Day 01 – Arrive Kochi
Meeting & Greeting on arrival and transfer you to Kochi hotel.
Afternoon visit of Kochi city.
Kochi – the palm green commercial town of Kerala has one of the finest natural harbours in the world. A town with a hoary past, Cochin is the gateway to Kerala. The Jewish Synagogue – built in 1568 AD contains Grand Scrolls of the Old Testament and the copper plates containing the privileges granted to the Jews by the Cochin rulers. The floor of the synagogue is paved with exquisite Chinese hand painted tiles. The Dutch Palace was built by the Portuguese and presented to the Cochin Raja in 1555 AD. 17th century murals depicting scenes from the Indian epic, the Ramayana can be seen here. St. Francis Church, built originally by the Portuguese in 1510 AD is believed to be the first church built by Europeans in India. Vasco da Gama was originally buried here. The Chinese fishing nets can be seen at the entrance of the harbour. The Chinese through trade contact taught this technique of catching fish.
Day 02 – Kochi to Guruvayoor – Calicut
After the breakfast transfer you to Calicut. Enroute visit Guruvayur Hindu Temple town. There we visit elephant camp, where approximately 60 elephants are kept (the largest single group of captive elephants in the world). You can watch them feeding/ bathing, etc.
Day 03 – Calicut to Vythiri (Wayanad) – 1.30 hrs drive
After the breakfast visit of Calicut (Kozhikode) city.
Calicut (Kozhikode)– was the traditional capital of Northern Kerala under the Samuthiri rule. Calicut, the most important city of Malabar region of Kerala. It was a leading trading centre for spices on the West Coast of India during the medieval period. Calicut found a place in World History with the discovery of sea route to India in 1498 by the Portuguese navigator Vasco Da Gama. He landed at Kappad a coastal fishing village near Calicut. One can also walk in Sweet Street (Mittayi theruvu). As the name suggests, rows of shops displaying halwa (a sweet) of different colors-red, yellow, black and green and other sweetmeats can be found here, besides many others.
Then transfer to Vythiri hotel.
Day 04 – Vythiri (Wayanad)
Today you can visit around Wayanad or Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary.
Wayanad (700m to 2100m): is a quiet place where scenic beauty wild life and traditional matter, simplicity is a virtue and beauty still blossoms from the mountainous horizon and from the green glaze of alluring vegetation. Dominated by the Western Ghats, one of the world’s last surviving tracts of tropical biodiversity. Wayanad’s terrain is characterized by extensive stretches of wilderness.
Home to exotic legends, ancient ruins, mysterious mountain caves, aborigine tribes, hidden treasures, tree houses, jungle trails and exotic wildlife. Wayanad is perfect setting for a hundred great adventures. So rich is the monsoon’s bounty in these parts that the world’s second-highest rainfall was recorded at Lakkidi in lower Wayanad.
Lakkidi: is the gateway to Wayanad offers a breathtaking valley view. It is just 5 kms from Vythiri and 17 kms from Kalpetta.
Vythiri: (1300 m) this quaint little hill station is renowned for its coffee, tea, cardamom, pepper and rubber plantations. Mist capped mountains and breathtaking scenery dominates.
Day 05 – Vythiri (Wayanad) to Nileshwaram (Kasargod) – 5 hrs drive
After the breakfast transfer to Nileshwaram hotel. Rest of the day free at the beach
Day 06 – Nileshwar
Morning you can visit the nearby backwaters.
Day 07 – Nileshwaram – Bekal Fort – Mangalore airport (2.30 hrs drive)
Morning transfer to Mangalore airport, enroute you can stop & visit Bekal Fort
Bekal Fort: – Giant keyhole shaped fort is spread over 40 acres.
The imposing fort at Bekal is one of the largest and best preserved forts in Kerala. The beautiful expanse of the shallow beach near the Bekal fort known as Bekal Fort Beach has been developed as an exotic beach location. Some important features of this fort are the water-tank with its flight of steps, the tunnel opening towards the south, the magazine for keeping ammunition and the broad and wide steps leading to the Observation Tower which is a rarity. This observation center had strategic significance in discovering even the smallest movements of the enemy and ascertaining safety of the Fort. The Fort appears to have been built up from the sea since almost three fourth of its exteriors is drenched and the waves continually stroke the citadel. The Mukhyaprana Temple of Hanuman and the ancient Muslim Mosque nearby bear testimony to the age-old religious harmony that prevailed in the area. The zigzag entrance and the trenches around the fort show the defense strategy inherent in the fort.
After the visit proceed to Mangalore Airport.