Of Kerala and Kings

A two week holiday that enables you to explore Kerala and Sri Lanka. Visit Cochin and the Backwaters of Kerala before ascending to a coffee and cardamom plantation high up in the Western Ghats to stay in a tree house. From there, fly to Sri Lanka to spend some time at an Elephant Orphanage and discovering the island’s Buddhist roots.

Your guide will meet you in the foyer of the hotel and escort you on a private sightseeing tour of Fort Kochi, the old quarter of Cochin.

More on Cochin 

You will be transferred to Alleppey in the heart of the backwaters. Here you will meet your houseboat and her crew, who will transfer you to your next destination.

The best way to explore the backwaters is by houseboat. Traditional rice boats, kettuvallam, have been converted by local carpenters. Accommodation comprises a double room, bathroom and a sitting room complete with its own sun-deck. The sides can be opened to ensure a cool breeze and panoramic views of the passing scenery. Guests are looked after by a crew of three and delicious traditional Keralan meals are served, including freshly caught fish bought from passing fisherman.

More on the Backwaters 

You will be met and transferred back to the airport in Cochin in time to check in for your flight to Calicut. Here, you will be met and transferred up into the Nilgiri mountains, to the hill station Sultan’s Battery.

You will be transferred back to Calicut in time to check in for your flight to Colombo. Here you will be met and transferred up into the centre of the island, to Kandy.

More on Kandy 

You will have the opportunity to visit the Elephant Orphanage.

The Elephant Orphanage is about an hours drive from Kandy and is a good chance for people to get up close and personal with a pachyderm. It is a good idea to go and have lunch by the river as after feeding, they are all brought down to bathe and to watch them from a vantage point with a cold drink is a pleasant experience.

In the evening, you will be taken to the Temple of the Tooth to see the blessing ceremony with all the fanfare, drums, trumpets and brightly coloured Monks performing their rituals.

You will also have the chance to visit the Peradeniya Botanical Gardens, which were the naturally camouflaged operations HQ of SEAC Supreme Allied Commander, Lord Louis Mountbatten, during the Second World War and to see a cultural show whilst in Kandy.

You will be transferred up into the Cultural Triangle. On the way, you will have the chance to visit spice gardens growing a variety of spices, such as cinnamon, pepper and nutmeg. These are the places to invest in top quality Ayurvedic remedies and oils, although they do not come cheap. It was for these spices that Sri Lanka was initially colonised by the Portuguese, Dutch and British. You will also go via the Dambulla Cave Temples.

You will be transferred by road to Kurunegala. This is an interesting journey, travelling thorough rural areas and small villages. Each one specialises in a different local industry, such as cashew nuts, pineapples and reed weaving.

You will be transferred back to the airport in time to check in for your flight back to London with Sri Lankan Airlines.

PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR ITINERARIES ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE POSSIBILITIES AND ARE NOT SET IN STONE. WE WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO QUOTE FOR A HOLIDAY OF YOUR DESIGN. TO BOOK YOUR HOLIDAY CALL ONE OF OUR TRAVEL CONSULTANTS ON :

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