Kerala Ayurveda Tour

---

Duration: 10 Nights / 11 Days
Places Covered: Cochin and Periyar

---

Day 1: Cochin - Periyar
Morning drive to Periyar (180 kms). Upon arrival check-in at Spice Village Resort Visit the resident "Vaidya" (Ayurveda Doctor) for consultation. Overnight at hotel.

Day 2 till Day 8: Ayurvedic Therapy at Spice Village
Seven days Ayurvedic Therapy - the resident doctor after consultation, plans your programme and will also suggest your diet and the therapy commences in right earnest. Please remember that during this period you should not exert yourself and for best result no alcohol, no tobacco and strict vegetarian diet. The therapy involves various herbal massages, steam baths and yoga. If you follow all the directions of the "VAIDYA", we can assure you that you will come out totally relaxed and a great feeling of wellness. Overnight at hotel.

Day 9: Periyar
The Rejuvenation Therapy is over, but it is best to relax and allow your body to re-adjust after one week of massage. Overnight at hotel.

Periyar: One of the well known wildlife sanctuaries in the south, Periyar sanctuary attracts a large number of nature lovers every year. Also called the Thekkady Wildlife Sanctuary, this place is ideal for watching the animals in their natural habitat.

The forest here, slopes into the manmade lake at the bottom of the hill. This lake serves as the waterhole for the animals and they come here to drink or take a dip. Elephants, Gaur, Sambhar and even tigers can be spotted here.

There are boat services which takes the visitor around the lake. The best season to visit the park is between October and June. Spread over 777 sq.km of the Cardamom Hills of Western Ghats, the Periyar sanctuary is located 137 km from Madurai.

Although an excursion on the splendid artificial lake is the standard way to experience the sanctuary, you can also walk around with the local guide in a small group. Wild Elephant herds come to the lake to frolic in the water.

Other attractions of the sanctuary are the Sambhar, Bison, Spotted Deer, Tigers, Leopards, Malabar Flying Squirrels, Stripe necked Mongooses, etc. There are over 260 species of birds here, including Nilgiri Wood Pigeons, blue-winged Parakeets, White bellied Tree Pies, laughing Thrushes and Fly Catchers.

Day 10: Periyar - Cochin
Your last day at Periyar, perhaps you could do a boat safari in lake Periyar and try to catch a wild elephant.
After lunch drive to Cochin. Check-in at Hotel Casino. Overnight at hotel. Cochin set on a cluster of islands and narrow peninsulas, the port city of Cochin (Kochi) (Queen of Arabia) reflects the eclecticism of Kerala perfectly. With a rich past and a bustling present, it has been the business hub of the region from the very early days after Alleppey (Alappuzha). Cochin consists of mainland Ernakulam, the islands of Willington, Bolgatty and Gundu in the harbour, Fort Cochin and Mattancherry on the southern peninsula, and Vypeen Island north of Fort Cochin, all was linked by ferry but now some islands have bridges. The influence of Chinese, Jews, Arabs and Europeans is evident in Cochin and its people. The oldest church in India, 500-year-old Portugese houses, old tiled houses built in the Chinese pagoda style, the famous Chinese fishing nets, a Jewish community whose roots go back to the Diaspora, synagogues and mosques all tell the fascinating story of this harbour town. The harbour is still at the heart of the city and pepper, sea food, rubber and coir mats and matting are exported from here. Despite this, Cochin is an attractive city with serene creak & lagoons overhung with feathery coconut palms and picturesque islands. The older parts of Fort Cochin and Mattanchery are an unlikely blend of medieval Portugal, Holland and an English country village grafted onto the troppical Malabar coast. Cochin is one of India's largest ports and a major naval base.

Day 11: Depart Cochin Morning
Transfer to the airport for flight back home