The Tropical South
- Best price guaranteed
- No booking fees
5
Based on 95 Reviews
- duration 14 days
- tour type Small group Request as private
- age requirement 16-99 yrs
- max group size 16
- guiding method Fully guided
- Tour Code BM-7500
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Footprint
Carbonneutral
CO2 emissions resulting from all trips on
Bookmundi will be offset via investments in carbon reduction projects.
- Operated in English
- Starts Chennai, India
- Ends Kovalam, India
HIGHLIGHTS
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- Experience India’s laid-back side on a small-group adventure in the south
- Embark on a tour of the historic landmarks in the old spice port of Kochi
- Trek through the vivid tea plantations in Munnar with an expert local guide
- Witness the temple town of Madurai wake from its slumber on a dawn city walk
- Search for elephants, wild pigs and more on a nature walk in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
- Cruise the backwaters of Kerala on a traditional rice barge – a classic experience in South India!
- Show more
Start in Chennai and end in Kovalam, the "The Tropical South" trip is a guided cultural, religious and historic sites tour that takes 14 days. You will travel through Kumarakom, Madurai, Kovalam and 8 other destinations in India. "The Tropical South" is a small group trip which includes accommodation, transport, meals and others.
Discover the laidback side of India with a cultural adventure in the tropical south. Over two weeks, we explore the distinct states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, finding idyllic coastlines, spirituality, lush mountains and culture-rich cities. The highlights are plenty: discover the verdant Munnar tea plantations, meet local people on an immersive village walk and cruise the serene backwaters of Kerala on a traditional converted rice barge. It ends with a relaxing stay on the old hippie trail beach town of Kovalam.
Discover the laidback side of India with a cultural adventure in the tropical south. Over two weeks, we explore the distinct states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, finding idyllic coastlines, spirituality, lush mountains and culture-rich cities. The highlights are plenty: discover the verdant Munnar tea plantations, meet local people on an immersive village walk and cruise the serene backwaters of Kerala on a traditional converted rice barge. It ends with a relaxing stay on the old hippie trail beach town of Kovalam.
ITINERARY
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Day 1: Start Kochi; optional afternoon harbour cruise around Fort Kochi and explore historic spice port
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Day 2: Sightseeing around Kochi
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Day 3: To Munnar; afternoon visit to Srishi, a social service organisation for tea pickers
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Day 4: Morning trek through tea plantations and the Munnar hills
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Day 5: To Madurai; optional closing ceremony at the Sri Meenakshi Temple
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Day 6: Dawn city walk with Sri Meenakshi Temple visit. Afternoon Palace, Gandhi Memorial Museum, and Flower Market Tour
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Day 7: To Thekkady; cooking demonstration in local family home
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Day 8: Explore Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary; morning jungle walk followed by an optional boat trip on the lake
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Day 9: To Erattupetta Planters Homestay
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Day 10: To Kumarakom; shikara boat ride and village walk
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Day 11: Board houseboat for backwater cruise
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Day 12: Leave houseboat and drive to Kovalam
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Day 13: Free time to relax on the beach or join an optional trip to Kanyakumari
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Day 14: End Kovalam
WHAT'S INCLUDED
WHAT'S EXCLUDED
Accommodation
- All accommodation
Meals
- All breakfasts, one lunch and three dinners included
Transport
- All transport within the main itinerary
Guide
- Tour leader throughout
- Travel insurance
- Visas and vaccinations
- Single supplement
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
5 - Excellent
Based on 95 reviews
Everything you'd hope for and more
The Tropical South
Fascinating exploration of Southern India
Superb varied experiences
A
5 - Excellent
If I could give this trip 10 stars I would! It was perfectly paced and covers a fascinating range of locations. Our tour guide, Biju, was quite simply the best tour guide ever. So patient, knowledgeable and helpful. Normally the... Read more
A
5 - Excellent
Excellent
A
5 - Excellent
Southern India is less well known than the golden triangle - but that's why this trip is so special. It shows you a new side to this amazing country. The Keralan backwaters showed us wonderful wildlife and opened our eyes to the... Read more
A
5 - Excellent
Very varied experiences from city life, to tea plantations, to a Homestay and Houseboat overnight trips. Good optional excursions which majority took. Visits to Hindu temples with explanations of the culture and way of life,... Read more
REQUEST A PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZABLE DEPARTURE
By design, this is a group tour. You can however request a private, customized version of this tour for yourself or your private group of people. Private departures are usually more expensive, but come with these benefits:
- Personal Itinerary can be tweaked and customized.
- Protected Travel within your own bubble.
- Professional Access our Travel Specialists' insider knowledge.
- Privacy Enjoy a tour focused solely on you or your travel group.
Request a private and/or personalized departure
To design a private tour, we'll ask you some more information in the following steps.
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GOOD TO KNOW
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CANCELLATION
No additional cancellation fees apply for this The Tropical South tour. You can cancel the tour up to 93 days prior departure and avoid paying the full amount, but your deposit paid is non-refundable. No refund applies for cancellations within 92 days of departure.
PaymentFor any tour departures within 02 November 2024, full payment is required. For tours that depart later than 02 November 2024, a deposit of 25% is required to confirm this tour, and the remaining balance will be charged 92 days before trip departure.
Travel InsuranceThe Tropical South tour requires that you have adequate and valid travel insurance covering medical and personal accidents, including repatriation costs and emergency evacuation. World Nomads offers travel insurance for independent travelers and intrepid families.
VisaFor this The Tropical South tour getting the required visa(s) is the responsibility for each individual traveller, as visa requirements vary depending on your nationality. We recommend to check with your local embassies representing the countries that you are traveling to, as part of this itinerary.
NEED HELP OR HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THIS TOUR?
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