South India and Maldives Tour

Someone from our team stands at the Chennai arrivals exit holding a placard with your name, ready to take over the bags. Half an hour or so later you reach the hotel, and if your flight lands in the middle of the night, a room booked from the night before means bed comes first. The rest of the morning is open. Most guests sleep, swim and eat a light lunch, giving the body a few hours to catch up with the time change before any sightseeing starts. Your welcome folder holds the full plan, contact numbers and vouchers for all fifteen days.

At about four your guide collects you for Mylapore, a district where Tamil worship and scholarship have gone on for well over a thousand years. The Kapaleeshwarar Temple is the focus, its entrance tower crowded with painted plaster figures that are renewed every few decades in a big consecration ceremony. Inside, the rhythm of temple life goes on around you: bells, oil lamps, priests carrying offerings and families making a quick visit after work. Remove shoes at the entrance and wear clothes covering shoulders and knees; non-Hindus may walk the outer halls but not enter the inner shrine.

Outside, the lanes around the temple tank are filled with stalls selling jasmine garlands by the arm's length, brass oil lamps, bangles and sacred threads. Your guide points out the small eateries where Chennai families have bought their evening tiffin for generations, and you can try a crisp vada or a sweet pongal from a leaf cup. If time allows, a short drive to the seafront shows you Marina Beach as the city comes out to walk in the cooler air. An early dinner at the hotel follows, since tomorrow is a long coastal day. Overnight in Chennai.

Heading down the East Coast Road, you break the drive at Mahabalipuram, the old Pallava port some ninety minutes down the coast. The kings of this dynasty used the town as a kind of open studio, and between the 7th and 8th centuries their sculptors cut temples, caves and reliefs directly into the granite outcrops, all now listed by UNESCO. Arriving mid-morning, your guide starts at the five monolithic Pancha Rathas, each shaped like a different style of temple, with a carved elephant, lion and Nandi standing among them as if waiting to be blessed.

A short walk brings you to Arjuna's Penance, the great relief split by a natural cleft that was once fed with water to imitate the river Ganges flowing down from the heavens among the carved gods, sages, hunters and animals. Find the ascetic cat posing on two legs as if in prayer, with mice gathered trustingly beneath it, a small joke from the sculptors that your guide will explain. Your last stop is the Shore Temple, which stands with its back to the open sea. Lunch is grilled fish or prawns at a simple village place before you rejoin the coast road.

The drive to Pondicherry takes another two hours and passes long stretches of casuarina plantations, salt pans and small fishing villages where boats are pulled up onto the sand. By around five you reach your old-quarter hotel; many such properties occupy restored colonial houses with courtyards and high ceilings. In the evening, walk to the seafront promenade, where the sea wall is lined with people watching the waves, and find the French war memorial on the seafront and Joan of Arc's figure in a small garden close by. Overnight in Pondicherry.

Mornings are the coolest and quietest time in Pondicherry, and your guided walk sets off early through the grid of streets that the French laid out in the 18th century. The old town was planned around a canal, with the European quarter on the sea side and the Tamil town inland, and walking both halves shows how differently they grew. On the French side you see the colonial villas with high walls, the Lycée Français and the old lighthouse, while in the Tamil streets the houses have carved doors, deep verandas and small shrines set into the walls.

The route includes the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, where visitors can quietly pay respects at the flower-covered samadhi; photography is not allowed and silence is expected. Close by, the Manakula Vinayagar shrine to Ganesha displays dozens of painted panels showing the deity's many forms. Late morning suits a café break on a shaded street, or a visit to a handmade paper workshop where you can see sheets being pressed and dried. Lunch is at your choice, with a wide range of French, Italian and Tamil restaurants within walking distance, and if you prefer a quiet break, ask your guide about cafés with a garden courtyard.

After lunch the car covers the twelve kilometers north to Auroville, home to settlers from more than fifty nations, founded in 1968 to test how people might live beyond borders and religion. A film at the visitors' building sets out the founding idea, and a path through planted forest ends at a public lookout facing the golden dome of the Matrimandir. The inner meditation chamber is open only to those who reserve ahead, and daily places are few. Evening back in town is unplanned, perhaps with a Creole meal. Overnight in Pondicherry.

After a ninety-minute drive south you pull up in Chidambaram, home of the Thillai Nataraja Temple, a shrine of the highest rank for Tamil devotees of Shiva. Shiva is worshipped here as the cosmic dancer, and Bharatanatyam dancers regard this shrine as a spiritual home. The eastern gateway is carved with the 108 poses described in the old dance treatise, and your guide helps you spot a few of the better-known ones. Men may need to take off their shirts in some inner halls, and certain shrines admit Hindu worshippers alone; your guide will show you which areas you may enter.

The roof over the inner sanctum is covered with gold-plated tiles, and the temple is famous for a shrine where Shiva is represented by empty space, linked to the element of ether. The priests here belong to an old hereditary community and tie their hair in a forward-facing topknot. After the visit, a simple vegetarian lunch at a local restaurant gives you a taste of Tamil home-style cooking, usually rice with sambar, rasam, two or three vegetable dishes and curd, served on a banana leaf and eaten by hand if you like to try.

The afternoon drive to Thanjavur crosses the Kaveri delta, the state's main rice-growing country, where canals and green paddy fields stretch to the horizon and villages are marked by small temples and banyan trees. Toward evening you arrive and settle into the hotel. If you still have energy, take a short walk through the old market, where bronze casters, painters and makers of the famous Thanjavur dolls have their shops. Thanjavur paintings, with their gold leaf and inlaid glass, make a good souvenir to ask your guide about tomorrow. Overnight in Thanjavur.

Go early to the Brihadeeswarar Temple, while the stone is still cool underfoot; Rajaraja I of the Chola dynasty finished it around 1010 AD. UNESCO groups it with two other Chola shrines on the World Heritage list, and its main tower rises about 66 meters above the sanctum, topped by a capstone traditionally said to weigh around eighty tonnes. Your guide explains the theories on how the builders raised it so high without modern machinery. A huge monolithic Nandi faces the shrine, and the corridor walls hold rows of lingams and fragments of Chola-era frescoes that were uncovered beneath later paintings.

Before leaving town you can visit the Thanjavur Palace complex, home first to Nayak and then Maratha kings, where the Saraswathi Mahal Library keeps thousands of manuscripts written on palm leaves and the art gallery displays a fine collection of Chola bronzes. Your guide points out how the bronzes changed in style over the centuries, from slender early figures to heavier, richly ornamented later ones. A short stop at a bronze workshop is possible on request, where you can see the lost-wax casting process that is still practiced in this region. Lunch is taken on the road or in Thanjavur before departure.

The drive to Madurai takes about four hours, passing through Pudukkottai district with its rocky hills and occasional roadside shrines guarded by large clay horse figures, offerings to the village guardian deity Ayyanar. Check-in in Madurai is around five. At around nine tonight, an optional return to the Meenakshi Temple lets you watch the palliyarai ceremony, in which priests bear Shiva's image in a silver palanquin to rest overnight in the goddess Meenakshi's chamber. Phones and cameras go into the deposit counters before entry, and the ceremony is short, so you are back at the hotel well before eleven. Overnight in Madurai.

For well over two thousand years people have lived in Madurai, and the Meenakshi Temple dictates its street plan, with the old town built in square rings around it. A whole morning inside the complex starts straight after breakfast. Fourteen gopurams rise around the walls, each crowded with painted deities and demons, and the tallest, on the south side, is around fifty meters high. Inside, you pass through the pillared hall known for its thousand columns, each carved with a different figure, and along the steps of the Golden Lotus Tank, where the poets of the ancient Tamil Sangam were believed to submit their poems for judgment.

Only Hindus may enter the two inner sanctums, yet a great deal remains open in the halls, corridors and shrines open to all visitors. Since no phones or cameras are permitted, you hand them in at the gate counters, so your guide will describe the details as you go. A ten-minute walk south brings you to King Thirumalai's 17th-century Nayak Palace, with giant white pillars and arches combining Dravidian and Islamic styles. Only part of the original survives, but the main courtyard and the throne hall are still impressive. Lunch is spicy Chettinad food in a nearby eatery.

Across the Vaigai river, Madurai's Gandhi Memorial Museum displays the dhoti, stained with his blood, worn by Gandhi at his death in Delhi in January 1948, together with his letters and photographs from the freedom struggle. Toward evening comes the Mattuthavani flower market, where tonnes of jasmine, marigold and rose arrive each day from nearby farms and are sold by weight. Madurai jasmine is famous for its scent and has a geographical indication tag. With the evening free, try a jigarthanda, a chilled local drink of milk, almond resin and sarsaparilla syrup, sold from small shops in the old town. Overnight in Madurai.

An early start takes you west across the plains of Tamil Nadu toward the Western Ghats, whose ridges separate the two states. After about two hours the road begins to climb through hairpin bends, and the dry farmland gives way to forests, coffee bushes and cardamom plants under tall shade trees. At the state border at Kumily you cross into Kerala, and your driver handles the interstate permit paperwork. At roughly 900 meters, Thekkady feels several degrees fresher, and by lunchtime you are settled near the Periyar Tiger Reserve, with a light jacket handy for the evening.

Early in the afternoon a farmer leads you around a small spice garden, showing cardamom pods clustered low on the stems, pepper vines climbing up trees, cinnamon bark being peeled and nutmeg with its red mace. Coffee, cocoa and vanilla grow here too, and you learn why Kerala's hill spices drew Arab, Chinese and European traders for centuries. A small shop sells spices, tea and essential oils, and prices are usually fixed. After the visit, your driver takes you to the boat landing for the Periyar Lake cruise run by the forest department.

The boat ride on the lake, a reservoir created by a dam in 1895, lasts roughly ninety minutes, and herds of elephant, Indian bison or deer often graze on the shore, although tigers are rarely seen. Bird life includes cormorants, kingfishers and snakebirds spreading their wings on drowned tree stumps. Places are rationed and sell out early, so your guide will advise on timings. After dark you watch a show of Kalaripayattu, a martial tradition centuries old, with leaps, sword fights and fire tricks performed a few feet from your seat in a small open arena. Overnight in Thekkady.

Today you descend from the hills to the coast. The drive from Thekkady to Alleppey winds down through tea and rubber plantations, small towns with church spires and roadside stalls selling bananas and tapioca chips, and finally reaches the flat green lowlands of Kuttanad. You leave early so that you arrive at the jetty near midday, which is when houseboats welcome guests on board. Nobody else shares the boat, with a bedroom, a sitting area on the open deck and a small kitchen where the cook prepares all your meals.

The cruise starts after you settle in, and lunch is served as the boat moves along the broad canals: perhaps fish fried in red masala, a vegetable avial cooked with coconut and curry leaves, red Kerala rice and pickles. In the afternoon the boat passes churches built on the water's edge, shops on stilts, toddy tappers climbing coconut palms and ferries carrying schoolchildren and office workers home. Your captain points out the narrow embankments that keep the paddy fields below the water level of the canals, an arrangement that farmers in Kuttanad have managed for generations.

Late in the afternoon, houseboats are required by local rules to stop cruising, and your boat anchors near a quiet village. You may go ashore with a crew member to see the paddy fields up close or to buy a fresh coconut from a household. As dusk falls, kingfishers and herons settle in the trees, and the lights of the village homes come on along the bank. Dinner is served on deck, with chapati or rice, a chicken or fish curry and a sweet to finish. Mosquito nets and air conditioning in the bedroom make for a comfortable night. Overnight on the houseboat.

A breakfast of puttu, a steamed cake of rice flour and coconut, with chickpea curry arrives on the deck while the crew steers back toward the jetty, where you step off around 9 am. The morning on the water is the time to watch daily life start: women filling water pots, men paddling to work and the ferry boats making their first trips. Your car is waiting at the landing for the run north to Kochi, some ninety minutes along the coastal highway through busy small towns and past canals lined with coconut palms.

Once you have dropped bags at the Fort Kochi hotel, the hours until sunset are for getting your bearings in this compact old harbor town. Fort Kochi's streets are easy to walk, with old colonial buildings turned into cafés, galleries and craft shops. Street murals and installations remain from earlier rounds of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, the country's largest contemporary art show, first staged here in 2012 and usually opening in December. Several old warehouses on the waterfront now host exhibitions year round, and many are free to enter, so it is easy to look in on two or three during a short stroll.

Toward five, stroll to the beach road to watch crews of fishermen haul on the ropes of the Chinese fishing nets in time with one another. Watch the crews lowering the nets into the water and raising them again a few minutes later, with the whole wooden structure balanced by heavy stones on ropes. Behind the nets, small stalls sell the catch, and nearby kitchens will cook it for you. In the evening you might visit a small cultural center for a Kathakali demonstration, or simply enjoy dinner in a heritage building in the old town. Overnight in Kochi.

Your morning walking tour with a local guide introduces Fort Kochi's long history as a trading port that drew Portuguese, Dutch and British powers. You begin at St. Francis Church, the first European church in India and the original burial place of Vasco da Gama, whose remains were moved to Lisbon some years later. Next comes the Santa Cruz Basilica, rebuilt in the late 19th century, with a bright interior of murals and stained glass. The walk also passes Dutch cemeteries, colonial bungalows and the old harbor buildings that tell the story of Kochi's trade in pepper and spices.

A short ride takes you to Mattancherry, where the Mattancherry Palace shows some of the best Kerala murals, painted with natural colors and showing scenes from the Hindu epics, along with royal portraits and palanquins. The palace is closed on Fridays. In Jew Town, the Paradesi Synagogue was built in 1568 and has a floor of hand-painted Canton tiles and a set of Belgian chandeliers. The synagogue is closed every Friday and Saturday and on Jewish holidays, so we plan your Kochi days according to your travel dates. Antique dealers and ginger godowns fill the lanes outside.

The afternoon is yours to shop or rest before the next stage of the trip. Kochi is a good place to buy spices, Kerala tea, handwoven cotton and antiques, and your guide can recommend reliable shops. In the evening, consider an optional harbor cruise at sunset, or book a short Ayurveda massage, which is widely available in Fort Kochi. For dinner, try a Kerala seafood dish such as prawns cooked in coconut milk or a fiery red fish curry made sour with smoked kudampuli. Tonight is for packing before the island flight. Overnight in Kochi.

Breakfast is followed by the ride to Cochin International Airport, about an hour from Fort Kochi, for the Male flight, nonstop or one-stop according to the weekday. Before you fly, fill in the Maldives traveler declaration online (IMUGA) within the period allowed before departure; our office emails the form link to you. Every nationality receives a free 30-day Maldives tourist visa at the airport, on showing a resort confirmation, six months' passport validity and onward travel. This is also the day you say goodbye to your Indian driver after more than a week together.

On landing at Velana International Airport, the resort team meets you after immigration and takes you to the jetty just outside the terminal. Your resort is reached by speedboat, which means the transfer works even if you land late in the day, since seaplanes fly only in daylight hours. The crossing takes between twenty minutes and an hour depending on the island, and the island team greets you on the pier with chilled juice and a quick tour of the facilities. Unpack, take a first swim if light allows, and have dinner at the resort. Overnight at your Maldives island resort.

Your first full day on the island is about getting to know your surroundings. After a late breakfast, collect snorkel gear from the water sports center and ask the staff about the best entry points and the times of the tides on the house reef. A short guided snorkel with a staff member is often available, and it is worth joining, since the guide can point out reef creatures that are easy to miss: an octopus hiding in a crevice, a moray eel peering from a hole or a cuttlefish changing color. Remember not to touch or stand on the coral.

After lunch, which is not included in the half board plan, take the hot hours slowly in the shade or in your villa. In the late afternoon, many resorts host a short talk by their marine biologist, who explains the life cycle of the coral reef, the threats from warming seas and the work some resorts do on coral regrowth and turtle protection. You may get the chance to see a coral nursery or help with a small project, depending on the resort. This gives a different understanding of the reef you swam over that morning.

At dusk, try a lap of the island on foot, which on many resorts can be done in under half an hour, and look for herons, crabs and small reef sharks in the shallow water at the edge of the beach. Dinner is included tonight and every night, usually served as a buffet or a set menu at the main restaurant, with fresh fish, curries and international dishes. Alcohol is available on resort islands, though prices are high, so check the drinks menu or ask about a beverage package if you plan to have wine with dinner. Overnight at your Maldives island resort.

In the morning you join a boat trip to a reef known for sea turtles, usually green or hawksbill turtles, which feed on sea grass and sponges in the shallow waters. The crew and a guide take you to the best spot and lead you in the water, keeping a respectful distance from the animals. Turtles are often seen, but wildlife cannot be guaranteed, and conditions depend on weather and currents. Manta rays and whale sharks appear in some atolls at certain seasons, so ask the resort what is likely during your stay rather than counting on them.

Returning, the crew pulls in at an inhabited island for an hour or so, giving you a look at ordinary Maldivian life. You can walk through the village, visit the small harbor and see the old coral-stone mosque, if the island has one, along with houses painted in bright colors. Local islands follow conservative customs, so cover shoulders and knees, and note that alcohol is not available there. A café may offer short eats such as fish rolls and sweet tea. Your guide explains how fishing and tourism support the island community.

Afternoon on the resort is open for rest, a swim or a game of beach volleyball. An optional dhoni outing for handline fishing at sunset is one choice, or stay on your deck as the lagoon turns orange and then silver. Some resorts hold a Maldivian cultural evening with bodu beru drumming, a traditional music style with drums and chanting that grows faster and louder as the night goes on. After dinner, lie on the sand and pick out constellations you rarely see from home, since there is hardly any artificial light on the horizon. Overnight at your Maldives island resort.

The last full day is meant for doing as little or as much as you want. Many guests book a session at the resort spa, which often has treatment rooms set over the water or among gardens, offering massages, scrubs and Ayurvedic-inspired therapies that link back to your days in Kerala. Spa treatments are not included and should be booked a day ahead. If you prefer to stay active, try paddleboarding, windsurfing or kayaking in the lagoon, or ask the dive center about a first try-dive with an instructor, which needs no certificate and starts in waist-deep water before moving to the reef edge.

In the afternoon, take a last snorkel on the house reef or simply rest in a hammock with a book. Use the quiet hours to clear the room account and confirm departure details with reception, including the speedboat time for tomorrow morning. Our team in India remains available by phone and messaging if anything changes with your flight. You might also spend some time sorting photographs from the two weeks and noting down the names of dishes and places you want to remember, from the jigarthanda in Madurai to the puttu served on the houseboat.

Toward sunset, you board a traditional wooden dhoni for an included sunset cruise across the atoll. The crew may take you past nearby islands and sandbanks, and spinner dolphins are often seen playing in the channels in the evening, although sightings are not guaranteed. Drinks and snacks may be served on board depending on the resort. The sun drops into the ocean on the ride home. For the final meal, choose the main restaurant or pay extra for a table on the sand, with lanterns, a private waiter and grilled reef fish. Overnight at your Maldives island resort.

A last breakfast, checkout, and then the speedboat heads back to Velana International Airport. Plan to be at the terminal around three hours ahead of the flight. The airport is right beside the jetty, so the transfer from boat to check-in is very short. Male has good connections via the Gulf, India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, so most guests reach Europe, North America or Australia with one stop.

In fifteen days you have crossed two Indian states, from Tamil temple towns to the hills, backwaters and old port of Kerala, and finished with coral reefs and island life in the Indian Ocean. Another time, we could plan a trip to Karnataka, the Nilgiris or Sri Lanka, with or without another beach stay. Thank you for choosing us, and a pleasant flight home.