Day01: DEPART USA
Board flight to Mumbai
Overnight on flight.

Day02: ARRIVE MUMBAI
Arrive Mumbai. On arrival in Mumbai you will be met and transferred to Hotel.
A beautiful harbor studded with hilly islands and a palm- fringed shore rising gradually to the peaks of mountain ranges form a fine waterfront for Bombay, "the Gateway of India" Besides being the major port of India, Bombay is also a great industrial center. A cosmopolitan city, it owes its prosperity to the industry and enterprise of its population of about eight million. It is the commercial capital of India.
Overnight stay at hotel.

Day03: MUMBAI
Breakfast
Morning excursion to Elephanta Island.
Experience a cruise to the Elephanta caves. The island of Elephanta is known for its four rock- cut Hindu temples which were cut between 450 -750 A.D and at that time the island was known as Gharapuri, the fortress city. When the Portuguese arrived they renamed it Elephanta after the large stone elephant near the landing place.
Afternoon city tour of Mumbai.
GATEWAY OF INDIA
CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS
MAHATMA JYOTIBA PHULE MARKET (CRAWFORD MARKET)
FLORA FOUNTAIN
MANI BHAWAN
HANGING GARDEN
Overnight stay at hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day04: MUMBAI - KOCHI
Breakfast
Transfer from Hotel to airport by car.
Board flight to Kochi.
Upon arrival at Cochin, you will be met and transferred to the hotel. Check in at the hotel.
Cochin or Kochi is a city built on scattered islands. Unlike Mumbai, reclamation projects have not cemented the islands together into one indistinguishable mass. The islands have remained islands and the place has a canal town feel, though today it is a modern, bustling port. And what makes Cochin more unique is that the city straddles the portion of land between the Arabian Sea and the mouth of the backwaters. A quaint system of ferries connects the various parts of the city.
Later proceed for a Half Day City Tour.
CHINESE FISHING NETS
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE
DUTCH PALACE
Overnight stay at hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day05: KOCHI - PERIYAR
Breakfast
Transfer from Kochi to Periyar by road.
This is one of the most picturesque reserves in India. A dam constructed on the Periyar River in 1895 led to the submersion of a large forest area and the formation of a 55 sq km lake which assured the local wildlife a perennial source of water and led to its rapid multiplication.
Afternoon enjoy a boat ride on the lake to see wildlife.
If we are lucky we`ll see Elephant, tiger, sambar, barking deer, lion tailed macaque and a rich birdlife on a government run boat ride. You can also see some spice gardens. Pepper, gooseberry and tamarind trees are in abundance in this area along with Cinnamon, all-spice, and curry plants are planted in the spice gardens.
Overnight stay at hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day06: Periyar - Kumarakom
Breakfast
Your scenic drive takes you to Kumarakom visiting en route visiting en route Syrian Churches and a rubber plantation. As you leave the rubber plantation , spice gardens give ways to backwater canals and banana plantations.
The village of Kumarakom is a cluster of little islands on the Vembanad Lake, and this small water world is part of the Kuttanad region. It is an unbelievably beautiful paradise of mangrove forests, emerald green paddy fields and coconut groves interspersed with enchanting waterways and canals adorned with while lilies.
Later take a cruise the famous "Back waters" of Kerala. The celebrated backwaters of Kerala comprise one of South India`s most picturesque rural areas, an idyllic network of rivers and canals in a luxuriant coastal terrain. Originally created by 45 rivers, which flow down from the Western Ghats to the coats, the region is characterized by lush coconut groves and paddy fields. It is known as Kuttanad - "the land of the short people", a reference perhaps, to the sight of the men and women-working knee deep in paddy fields. For centuries, the waterways provided an efficient, peaceful transport system, for the local farmers and inhabitants. Foreign invaders, too, appreciated their importance as trade and communication arteries, and built a number of settlements along the riverbanks. Today, coconuts and peppers are still carried in country boats, newspapers are delivered by skiff, and children go to school by ferry. The scene is idyllic and the mood dreamlike. Life on the backwaters is quite distinct from the rest of India, beating to its own gentle rhythm. The banks are lined with cashew trees, hibiscus and modest thatched cottages.
Overnight stay at hotel
Meals: Breakfast

Day07: Kochi - Mumbai
Breakfast
Proceed to Kochi airport to board flight to Mumbai.
Overnight stay at hotel
Meals: Breakfast

GATEWAY OF INDIA
Mumbai`s most striking monument, this too was designed by George Wittet. It has an imposing gateway arch in the Indo-Saracenic style with Gujarati and Islamic elements such as wooden carvings. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911. This area is also the departing point for ferries plying to Elephanta Island and other beaches across the port. Behind it is the beautiful old (and new) structure of the Taj Mahal Hotel

CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS
This is a magnificent building, and considered to be architecturally one of the finest stations in the world. Built by the British in 1888, it has exquisite ornamentation on its facade along with beautifully executed panels and friezes. It holds the statue of Queen Victoria on its dome.

MAHATMA JYOTIBA PHULE MARKET (CRAWFORD MARKET)
A busy market area, this is best visited early on in the day. The fruits and vegetable section offers the best of produce. Depending on when you visit, the fruit/s of the season are always a good buy

FLORA FOUNTAIN
The Flora Fountain stands on the site of the old church gate of the Bombay Fort, now a major crossroad named Hutatma Chowk. It was erected to honour Sir Bartle Frere, a former governor of Bombay and named after the Greek goddess Flora.

MANI BHAWAN
This simple and charming museum was where Mahatma Gandhi lived on his visits to Mumbai between 1917 and 1934. Gandhi`s room and belongings including his books are on display. Mani Bhavan is situated on Laburnam Road, near the August Kranti Maidan, where the `Quit India` movement was launched in 1942. Open daily from 9.30 am to 6 pm

HANGING GARDEN
Hanging Gardens (Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens) and the Kamala Nehru Park. Both provide relaxing atmospheres of greenery. Beside the Hanging Gardens are the Parsi Towers of Silence. But these are off-limits to all except those who have come to dispose and pay respect to the dead

CHINESE FISHING NETS
These cantilevered Chinese fishing nets are a sight to behold for many. But they are also a source of livelihood for many who make a living out of the backwater. The nets shown in this month`s picture are from the serene backwaters of Kumbalangi, a small village near Kochi which has been declared as a Model Tourism Village by Kerala Tourism.

JEWISH SYNAGOGUE
A short walk from Mattancherry bus stand or from the boat jetty nearby would take you to the Jewish Synagogue, situated at one end of the Jew Street in the Jew Town enclave of Mattancherry in Fort Kochi. This synagogue was built in 1568 by the Malabar Yehudans or Cochin Jewish community. It was built close to the Mattancherry Palace Temple on the land gifted by King Rama Varma, a former ruler of Kochi. The Mattancherry Palace Temple and the Mattancherry synagogue share a common wall. This synagogue at Mattancherry is the oldest one in the Commonwealth of Nations.

DUTCH PALACE
Built by the Portuguese in 1557 and presented to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi, the Palace was renovated in 1663 by the Dutch. The palace with a Bhagavathi temple in the central courtyard is built like the typical Kerala style mansion - the Nalukettu - the home of the aristocracy, nobility and upper classes, with four separate wings opening out to a central courtyard.

The double storeyed palace building which stands by the panoramic Kochi back waters has an exquisite collection of murals collectively covering over 300 sq. ft of its walls. The themes of these murals have been borrowed from the great Indian epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharatha, and mythology and legends about the Hindu Gods especially Guruvayurappan. Some murals depict scenes from Kumarasambhavam and other works of the great Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. Also on display are royal paraphernalia like weapons, swings and furniture which offer a glimpse of the lifestyle of the royal family