The Must-See Attractions of South India

After a hearty breakfast, we visit Chennai, the fourth largest city in India and capital of Tamil Nadu to visit the Kapaleeswarar temple, the Government Museum and the San Thome Basilica.

Later, we head towards Mahabalipuram, renowned for its impressive coastal temple. The rock carvings here are remarkable. They represent the simplicity of Hindu folk art.

In the morning, we visit five monolithic temples, each with its own style, allowing you to discover the elegance of Dravidian art. We also visit the Shore Temple, dating from the 8th century and built on the edge of the Bay of Bengal, in granite stone, also inheriting the Dravidian style.

We then head towards Kanchipuram, the so-called golden city of a thousand temples.

We discover the Kailasanathar Temple, famous for its exquisite sculptures, as well as 58 small sanctuaries that surround the main sanctuary. We do not fail to visit in particular the Kamakshi Amman temple. According to legend, Kamakshi is a goddess Parvati, wife of Lord Shiva. She blessed all those who were devoted to her.

After this visit, we return to Chennai.

Early in the morning, after breakfast at the hotel, we leave for the train station to board the train that takes us to Mysore. Arrival in Mysore and transfer to the hotel.

Then, we proceed to Srirangapatna (the historical capital of Tipu Sultan who was known for his struggle against British rule), where we visit Daria Daulat Bagh, the Summer Palace of Tipu Sultan. It is situated in a picturesque setting on an island formed by two branches of the Cauvery River. Several monuments related to the sultan's reign are scattered throughout the island. We will return to the hotel in Mysore.

After breakfast, we head to Bandipur National Park. Located in the middle of the Mysore-Ooty highway, it is one of the most popular reserves in the country where we discover a very large variety of impressive flora and fauna. In 1973, the park became a reserve for tigers, with the aim of protecting the Bengal tiger. Later, the government project "Project Tiger" came to support the protection of the animal.

In the afternoon, we set off on a safari. Besides the tiger, various other animal species inhabit the area: the gaur (bovine resembling a bull), sambar, chital, chevrotain, four-horned antelope, wild dog, wild boar, jackal, sloth, leopard, Indian giant squirrel, porcupine and black hare.

In the morning, an optional visit to an elephant information center is scheduled.

Later, we settled in Ootacamund, a hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu. This place is known as the Queen of Hill Stations with its spectacular location within the Nilgiri hills. In the surrounding area there are beautiful sparkling waterfalls, streams and lush green tea plantations.

We take the opportunity to explore the Ootacamund Botanical Gardens, created in 1847, at an altitude of 2,400m and covering 22 hectares where around 650 species of plants and trees live.

We also visit the rose garden, which spans 10 hectares and presents one of the largest collections of roses in the country (approximately 3,600 varieties). If we have time, we can visit the Ooty Lake or the high peaks of Doddabetta which are located at an altitude of 2,623 meters.

Today, we continue towards Coonoor.

Coonoor is the second largest hill station in the Nilgiris, surrounded by tea plantations, located at an altitude of 1,839 meters. It is a small town with the appearance of a tea garden where the climate remains pleasantly cool throughout the year. Famous for its lush landscapes and great variety of wildflowers and birds, two options are available to us: either explore the tea plantations on foot, or enjoy a train ride on the famous The Nilgiri Mountain Railway, one of India's oldest railways, which is now part of UNESCO's world heritage sites. Ooty.

After breakfast, we set off for a long drive to the west coast, leaving Tamil Nadu to head to Kerala, another picturesque state. We travel along a winding road through forested hills, making our journey one of the most exciting in southern Inde, with splendid views over the plains. We arrive in Kochi in late afternoon. This is an old port city with maritime links open to the Middle East, the Mediterranean Sea and Northern Europe. It has a cosmopolitan character that is reflected through its beautiful colonial buildings.

After breakfast, we head towards Alleppey.

Allepey also known as Alappuzha, the city is also called the Venice of the East and is the main cruising centre through the picturesque backwaters of Kerala. Barely arrived, we board our houseboats and begin our cruise on floating canals. This is one of the highlights of the trip. The charming barge, built from Anjili and bamboo wood, was the traditional means of transporting goods for several hundred years. Currently, these boats are decorated and transformed into comfortable cruise boats. The network of rivers, streams, lagoons and canals occupies the alluvial plain between the Western Ghats and the Indian Ocean. As our boat winds through areas of lush tropical vegetation, we have the opportunity to see not only many bird species, but we can also understand the way of life of villagers living along the canals.

Overnight in the heart of Lake Vembanad where we anchor for the night.

After a relaxing breakfast on the houseboats, we disembark to explore the picturesque Malabar coast at Varkala, a famous beach frequented by a large number of domestic and foreign tourists. The place welcomes us with cafés and yoga schools perched along the cliff.