Vibrant South India Tour

Arrival at Bangalore & drive for Mysore (3 hours), the ancient capital of a princely kingdom with a rich heritage. Stop the ruins of Srirangapathnam, capital of Tipu Sultan in the eighteenth century. Chamundi hill overlooking the town is wearing a very popular temple dedicated to the tutelary deity of the city. Stop outside the imposing monolith Nandi seventeenth century Shiva mount bull.

Activities : Heritage

Excursion to the village of Somnathpur where stands the magnificent Hoysala temple of Sri Channakeshara built in the thirteenth century masterpiece of the Indian medieval art. Visit the extravagant palace of Maharaja, one of the finest in India. In the city, stroll through the flower market and vegetables.

Activities : Heritage

Road to Nilambur (4h) where you borrow a small picturesque train (1:30). Installation on a river in Cheruthuruty. Discovery of villages and craft workshops (bamboo, pottery). In the evening, artists for you in their village to an introduction to various forms of dance, music and local percussions. More than a representation, a real encounter.

Activities : Heritage

Morning devoted to the prestigious school of Kalamandalam venerable institution that teaches the traditional performing arts of Kerala: you attend during Kathakali, costume drama and sang koodyattam, Mohiniyattam exclusively danced by women, and percussion. After lunch, drive by surface (2:30) to the Arabian Sea for a relaxing stay between sea and backwaters.

Activities : Heritage

Free all inclusive. excursion possibility to visit temple, church, synagogue or mosque that indicates the opening of Kerala tolerant to various communities and religions. (For all departures from October 2016, the stay in Cherai will be a night and two nights in Cochin).

Activities : Heritage

Drive to Cochin (2h). Rich historical past, a former Portuguese and Dutch counter, built on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, the city of Kochi is a true reflection of the cultural mosaic Kerala. Tour: St. Francis church, synagogue founded in 1568 and the Dutch Palace which houses beautiful frescoes. Strolling through the typical shopping streets and the old town. In the evening, presentation of Kathakali.

Activities : Heritage

Continue to the magical land of "backwaters", to explore Kerala in the maze of fascinating overlapping channels between sea and land (1:30). boat trip on the "backwaters" and during navigation stop to visit villages, temples and walk through the rice fields where time seems to stand still. Lunch, dinner and overnight on board.

Activities : Heritage

End of the cruise after breakfast. Road to the Periyar National Park (4h30) and its beautiful scenery tea hills. Sprawling over 777 sq km, the nature reserve is home denombreux wild animals, mammals and birds. Visit a spice plantation and forest walk.

Activities : Heritage

Drive to Madurai (4:30), the cultural capital of the Tamil country and the Mecca of Hinduism. Visit the Tirumalai Nayak Palace founded in 1636 and the famous temple of Minakshi Sundareshvara. Vijayanagar style, it is one of the liveliest in South India.

Activities : Heritage

Morning train to Villupuram (5h) and continue by road (1:30) to Pondicherry, a former French and vestige of an imperial ambition who died in 1954, after three centuries of presence. The city is then separated into "white city" and "black town", reserved for natives. Rickshaw ride in the occupied areas formerly by the French: station, bookstore, French Alliance ... Visit the ashram of Sri Aurobindo and the cenotaph of "The Mother".

Activities : Heritage

Free day to browse at your leisure or explore the unique shops of the city and the streets with evocative names: Romain Rolland, La Bourdonnais and another Ave Goubert. Free lunch. Optionally, if you wish, excursion to Mahabalipuram for exploring the Shore temple and sculptures from the Pallava dynasty. Dinner at the hotel.

Activities : Heritage

Road to Tiruvannamalai (3h). Stop along the way to the impressive fortress of Gingee founded in the eleventh century. The flag of the King of France floated on the citadel in the eighteenth century. The Arunachleshwara sanctuary Tiruvannamalai, founded in the seventh century and dedicated to Shiva, is one of the most sacred of South India. In an atmosphere of great popular fervor, discovery of the different speakers, from one well to degrees, the small temple of Ganesh, the huge gopuram decorated with sculptures and reliefs, evidence of the artistic genius of the dynasty of Vijayanagar. In the evening, you attend the temple to the procession of idols perched on their palanquin. (Meals are vegetarian in this holy city).

Activities : Heritage

Road to Bangalore (5h). City tour through the mosque and the Vidhana Soudha, the Karnataka legislative seat that Rajput architecture mixture and Dravidian style. Visit the palace of Tipu Sultan before a soothing break at Sikh temple. Later transfer to airport to board onward flight destination.

Activities : Heritage