. Elephants, tigers, sambars, bisons and bears live in the sanctuary. In the afternoon, we will leave for the Edakkal caves stopping on the way at Sultan Bathery to visit its 13th century Jain temple. The Edakkal caves are considered one of the first human settlements in India. They are home to petroglyphs of human and animal figures and tools, the oldest dating back 3000 years. However, these caves have to be earned, you will have to walk a few kilometres up to the hill of Ambukuthimala to reach them but the breathtaking view over the forest will make you quickly forget this effort. We will end the day with a visit to the Ambalavayal Heritage Museum, which displays artifacts from various Wayanad indigenous communities. Overnight in Vythiri.

We will continue our discovery of the Wayanad by going a little further north. We will visit the Thirunelli temple nestled in the green Brahmagiri hills. It is one of the oldest shrines of Kerala dedicated to the god Vishnu. It attracts many pilgrims, mainly to perform rites dedicated to ancestors. We will continue the road always in the direction of the north and will cross the border of the state of Karnataka. We will take a beautiful forest path that leads to the waterfalls of Irupu where you can see many beautiful butterflies such as the 'Malabar Blue Bandit' in danger of extinction. Lunch at the edge of the falls. Back at the end of the day at the hotel stopping in some villages inhabited by adivasis (indigenous peoples). Overnight in Vythiri. [Option: possibility to stay one more day to hike to Chemba Peak]

After this journey into the wild, back to Calicut. It's time to say goodbye unless you want to carry on this trip with us ! Vanakkam !