Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival at Cochin!
Upon arrival, you will be transferred to your hotel. In the afternoon, you will first stop at the St. Francis Church, built in 1503 by the Portuguese. Then you’ll visit the Mattancherry Palace or “Dutch Palace” built by the Dutch and later on handed over to the local king. At the harbor, you can see unique Chinese fishing nets, which marks the visit of Chinese people in Cochin. You’ll also visit the Jewish Synagogue, built in 1558. Around the Synagogue, you can buy many antique things. After that, you will return to your hotel. An overnight stay in Cochin.
Day 2 Drive from Cochin to Trichur and return to Cochin
In the morning after breakfast, you will drive to Trichur to witness the famous Temple festival of India. Thrissur Pooram is the annual temple festival of the town of Thrissur in Kerala, India. It is one of the most colourful temple festivals of Kerala which attracts large masses of devotees and spectators from all parts of the State and even outside.
Thrissur Pooram is celebrated at the premises of the Vadakkunnathan Temple, situated on a hillock (Thekkinkadu maidan) right in the centre of the city, on the Pooram day in the month of Medom ((April-May). Processions of richly caparisoned elephants accompanied by percussion ensembles from various neighbouring temples culminate at the Vadakumnathan temple. The most impressive processions are those Thriuvambadi Bhagavathy from the Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Temple and the Paramekkavu Bhagavathi from Paramekkavu temple. The celebrations which last for over 36 hours include parasol displays and firework shows.
This festival was introduced by Sakthan Thampuran, the Maharaja of the erstwhile Cochin State in the late eighteenth century. Perhaps, there is no other festival in Kerala that draws such an unbelievable number of people to a single event. However Vadakkunnathan is a mere spectator at this festival, lending its premises and grounds for the great event. The pooram festival is also well known for the magnificent display of fireworks. Fire works start in the early hours and the dazzling display last three to four hours.
The Pooram Festival is celebrated by two rival groups representing the two divisions of Thrissur Paramekkavu and Thiruvambadi vying with each other in making the display of fireworks grander and more colourful. Each group is allowed to display a maximum of fifteen elephants and all efforts are made by each party to secure the best elephants in South India and the most artistic parasols, several kinds of which are raised on the elephants during the display. The festival commences in the early hours of the morning, the celebrations last till the break of dawn, the next day.
An elephant carry Thidambu during Thrissur Pooram festival. The procession but also quite enlivening. The marvellous as well as magical effect of the Panchavadyam, a combination of five percussion and wind instruments is to be felt and enjoyed. Among the varieties of festivals celebrated in Kerala, Thrissur Pooram is the most thunderous, spectacular and dazzling. There are three temples participating in the event. It is an expression of popular fascination for sound and colour, and because of the pageantry, it appeals to all people. The images of the deities from all temples of the village are taken on elephants to the main temple. The climax of the festival is the exhibition of thirty elephants and the famous fireworks at 2.30 am local time.In the evening, you will drive back to Kochi. An overnight stay in Cochin.
Day 3 Drive from Kochi to Alleppey (Houseboat)
In the morning after breakfast and check-out from hotel, you will drive to Alleppey. Upon arrival, you will heck into Houseboat for a day and night cruise in the famous backwaters of Kerala. Lunch will be served at the time of check in. The backwater cruise in a country boat is the best way to explore the villages and rural life. In Alleppey you will be taken aboard your floating houseboat, a different boat with a bedroom and en-suite rest room for your comfort. Enjoy unlimited surfing on backwaters, sip a coconut, get disturbed by only the chirping of birds and occasional ripples in water and savor mouthwatering delicacies prepared in front of you by your Kitchen crew. Spend the night on board the houseboat. An overnight stay in houseboat.
Day 4 Drive to Cochin for departure
Today in the morning after breakfast, you will be transferred to the Cochin airport for your onward journey.