KERALA TRAILS TOUR

Attractions

Mumbai – Tellicherry – Wayanad – Athirapally – Cochin – Alleppey – Kovalam

Mumbai

Colaba Causeway is THE place to go for entertainment, shopping and activities. Here's a short list of things to do that could easily fill a day:

Gateway of India
City Tour - double-decker buses leave from the Gateway throughout the day
Bollywood - take a trip to Film City located and enjoy the first hand experience of Bollywood shooting
Museums and Art Galleries
The Taj Mahal Hotel
Major cinemas
Shopping
Harbor Cruise - depart every 30 min. from the Gateway of India
Taj Private Yacht Cruise - rent the Taj's private yacht for a cruise around the Mumbai harbour
Boat ride to Elephant Island - leaves from the Gateway
Heritage Buildings Tour

Tellicherry

Coastal Tellicherry (Thalassery) is considered the political and cultural capital of Malabar. Since colonial times it has retained the distinction of being the learning center of northern Kerala as well as the birthplace of the Communist movement in Kerala. It is oftentimes referred to as the city of Cricket (where Indians first played cricket), Cakes and Circuses. Declared a Heritage City, Tellicherry has invested heavily in preserving their cultural heritage sites such as:

Thalassery Fort
Sree Rama Temple at Thiruvangad
St. John's Anglican Church
Arakkal Kettu
Jagannatha Temple
Thalassery Pier
Ezhimala Fort
Madayi and Neeliyar Fort
Annapoorna Temple
Thrichambaram Temple
Handloom Village at Azhikode

Wayanad

Banasura Hill
Pookote Lake
Meenmutty Waterfalls
Kuruva Island
Kanthanpara Waterfall
Chembra Peak
Begur Wildlife Sanctuary
Tholpetty Wildlife Sanctuary
Muthanga Wildlife Reserve
Banasura Dam
Edakkal Caves
The Glass Temple

Athirapally

Athirapally is the land of rivers and forests and great waterfalls - the star attraction being the Athirapally Waterfall. Although beautiful year-round it's downright spectacular during monsoons when water levels reach their peak.

Cochin

The only metropolis in Kerala, a heritage harbor town, Cochin is a fun town to explore. Here's an abbreviated list of Cochin tourist highlights:

Harbor Cruises and Water Taxis - Getting around on the water is fun and easy and Cochin's water transport system is well-developed. Take a cruise or island hop via the taxis.

Kathakali Dance Performances - most often near the Chinese Fishing Nets

Chinese Fishing Nets - serves as the offical icon of Kochi and are a testimony of relations between Ancient Chinese Empires and the Kochi Kingdom - they were gifted by Chinese Emperor Kubalagi to the Kochi King in the 14th century.

Cochin Royal Crown at the Hill Palace Museum - crafted in pure gold weighting 1.75 kg with 95 diamonds and 2,000 other precious stones. The crown was a gift from the Portuguese to Veera Kerala Varma on his coronation day.

The Dutch Palace - the coronations of Kochi Maharajas were always held here. A large throne and coronation costumes are on display along with an extensive collection of royal chariots, swords and other artifacts. The most interesting part is the mural room, which has the entire Ramayana and Mahabharat depicted in a single mural.

Princess Street (Loafer’s Corner) - the most famous street of Fort Kochi offering a slice of authentic colonial European architecture and the perfect destination for evening walks to explore the numerous western styled cafes, souvenir shops, art galleries and heritage complexes.

International Pepper Exchange in Jewtown - The world's only pepper exchange - often likened to NYC Wall Street - but instead of money, its all about pepper trading. Well worth a visit just to see all the peppers you never knew existed.

Alleppey

THE BACKWATERS: Meandering through coastal areas of Kerala, the Backwaters are a 900 kilometer (560 miles) long intricate network of lagoons, lakes, canals, estuaries and deltas of several rivers that flow into the Arabian Sea. This is a natural phenomenon, as major rivers and streams that flows within Kerala drain themselves into backwaters regions, resulting in creation of several small land strips, lagoons, and islands which open to the sea at various points along the stretch.

Kovalam

THE BEACH: The old lighthouse, located at Southern Beach, is one of the oldest lighthouses in Kerala. The small rock hill that separtes Hawa Beach with Northern Beach is a local landmark, with the giant Halcyon Castle overlooking the seas. The Castle has played host to several leading European, US and Arab leaders and is a testimony to the Anglo-Travancore architecture of Kovalam.