Coconut Country Summer Break: 07 Nights/08 Days

Coconut Country Summer Break: 07 Nights/08 Days
Cochin-Kumarakom-A/C Houseboat-Marari Beach

Tour Day 01 - Cochin
On arrival at Cochin,Kerala, you will be met & transferred to CasinoHotel or Brunton Boatyard. Evening watch a classical art performance at Greenix Theatre which is a kaleidoscope of Kerala classical arts like Kathakali, Kalaripayattu (Martial Arts),Bharatanatyam etc. Overnight at Hotel.
Tour Day 02- Cochin
Morning, after breakfast, you have the option to go for a Kerala village backwater cruise at Poothotta, an island backwater village. Afternoon enjoy a guided tour of Cochin. Overnight at Hotel

Village backwater Cruise – An unforgettable journey in a country boat into the pristine backwater villages of Kerala.... goes through the zigzagging narrow canals and paddy fields fringed with coconut palms.....watch rare birds....country boat making....a natural fish farm where you can go fishing…You will witness coir making, toddy tapping and enjoy a typical Kerala lunch at a farmhouse.Cochin Sightseeing - St Francis Church, built in 1510 by friars brought to India by Vasco da Gama, is the first European church built in India and is the site where Vasco da Gama was buried. The Jewish Synagogue was built in 1568, Chinese hand-painted tiles are one of the attraction. This, the only Synagogue in India has a nostalgic past of a Jewish Diaspora. The "Dutch Palace" was built in the 1550s; the palace contains excellent mythological murals and a rare example of traditional Keralite flooring - a subtle mix of burnt coconut shells, lime, plant juices and egg whites - which gives the effect of polished marble.

Tour Day 03 – Cochin – Kumarakom
After breakfast, check out from the Hotel & proceed to Kumarakom, which is famous for its backwater & scenic beauty, sprinkled with traditional houseboats, country crafts, rural lifestyles and Tranquility. On arrival at Kumarakom check in at Coconut Lagoon.Your Kerala tour takes a magical turn at this backwater peninsula.Overnight at Coconut Lagoon.

Water and history are the defining elements at Coconut Lagoon.Water surges in clockwork rhythms on its shores, through its canals and pools. And history stands watch from the grounds above.From the centuries-old beams of the heritage mansion to the carved woods of the reception,the past comes alive as liquid reflections, mirrored in ripples and shades wherever you look.Fittingly, Coconut Lagoon can be reached only over the water. The great Vembanad lake, an inland sea that stretches clear across central Kerala, forms a breeze-laden watery highway. Your coach transfer happens via a generously clunky wooden boat with a little inboard motor (so as not to disturb the fishes). And the lobby, when you arrive, turns out to be a reconstructed 19th century mansion with a stone jetty attached. Your boat putters sedately through a narrow canal, its banks covered with flowers. Tiled-roof bungalows peer through the foliage. And with a reviving coconut cocktail in one hand, you step off the boat and up to the reception desk, all ready to check in.Conde´ Nast Traveller once described Coconut Lagoon as one of the 25 best destinations in the world. Our guests tell us that the journey inward is an experience to match.

Tour Day 04 – Kumarakom
Full day to explore the beauty of the Kerala backwaters. The slender coconut palms standing here, there and everywhere, its never ending paddy fields, meandering lagoons and backwaters, mangroves nesting birds of a hundred varieties can peacefully calm and invigorate your mind with renewed inspiration for your vocation and life. That is the pristine beauty of Kumarakom.You have the option to take a rejuvenating Ayurvedic Massage.Overnight at Coconut Lagoon.

Tour Day 05: Kumarakom – Houseboat
After a leisurely breakfast, board the houseboat from the resort jetty for a nights stay with on board lunch and dinner, covering the nearby villages and the ethnic life around these villages. Overnight in the houseboat.

What is truly magical about a houseboat is the breathtaking view of the untouched and otherwise inaccessible rural Kerala that it offers. The houseboats have all the creature comforts of a good hotel including well furnished bedrooms with aircon, modern toilets, cozy living rooms, a kitchen where are cooked on board and supplemented with fresh fish from the backwaters. Today, the tradition is still continued and the food from the local cuisine is served by the Kuttanad locals, on board. The name Backwaters brings you the very thought of Houseboats. Food and leisurely times spent on-board with the feeling and privacy of house as well as enjoying the natural beauty. A Cruise amidst marvelous mangrove forests, captivating coconut canopies, swaying palms, mangrove forests, pulsating paddy fields sprinkled with enchanting waterways and canals decked with white lilies, can be quite a rejuvenating experience for the weary traveler. Enjoying a cruise in these backwaters is not to be missed, as it leaves you feeling fully rejenuvated. The banks of these backwaters in Kerala are the most enchanting picnic spots. You get to experience the native way of living.

Tour Day 06 – Alleppey - Marari
Morning after breakfast on board, checkout & proceed to Marari, a relatively quiet beach paradise of Kerala. On arrival check in at Marari Beach Resort (built in the style of a traditional fishing village with thatched villas that have been designed to be in keeping with the local village style).You may opt to have a rejuvenating Ayurvedic Massage.Overnight at Resort.

Marari originates from "Mararikulam", one of the local fishing villages, where life still goes on much as it did a hundred years ago, with the men going out to sea each day to earn a living bringing in the daily catch. Completely new to the holiday maker. Marari offers endless miles of superb sand beaches backed by swaying palms, virgin territory where you can experience the local charm/and traditional Keralan Hospitality at it's best. Marari Beach is an endless vista of sand and surf, but it is more. An authentic experience of the world of Kerala's traditional fishing villages, and a recreation of an ancient, harmonious way of life. The village of Mararikulam lies on a forgotten shore, midway up the Malabar coast, where the Indian Ocean finally decides that it has now become the Arabian Sea.

Tour Day 07 – Marari
Full day at the resort. You have the option for taking a tour through the butterfly garden,organic vegetable farm or simply explore the beach. Overnight at Marari Beach Resort.

Marari Beach sprawls across 55 acres of lawns, far-flung lotus ponds and whispering coconut groves, all threaded through with stone- flagged pathways. A windbreak of palms runs the length of the property, a protective cover that reduces even the gustiest sea winds to mere caresses. And beyond is a milk-and-azure ocean, fringed by a beach more ochre than yellow, a sand-meets-sea combination you're not likely to find anywhere else.

Tour Day 08– Cochin Departure
Like all good things, your tour in Kerala comes to an end but you will always carry with you memories of this unique and unforgettable holiday experience. Today, you will be assisted and transferred to Cochin International airport for your flight home!!

GBP (was 405) Now 365
EURO (was 448) Now 405
USD (was 670) Now 605
per pax on twin sharing subject to a minimum 7 nights stay at CGH properties

Hotel List :
Place                        Name

Cochin                     Casino (www.cghearth.com)
Kumarakom              Coconut Lagoon (www.cghearth.com)
A/c Houseboat          Spice Coast Cruise (www.cghearth.com)
Maraikulam               Marari Beach Resort (www.cghearth.com)

Package Cost Includes:
* 02 Nights accommodation based on 01 Double share room at Cochin as mentioned above
* 02 Nights accommodation based on 01 Double share room at Kumarakom as mentioned above
* 01 Night stay at a 01 bedroom A/c Houseboat (Kumarakom - Alleppey) with all meals
* 02 Nights accommodation based on 01 Double share room at Mararikulam as mentioned above
* Daily Breakfast at all the hotels/ resorts
* All meals on Houseboat
* English Speaking Guide at Cochin
* Greenix Show at Cochin
* All transfers and sightseeing as per attached itinerary by A/c standard car.
* Driver allowance, parking, fuel, state entry fee
* All currently applicable taxes including Government Service Tax
Package Cost Excludes :
* Any meals other than those specified
* Any sightseeing unless otherwise specified
* Any train/ air/ Ship fare otherthan those specified.
* Any entrance fee, Camera fee, Ride, Guide fee otherthan those specified etc.
* All expenses of personal nature like soft/ hard drinks, Telephone/ Fax, Laundry, Tip etc.
* All other services not mentioned under package cost includes section.

Supplementary Cost :
Village Backwater Tour with lunch:GBP 18/EURO 20/USD 30 per pax
Half Board supplement for the whole tour: GBP 40/EURO 44/USD 67 per pax
Full Board supplement for the whole tour : GBP 80/EURO 88/USD 134 per pax
Upgrade Hotel Casino at Cochin to Brunton Boatyard (www.cghearth.com) : GBP 32/EURO 35/USD 53 per pax

Note :
* Confirmation of all services with full payment only.
* Above mentioned rates are valid at the moment are subject to change without any prior notice.
* Confirmation of all services are subject to availability at the time of booking.
* Above mentioned rates are applicable to Foreign Nationals only
* At houseboat A/c will be available from 09 PM to 06 AM only.
* Rates are valid from 01 May 2010 till 30 sept 2010 only.