Western Konkan Coast Itinerary South India

Day 1 - Arrive at Cochin and transfer to hotel.

Cochin – More popular as the Queen of the Arabian Sea, Cochin is a cluster of islands on the vast expanse of the Lake Vembanad. Some of these picturesque islands are Bolgatty, Vypeen, GunduandVallarpadam. The lake opens out into the Arabian Sea here to form one of the finest natural harbours in the world. It is this natural advantage that has made Cochin a fascinating blend of the cultures and influences of explorers and traders who visited this wealthy land.

Overnight at hotel

Day 2 - COCHIN

Morning city tour of Cochin combined with Fort Cochin hotel visits.

The sightseeing tour of Cochin includes the visit of Jewish Synagogue (closed on Fridays & Saturdays), Dutch Palace (closed on Fridays) and the oldest European Church in India - the St. Francis Church where Vasco De Gama was originally buried. A leisurely walk through the Fort Cochin area which gives you a close look at the operation of the huge cantilevered Chinese fishing nets introduced by Chinese traders which is still used in Kerala backwaters as a traditional way of fishing.

Lunch at hotel Malabar House / Fort Cochin.

Later visit Kumbhalangi village

15.00hrs:  Proceed to Kumbhalangi village, 13 kms away and half an hour drive from the town.

15.30hrs: Reach Kumbhalangi village.

On arrival we will take a cruise in country boats to Kallanchery, an Island in Kumbhalangi which is about 700mtrs length and 150 mtrs in breadth. There are around 500 people living there. Most of the people are engaged in fishing and clam meat processing for their livelihood, the Island is surrounded by Chinese fishing nets. The villagers are engaged in agriculture, fishing, crab & fish farming, coir making etc. Main crops cultivated here are coconut and betel nuts, nutmegs, vanilla, anthurium farm, and trees like teakwood, manchium, spices like pepper, pathimugham etc. In the aquaculture farm they cultivate shrimps, crabs, milk fishes, pearl spots and mullets etc. . . . You can also see small fresh water ponds and narrow water channels conserved for years in this farm.

Visit crab farm and watch crab catching, casting of nets. Also watch various activities like harvesting of Coconut, dehusking of coconut and coconut processing, making coir fibre from coconut husk, making yarn from coconut fibre, coconut leaves weaving, extracting coconut milk and also watch operation of Chinese fishing net. Later visit the agriculture farm.
Later at 18.00hrs return to hotel.
1930hrs: Dinner at Hotel Casino / Cochin.
Overnight at hotel Trident.

Day 3 - COCHIN – ATHIRAPALLY (80kms / 02 hrsapprox)

inn at the resort Athirapally and Vazhachal waterfalls are a symbol of raw beauty and power. These two waterfalls are within the sholayar ranges and are on the course of the Chalakudy River. More than a waterfall, both of these have much more to offer. Being in the forest, the drive to Athirapally itself is a refreshing one.

Day 3 – ATHIRAPALLY – CALICUT (180 Kms / 04 hrs approx.)

Calicut (now known as Kozhikode) is an important town in Malabar in Central Kerala. It had a history dating back to several centuries and was the capital of a big kingdom extending many miles towards the north Kerala, to the hinterlands upto the slopes of Western Ghats to the East and to the South upto Cochin. It was ruled by the legendary CherumanPerumal, the warrior king who abdicated the throne handing over the kingdom to the Zamorins. The Zamorins were powerful kings and ruled the Kozhikode Kingdom for several centuries. They welcomed traders from countries from Europe and Middle East. It was famous as a trading centre and a gateway to India for traders from Europe and Middle East. It finds a place in historical records by virtue of its being the place where the famous Portugese traveler and discoverer Vasco de Gama landed in India in the year 1498.

Overnight at Hotel

Day 4 : CALICUT – BEKAL (180kms )

Check out and proceed to visit Beypore boat building yard.
(Note: Boat building is not a year round process and operation of the boatyard is based on the order they get. It remain closed on all public and local holidays)
1000hrs: Reach Beypore boat building yard.

Beypore is the major centre for making ‘urus’ in Kerala. The name uru is associated with the traditional ship building culture of Kerala. And the art and science of making these ships came from the Arab world, some centuries ago. Beypore has a tradition of shipbuilding that is about 1500 years old.
A typical uru in appearance is a large vessel. It demands hard labour and the dexterous hands of craftsmen to build one. This seagoing vessel is completely made of wood and is built by joining planks of good quality timber. Usually an uru is built by a team of fifty men over a period of at least four years. No blueprints are made and the entire aspect of ship building is embedded in the minds of the highly skilled shipwrights. It is a team work undertaken with minimum of sophistication, following strict and orderly work ethics and also discipline.

Reach Bekal. Check in at hotel Overnight at hotel

Day 5 - BEKAL

Bekal, situated on the seashore of Pallikara village, is an important place of tourist interest in the district. It lies 12 kms. south of Kasargod town. According to Bekal Rama Nayak, a local Kannada writer, the word, Bekal is derived from the word Baliakulam, meaning Big Palace. The place is said to have been the seat of a big palace in the past. The term Baliakulam got corrupted as Bekulam and later as Bekal.

Visit Bekal fort - The 300-year-old Bekal Fort is one of the largest and best preserved forts in Kerala. This imposing circular structure of laterite rises 130 ft. above sea level and stands on a 35 acre headland that runs into the Arabian Sea. The Fort appears to have been built up from the sea since almost three fourths of its exterior is drenched and the waves continually stroke the citadel. The Mukhyaprana Temple of Hanuman and the ancient Muslim mosque nearby bear testimony to the age-old religious harmony that prevailed in the area.
The zigzag entrance and the trenches around the fort show the defense strategy inherent in the fort. Unlike most other Indian forts, Bekal Fort was not a center of administration, for no remains of any palace, mansion or such buildings are found within the fort. Arguably the fort was built exclusively for fulfilling defense requirements. The holes on the outer walls of the fort are specially designed to defend the fort effectively. The holes at top were meant for aiming at the farthest points; the holes below for striking when the enemy was nearer and the holes underneath facilitated attacking when the enemy was very near to the fort. This is remarkable evidence of technology in defense strategy.

The pristine Bakel beach along with the fort is being groomed into an international tourist destination. The fort has historical as well as archeological significance.

1830hrs: Return to hotel.

Overnight at Hotel VivantaByTajBekal.

Day 6 - BEKAL –MANGALORE(80kms/ 02 hrs 30 minsapprox) 

Proceed to Mangalore

Mangalore, lying on the west coast of India is the chief port city. Lined with exotic beaches, numerous ancient temples and holy places catering all the religion, Mangalore city is truly a delightful travel destination in India. Located at a distance of 357 kms from Bangalore, Mangalore stand its own identity, sobriquet as the 'entry point to Beach country', treasuring some of the most splendorous beach locations in India for the tourist seeking solitude and peace. The city was earlier known as the harbour town of Mangalapuram. Mangalore is in possession of some of the most ancient historical temples of Karnataka.

Afternoon - Visit St. Aloysius Church and St. Aloysius College chapel.

St. Aloysius College Chapel is an architectural marvel that could stand comparison with the chapels of Rome. What make this chapel unique compared to the other chapels in the country are the beautiful paintings that virtually cover every inch of the walls. Bro. Moscheni from Italy is the creator of such a master piece. One portion of the chapel paintings depicts the life of Aloysius Gonzaga to whom Aloysius College and chapel are dedicated. Saint Aloysius gave his life in the service of others. There is an amazing sense of belongingness and peace inside the chapel. The interiors are well decorated. The paintings of this chapel are preserved by a recognised board of the nation which maintains and restores all historic artifacts.

Day 7 – Mangalore to Coorg
Coorg also called as Kodagu is derived from the local version Kodavu and the people of Kodagu. According to ancient scripts the land of initial settlement was called Krodadesa which later became Kodavu. Coorg is sometimes misspelled as “Koorg” and “Coorge”.

Coorg or Kodagu (originally called Kodaimalenadu) means 'dense forest on a steep hill' and is situated between 900 and 1525 m above sea level on the hilly Western Ghats, with the highest peaks rising almost 1750 m above sea level. Set amidst verdant valleys, imposing mountains, acres and acres of coffee and oranges, and bounteous hardwood forests with the subtle fragrance of cloves, pepper and cardamom wafting across, Coorg is one of the last remaining bastions of an age bygone.

Day 8 – Coorgto Mysore

Tibetian colony- Golden temple,.
The Tibetan Monastery or the Tibet Camp as locally called is located around 6 kms from Kushalnagar town towards Mysore. This Tibetan settlement at Bailkoppa or Baylkuppe is the the second largest Tibetan settlement outside Tibet. There are over 7,000 monks and students at the Tibetan monastery.

After the Chinese took over Tibet, the refugees were settled at Bylkuppe near Kushalnagar and the Buddhist Monastery was re-established here in 1972. It houses over 7,000 monks and students today. The monastery not only attracts large number of young Tibetans seeking enlightenment and education, but also draws huge tourists from all over India and abroad.

Mysore served as the capital of the Kingdom of Mysore. The kingdom was ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty, except for a brief period in the late 18th century when Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan usurped power. Patrons of art and culture, the Wodeyars contributed significantly to the cultural growth of the city. The cultural ambience and achievements of Mysore earned it the sobriquet Cultural capital of Karnataka.

Day 9 – Mysore to Bangalore

Arrive at Bangalore and overnight stay in Bangalore

Day 10 – Departure transfer to Bangalore Airport