 THE
SOUTHERN RAJ
A cultural tour of India
This unique journey reveals Southern India's rich cultural heritage, brings unforgettable images from the past centuries and leaves a lasting spell on our souls. In addition to this we venture to the most preferred beach destination in India, Goa, to experience the delightful white sand beaches and explore the remains of Portuguese traditions.
|
Tour
Summary
|
Map
|
Day
|
Place
|
|
01-02
|
Mumbai
(Bombay) |
|
03
|
Mumbai
/ Goa |
| 04 |
Goa |
|
05
|
Goa
/ Bangalore |
|
06
|
Bangalore
/ Hassan |
|
07
|
Hassan
/ Mysore |
|
08
|
Mysore |
| 09 |
Mysore
/ Chennai (Madras) |
| 10 |
Chennai
/ Mamallapuram / Chennai |
| 11 |
Chennai
/ Departure |
|
 |
Day 01: Arrive Mumbai (Bombay)
Namaste! Welcome to Mumbai, as it is now
known, where we are greeted the Mumbaiwala
style to the city that never sleeps.
Overnight: Hotel in Mumbai (2 Nights)
 Day
02: Mumbai
This is one of the largest cities in the
world and is home to the largest film industry
in the world. Bombay is a city full of life
and history and, as the saying goes, "Bombay
never sleeps". We start our journey
with the Gateway of India landmark archway,
which includes the world's largest open-air
laundry, Jain Temple, Marine Drive, Hanging
Gardens and the Prince of Wales Museum. Afternoon
free to immerse in the local bazaars. Bombay
offers a lot of attractions in the field
of art and theatre and this evening is a
good time to experience them. (B, D)
Day
03: Mumbai / Goa (flight)
A short flight takes us to the one time Portuguese
colony of Goa, which offers a unique blend
of India with a strong Portuguese influence.
We are transferred to our beachside resort
to enjoy the relaxing Goan lifestyle and sea
activities. The beaches in Goa offer both
quite and a public area where one would find lots
of families enjoying the silver sands and the
local hawker selling home cooked snacks.
Overnight: Hotel in Goa (2 Nights) (B, D)
Day 04: Goa
Today is free for leisure activities in this
tropical beach resort. You may also wish to
visit the World Heritage Site of the churches
and convents of Goa, the former capital of
the Portuguese Indies. Of particular interest
is the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains
the tomb of St Francis-Xavier, a great illustration
of the evangelization of Asia. These monuments
were influential in spreading forms of Manueline,
Mannerist and Baroque art to all the countries
of Asia where missions were established. (B, D)
Day 05: Goa / Bangalore (flight)
A short flight gets us to the garden city of
Bangalore, also now known as the high-tech
centre of India. Our tour of this clean city
covers the Botanical Garden, the Visveswariah
Museum, and the famous Mysore Arts and Craft
Center. Bangalore is the capital of Karnataka.
It is called the Garden City due to its delicate
blossoms and greenery that impart a unique
beauty to this lovely city. The weather is
the city's best feature, with pleasant summers
and bearable winters. Bangalore is a cosmopolitan
city, where a variety of cultures and customs
thrive. Kempe Gowda founded the city in 1537
- is today a bustling and diverse city with
ancient arts that flourish alongside the Silicon
Plateau of India.
Overnight: Hotel in Bangalore (1 Night) (B, D)
 Day 06: Bangalore / Hassan (drive 190kms / 115 mi)
An interesting drive through the countryside
conveys us to the famous Southern Indian Temple
city of Hassan. Hassan is a calm and peaceful
town and a convenient base from which to visit
Belur and Halebid. We have the evening to enjoy
walking through the town and chatting with
locals enthusiastic to practice their English.
Overnight: Hotel in Hassan (1 night) (B, D)
Day 07: Hassan / Mysore (drive 200kms / 123 mi)
Our morning tour of Hassan includes the exquisite temples
of Belur and Halebid.
The main structure of the temple in Belur, which is star-shaped,
is a homogenous architectural unit on a raised platform.
Inside, even in the darkness, you can see the hand-lathe
turned shining pillars, each unique in its own splendor.
Halebid was known as Dwara Samudra, the wealthy capital
of the Hoysalas. The great city of Dwarasamudra flourished
as a Capital of the Hoysala Empire during the 12th & 13th
centuries, reflected in the strikingly beautiful Hoysala
temples. Then we proceed to beautiful Srirangapatnam,and
visit Tipu Sultan's summer palace.
Overnight: Hotel in
Mysore (2 Nights) (B, D)
Day 08: Mysore
Mysore the city of Palaces, has never failed to mesmerize
with its quaint charm, rich heritage, magnificent palaces,
imposing buildings, sacred temples broad shady avenues
and beautiful gardens. Our morning tour includes the
Maharajah's Palace, the Shri Chamundeswari Temple and
the Nadi Shiva's Mount. The evening is free to enjoy
the Vrindavan Garden and City Palace, which is beautifully
lit on certain days. (B, D)
Day
09: Mysore / Chennai (Madras) (Train)
We take the late afternoon Express train to Chennai (formerly known as Madras). We arrive late in the evening.
Overnight: Hotel in Chennai (2 Nights) (B)
 Day
10: Chennai / Mamallapuram / Chennai
Today we take an excursion to the World
Heritage Site of Mahabalipuram. This
group of sanctuaries, founded by the
Pallava kings, was carved out of the
rock along the Coromandel Coast in the
7th and 8th centuries. It is known especially
for its rathas (temples in the form of
chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries),
giant open-air reliefs such as the famous
'Descent of the Ganges', and the temple
of Rivage, with thousands of sculptures
to the glory of Shiva. On our return
we tour Chennai, culturally one of the
richest cities of India. We visit the
Kapaleeswarar, the ancient Shiva Temple,
Santhome Church and the bazaar. (B)
Day 11: Depart Chennai
After an interesting insight into the colourful
and mystical Dravidian India, we bid farewell
to our journey of Southern Raj and are transferred
for our flight back home. (B)
Departure
Dates |
2012
English Speaking Departures
Jan 15, Feb 19, Mar 18, Apr 15, May 13, Jun 17, Jul 15, Aug 12, Sep 16, Oct 14, Nov 18 & Dec 09
|
Inclusions |
| Tour
Price Includes |
Tour
Price Does Not Include |
Accommodation on twin-share basis in hotels as selected. |
International Airfare |
Daily buffet breakfast as per the itinerary
(B=Breakfast, D=Dinner) |
Visa Fees / Insurance |
Transport in air-conditioned vehicle for all sightseeing tours, arrival and departure transfers as per the itinerary |
Tips / Gratuities |
Assistance on arrival / departure and Porter's fee at the airport and railway station only |
|
Services of local English speaking guide for the sight-seeing as per the itinerary at each city |
|
Regional/Domestic Air Bombay/Goa & Goa/Bangalore (Fares Subject To Change) |
|
Train tickets |
|
Visa Support as required |
|
|
Tour
Price |
|
| We
accept payment in US $ (US Dollars),
CA $ (Canadian Dollars) or equivalent
EURO (for clients outside North America).
Bestway
Tours & Safaris offers conversion rate protection.
Once full payment has been received, and no
modification has been made to the tour itinerary,
we will honour that rate.
For
complete payment procedures, please download
 Bestway_Payment_Info.pdf
Note: to read this file you must have Adobe
Acrobat. |
| Hotel
Category |
Double
Occupancy |
Single
Room Supplement |
| HIGH
SEASON VALID FROM January 01, 2011 TO April 15,
2012 |
| Option 1 |
US $ 2625 |
US
$ 825 |
| Option 2 |
US
$ 3285 |
US
$ 1350 |
| Option 3 |
US
$ 3775 |
US
$ 1550 |
Hotels
City |
Option 1 |
Option 2 |
Option 3 |
Mumbai
(2 Nights) |
Fariyaz Hotel
(Standard room) |
Taj President
(Standard City View Room) |
The Taj Mahal Hotel
(Superior city View Room) |
Goa
(2 Nights) |
The O Resort
(Excutive Room) |
Fort Aguada Beach Resort
(Superior Room) |
Taj Holiday Village
(Cottage Garden View) |
Bangalore
(1 Night) |
Regallis
(Standard Room) |
The Taj Gateway Hotel
(Superior Room) |
Taj Residency
(Superior Room) |
Hassan
(1 Night) |
Southern Star
(Standard Room) |
Southern Star
(Standard Room) |
Southern Star
(Standard Room) |
Mysore
(2 Nights) |
Hotel Sandesh The Prince
(ExcutiveRoom) |
Regallis
(Standard Room) |
Regallis
(Standard Room) |
Chennai
(2 Nights) |
The Pride
( Standard Room) |
Trident Hilton
(Superior Room) |
Taj Connemara Hotel
(Superior Room) |
|
Estimated
International Airfare - International
airfare is NOT included in this tour |
| Canada
- West Coast |
US
$ 1600 |
USA
- West Coast |
US
$ 1400 |
| Canada
- East Coast |
US
$ 1200 |
USA
- East Coast |
US
$ 1000 |
|
Participants |
| This
tour operates on a minimum of 02 and a maximum
of 15 participants. |
Notes
|
Customised
Itinerary
If you would like to have a tour on dates
other than the above ones or with a customised
itinerary, please contact us and we will be happy
to work out an exclusive program for you.
Foreign Language Departures
Please contact us for information on French,
German,
Italian and Spanish
speaking departures.
You may e-mail us at bestway@bestway.com
or call us at 604.264.7378. Residents of
U.S.A./Canada may call us toll free at 1.800.663.0844. |
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