Southern Splendours Tour with Jasmine Trails
Southern Splendours Tour 04 – 18 January 2022
A special focus on the living artistic heritage of South India
Join us in exploring this beautiful part of India as we traverse from the eastern coast to the western coast over 14 nights. From massive temple spires to colonial settlements, from local artisans to performing arts, from serene coastal villages to fragrant spice plantations and from smiling faces to the delectable cuisine- this is a region where you are bound to lose your heart!
Once ruled by mighty kingdoms like the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas, the southern states of India are today a reflection of the culture, religion and architecture of that glorious past. Protected by the Vindhya mountain, the region remained uninfluenced by the northern kingdoms and thereby maintained its uniqueness.
This is our signature tour and is led personally by Bindu Lall, owner of Jasmine Trails.
Accommodation has been carefully selected to give you the best experience in each location. It is a mix of luxury resorts, heritage hotels, 4-star properties and a simpler accommodation at one city.
Why you’ll love this tour
- Tour led by Jasmine Trails’ owner Bindu Lall and accompanied by local experts and guides
- Small group of 8-10 people
- 14 nights easy paced tour with time to explore as well as unwind
- Immersive and experiential tour that takes you to all major sites as well as off-beat places.
- Discover the splendid architecture, temple towns, history and traditions of Tamil Nadu and then move on to Kerala with its verdant landscapes and fascinating history of international trade and cultural interaction. Get to know all about the Jewish heritage here.
- Visit talented craftspeople at work who keep traditional arts alive
- Learn about exotic spices in a guided walk through a spice garden
- A day cruise in a houseboat on the placid, palm fringed backwaters
- Soft trek in the jungles of Thekaddy with an expert naturalist
- Watch a martial arts performance as well as a masked dance performance
…the list is endless.
Here is what the tour looks like
Chennai- Pondicherry- Tanjore- Madurai- Thekkady- Kumarakom- Cochin
Inclusions and exclusions
- Hotel accommodation for 14 nights.
- All but one meal, as per programme
- Transfers, sightseeing and surface travel as per itinerary by Air-conditioned vehicle.
- Wireless tour guide system (allows social distancing without missing a single word your guide speaks)
- English-speaking tour leader
- Tips for guides, coach driver, driver assistant, meals and bell boys
- Entrance fees to monuments being visited as per itinerary
- Mineral water during drives
- Houseboat cruise in Kerala
- Soft trek in Thekkady
- Traditional Kathakali Dance performance
- Performance of martial arts called Kalari
- Village visit near Cochin
- Spice plantation walk
Write to us now to get this tour customized for you with a price proposal.
- International Airfare or visa.
- Any domestic flight
- Tips of any kind other than mentioned in “inclusions”
- Personal expenses like telephone calls, laundry etc.
- Meals, other than indicated in the itinerary
- Alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks
- All costs related to insurance, medical repatriation.
- Fees for using movie cameras at monuments
Write to us now inclusions and exclusions or to get this tour customized for you with a price proposal.
Image Credits: We are grateful to our friends who so generously allow us to use their photos on our website. On this page, by:
Barbara Coombs Gaskin: Man sitting under the banyan tree, 1) Kathakali dancer with painted face and headdress. 2) Madurai, Meenakshi Amman Temple. Garuda sculpture with parakeets, priest praying with a plate of offerings. See more of her work at https://barbaragaskinphotography.com/