Spice Route Enfield Tour

• Day 1: Arrive Cochin

  Arrive in Kochi. Meet, greet, assist on arrival and transfer to the hotel. (Check-in time at hotel 1200 hours). Afternoon, explore Fort Kochi. One of the foremost trading centres on the west coast of India, Fort Kochi drew colonial interest with its aromatic spices. Chinese, Portuguese, Arab and Dutch travelers, traders and settlers visited the town and in came a cocktail of religions, cultural practices, and diverse food. Kerala owes its cosmopolitan vibe to the travelers who braved the seas to come to this land. Fort Kochi is dotted with remnants of the past, which you can discover on foot. Step out to see the Basilica and the famous Chinese fishing nets. Enjoy short Tuk-Tuk rides in Fort Kochi. Also visit Mattancherry (4km from Fort Kochi), which has an artistic vibe with its low hanging balconies, frayed homes turned into galleries, a sprawling antiques & spices market and some landmark monuments – the Pardesi Synagogue and Dutch Palace. You can roam the narrow Jewish town streets, exploring small shops, eating joints and visiting the monuments. During the walk visit spice dying yards, hidden art galleries, atmospheric cafes (try Kashi Art Café and Tea Pot), boutiques (spend some time on your own exploring beautiful café’s and art galleries). Dinner & overnight at the hotel.

• Day 2: Kochi – Alleppey/Backwaters (58 Kms, 1-2 hours)

  After breakfast, we start off gently with an easy leg to get used to our bikes and the Indian way of the road. We spend this first day of riding cruising on Malabar’s pretty coastal road, passing numerous beaches and taking in its notable Christian influence. Afternoon we explore the rural town of Alleppey where you can find villagers working in their rice paddy fields. You may enjoy local palm wine too(Toddy). Dinner & overnight stay in the backwaters.

• Day 3: Alleppey – Kumily (145 Kms, 3-4 hours)

  After breakfast, we head for Kumily, a small town in the Periyar National Park, a fantastic stretch through spice gardens and mountainscapes. We cross some backwaters, surrounded by idyllic coconut trees, turquoise waters and colourful saris galore until we reach the foothills of the Western Ghats, a long mountain range that runs along the whole of the south-western coast. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

• Day 4: Kumily – Munnar (102 Kms, 3-4 hours)

  After breakfast, take a winding road to Munnar. We find ourselves on the highest mountain in south India, which stands at an impressive 2,700 m altitude (Anamudi, Kannan Devan hills). Munnar is a commercial center in the heart of some of the highest tea plantations in the world. At the end of the day, we can take an extra bike ride on very narrow, windy roads through the tea plantations. Dinner & overnight at the hotel.

• Day 5: Munnar

  After leisurely breakfast enjoy the day around Munnar, in the midst of its abundant tea plantations and generous nature. Since we are on the border of the Eravikulam National Park, many suggestions to fill this stage will be proposed to you, there are so many possibilities here! According to your wishes and preferences, this superb, relatively short loop, will be arranged by your tour leader. We will take a short ride to Kolukkumalai, the highest tea estate in the world. Dinner & overnight at the hotel.

• Day 6: Munnar – Kodaikanal (174 Kms, 5-6 hours)

  After breakfast, enjoy many more mountain roads with views over spectacular bodies of water. We briefly drop back down to the warm Tamil plains, only to climb back up to the Kodaikanal region, with the welcome fresh mountain air of the Palani hills. An English hill town, popular for its large cedar, wild mushrooms and eucalyptus forests. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

• Day 7: Kodaikanal – Palakkad (175 Kms, 4-5 hours)

  Start the day with breakfast at the hotel. Head north back down the Palani hills to enjoy some wonderful views, especially overlooking Palar dam. We pass through Palani, a small holy town, where scenes of religious fervour are commonplace. We take another series of beautiful mountainous roads, passing remote villages on our way as we push on through the Tamil Nadu plains north of the mountain range surrounded by lush, peaceful countryside. Go around the ancient village in evening for a short walk. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

• Day 8: Palakkad – Ooty (140 Kms, 3-4 hours)

  After breakfast, continue the adventure through farmlands and skirt around Elivai Malai. Dense forests and tea plantations surround us once more as we climb towards Ooty, another ancient hill station much-loved by the English, set at the foot of the Doddabetta, the highest peak in the Nilgiri range (2,637 m). We make a crazily steep ascent on a series of 35 hairpin bends over only 12 miles! Dinner & overnight at the hotel.

• Day 9: Ooty - Thrissur ( 198 Kms/ 5-6 hours)

  Start the day with breakfast at hotel. We take in impeccable views as we slowly but surely descend through Mukurthi National Park on our way back to the plains. The route is peppered with forests and plantations and some stretches are just as steep as the previous day. Then, we descend into the plain to reach Cheruthuruthy (Thrissur) and make the most of our hotel after a long drive, a haven of peace. Dinner & overnight at hotel.

• Day 10: Thrissur – Vypin Island/Guruvayur

  After breakfast, head towards the coast and Guruvayur, a spiritual Hindu town, which abounds with religious paraphernalia shops and thousands of Hindu pilgrims visiting each day. Lunch in the area, then we take the coastal road to Vypin Island and its numerous beaches that have only just gained popularity among tourists. Dinner & overnight at the hotel.

• Day 11: Cochin ( Departure)

  Breakfast at hotel You can spend the morning relaxing on the palm tree-lined beach, where we can walk between the salt ponds. To finish our journey, we enjoy a feast of narrow roads through some more backwaters, over tiny bridges, passing fishing and farming villages, rice paddies and tropical fruit plantations until we reach our final destination. Today you bid farewell to your rides. After farewell dinner and in time transfer to International airport to connect homebound flight.

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