TravelEscapades
BY MOUNTAIN TRAIL HOLIDAYS PVT LTD
TOUR HIGHLIGHTS
After having a relaxing one night’s stay at the Bangalore city, port of entry into India, we drive you to Mysore or Mysuru, as known today – A historical city in the state of Karnataka famous for the magnificent Mysore palace once home to the Wadiyar Dynasty. Our next destination is Hassan – Once ruled by the Hoysala Dynasty, Hassan is the temple architecture capital of Karnataka. The main attractions near Hassan are famous temples of Belur, Halebidu and the towering Gomateshvara Bahubali statue situated at the historical town of Shravanabelagola. Until Hassan your trip will be pretty active and to slow the pace down completely which by now you’d surely realize the need for, we take you to the serene beaches of Nileshwar
ITINERARY DETAILS
Day 1-Stay at Fort Kochi – Meal included - Dinner
Arrival at Kochi International airport and get transferred to hotel at Fort Kochi. This should be a relaxing day with some neighbourhood exploration on foot.
Day2 – Stay at Mysore. Meal included – Breakfast & Dinner
Drive to Mysore City (5Hrs) with a pit stop or two en-route, enjoying some local food like Dosa, Idli Sambhar, Coconut Chutney & of course the famous filter coffee (Kappa) of Southern India. We plan the itinerary in a way that you land at Mysore on a Sunday so that you get to experience the lighting of the Mysore Palace which happens 07:00-08:00pm on Sundays and on public holidays only.
Day3- Stay at Mysore. Meal included – Breakfast & Dinner
Today explore the historic city on Tuk Tuks (the small, three wheeled, take you anywhere, rides). We’ll be accompanied with a guide who will tell you basics about the city, just to get some idea of where’s what and experience the Tuk Tuk ride. You can have lunch at an Indian Restaurant serving local delights. The RRR (a restaurant) comes recommended for their Biryani (Rice dish flavoured with Indian spices) served on a banana leaf with several condiments to enhance the culinary experience. Evening you have a guided walking tour of the Mysore city, starting at around 5pm which also includes a mix of local culinary experiences like Indian Samosa. The walk ends at about 08:30pm. Post the walk we return to the hotel.
Day4- Stay at Mysore. Meal included – Breakfast & Dinner
Early Morning (before breakfast) you head out, in tuk tuks or a mini coach, as preferred by you, to the famous Chamundi Hill to visit the Goddess Chamundeshwari Temple and the Nandi Bull statue. You have an option of climbing the whole 1000 steps or the last 300 or getting dropped all the way on top of the hill where the temple is. Same options on your way back. Return after the temple visit, should be in good time for breakfast which is usually at one of the most popular South Indian restaurants at Mysore. Return to the hotel and rest of the day at leisure. You can use the day to explore the local markets and indulge in some shopping. Some can also visit the sandalwood soap factory, silk weaving factory, the natural essential oils shop, the incense sticks shop and the bidi (mini cigars) making workshop. Separate Tuk tuks can be arranged on request for any/all transfers. Overnight stay at Mysore
Day5-Stay at Mysore. Meal included – Breakfast & Dinner
Visit the famous heritage site of Srirangapatna – Surrounded by river Kaveri, Srirangapatna is one of the most important Vaishnavite centers of pilgrimage in South India and the temple here was built by the Ganga Dynasty in the 9th century. Srirangapatna is where Tipu Sultan built his summer palace in 1784. Built mostly in teak wood, it is one of the main tourist attractions near Mysore.
Day 6- Stay at Hassan. Meal included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
You enjoy an early breakfast and travel by road to Hassan – Famous for Historical Hoysala Dynasty architecture and Jain Temples. En-route we stop at the town of Shravanabelgola which is a historical jain pilgrimage site with remnants from yesteryears. The most popular temple is the Gomateshwara which has the world’s tallest monolithic stone statue of Bahubali, a Jain preacher. Arrive at village resort around lunch time. Rest of the day at leisure.
Day 7-Stay at Hassan. Meal included – Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Early morning, around 8 am departure by road to visit the historical Halebidu and Belur temples. An English speaking guide will accompany us for the temple tour. In the second half, you can enjoy some ayurvedic massages, join a cookery class, enjoy a magic show before dinner, or explore the neighboring village on a bullock cart.
Day 8 onwards for 6 nights- stay on a beach at Nileshwar. Meal included – Breakfast & Dinner
Travel to the pristine Nileshwar beach, by road (approx. 4.5Hrs one way). It’s time to just chill, enjoy some yoga and meditation, get pampered with Kerala special ayurveda massages, visit the pepper plantations, head out for village and nature treks, go for backwater cruises on houseboats and Shikaras, swim in the Arabian Sea or use the resorts swimming pool. If it’s the right time of the year, enjoy some local festivals like the famous Theyyam which is a religious and ritualistic dance and drama. Nileshwar is one of the most serene, clean and peaceful beaches of Kerala.
Day 12 - Departure - Meal Included – Breakfast.
Transfer by road to the Mangalore airport which is 2.5 Hrs drive from Nileshwar.
KNOW MORE
Mysore
State: Karnataka
A historical city in the state of Karnataka famous for the magnificent Mysore palace once home to the Wadiyar Dynasty. Also famous for it’s Mysore silk, incense and of course Yoga and Ayurveda. Enjoy temples, Chamundeshwari being on top of the list and there are so many more like the famous Somnathapura, feast on South Indian culinary delights, submerge in heritage and culture, enjoy guided walking tours, tuk tuk rides, if lucky get to experience some local festivities as well like the world famous, extravagant Mysore Dasara – Celebrating Indian Dussehra which signifies the victory of good over evil. While at Mysore a visit to the neighbouring town of Srirangapatna is a must with Hoysala style temples and Tipu Sultan’s fort. You can leave Mysore but Mysore will never leave you. It’s an incredible city.
Weather: Mysore enjoys a moderate climate with cool winters and warm summers. The summer in Mysore is from March to June. This season is the driest with May and June being the hottest months. Temperatures during this period range from a minimum of 21º Celsius and goes up to a maximum of 34º Celsius. Temperature range during winters which extends from December to February is 16-27 DegC.
Closest airport: Mysore or Mandakalli airport which is a domestic airport. The closest international airport is Bangalore (140Kms.)
Railway station: Mysore Junction
Best time to visit: October to March. October is best for the Mysore Dasara (Dussehra) festival.
Generally spoken language: Kannada is the official Language but people speak good English as the literacy rate is close to 90% and it’s a popular tourist destination. Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi are also spoken
Population: 1,185,000
Altitude: 760 Mtrs approx.
Weather: Mysore enjoys a moderate climate with cool winters and warm summers. The summer in Mysore is from March to June. This season is the driest with May and June being the hottest months. Temperatures during this period range from a minimum of 21º Celsius and goes up to a maximum of 34º Celsius. Temperature range during winters which extends from December to February is 16-27 DegC.
Closest airport: Mysore or Mandakalli airport which is a domestic airport. The closest international airport is Bangalore (140Kms.)
Railway station: Mysore Junction
Best time to visit: October to March. October is best for the Mysore Dasara (Dussehra) festival.
Generally spoken language: Kannada is the official Language but people speak good English as the literacy rate is close to 90% and it’s a popular tourist destination. Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi are also spoken
Population: 1,185,000
Altitude: 760 Mtrs approx.
Hassan
State: Karnataka
Our next destination is Hassan – Once ruled by the Hoysala Dynasty, Hassan is the temple architecture capital of Karnataka. The main attractions near Hassan are famous temples of Belur, Halebidu and the towering Gomateshvara Bahubali statue situated at the historical town of Shravanabelagola.
Weather: Winter (November to February) Temperature range is 15-28 DegC. Summers (March – May) are warm with high temperatures touching 35 DegC and high and uncomfortable levels of humidity. During Monsoons (June-September) Hassan receives heavy rainfall.
Closest Airport: Mysore is the closest domestic airport (130Kms) and Mangalore is the closest international airport (180 Kms) but the Bangalore international airport is the most viable with the maximum flight options (210Kms)
Railway Station: Hassan Junction
Best time to visit: November - February
Language: Kannada and basic English.
Population: 173,000 approx.
Altitude: 950 Mtrs ASL.
Neeleshwar
State: Kerala
Also known as Nileshwaram is the cultural capital of Kasargod district, having a rich cultural heritage with folk arts, temple festivals and sacred groves. Very famous for its pristine beaches and lush green backwaters. The local people are very fond of celebrating festivals with a lot of dance and drama and if your timing is right you could experience the festivals, Theyyam being the most celebrated. At Nileshwar one can also enjoy yoga, ayurveda massages, nature trek, village visits, Houseboat lunch cruise and of course, complete relaxation on the sun kissed, golden sandy beaches.
Weather: Winters stretch from December to February. During January & February Nileshwar receives least amount of rainfall. November to mid-March the temperature range is 21-32 DegC. Summers are hot and humid stretching from mid-March until May post which the monsoons arrive and the heavy rains come in from June up till September.
Closest Airport: Mangalore (97Kms)
Railway Station: Nileshwar railway station but major train connections are from Kannur (62Kms), Kanhangad (11Kms) and Mangalore (85Kms).
Best time to visit: December to February
Language: Malayalam and basic English as the literacy rate is good.
Population: 55,000
Altitude: 12 Mtrs ASL.