South India overland tour
Single supplement available.
Mimimum age 16.
Description of South India overland tour
The best way to experience an area as fascinating and far-reaching as Kerala or Tamil Nadu is with a South India overland tour. The epic itinerary of this expertly guided, 15 day trip covers a mix of historic highlights, national parks, beach resorts and traditional towns.
We’ll cross the country using India’s incredible railway system, as well as travelling by bus and boat. Most of our accommodation will be in comfortable hotels, but you also get to experience an overnight stay in a Kerala houseboat, docked in a beautiful stretch of backwater and surrounded by coconut palms.
From their intricately carved pillars to their spectacular shrines, the temples and palaces of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are some of the most stunning in India. This overland tour takes us to Mysore, where we will visit the majestic Maharajah's Palace, an impressive royal residence and one of the most visited monuments in the country. Further south, in Madurai, we’ll explore the nine enormous, ornate gates (gopurams) of Meenakshi Temple, which are covered in innumerable statues of colourfully painted Hindu gods and goddesses.
There will be plenty of time for wildlife watching as we take a tour of the Bandipur National Park, an important area for Bengal tiger conservation and a large elephant population. There’s a chance we’ll spot a variety of animals including monkeys, deer and the Indian bison, all the while keeping an eye out for tigers and panthers.
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Price information
Single supplement available.
Mimimum age 16.
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Reviews
1 Reviews of South India overland tour
Reviewed on 25 Apr 2019 by Victoria Dyer
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
So many, Bandipur national park, Thekkady and spice garden, Madurai temple. Loads more experiences, whole holiday good.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Great holiday. Lots to see. Lots of travelling so limited relaxation time, although even in in the minibus could chat with others and watch the fascinating world go by.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Excellent
Responsible Travel
Planet
This trip visits the Bandipur National Park, which has the second highest tiger population in India and is part of the Project Tiger conservation programme, an initiative which aims to protect Bengal Tigers and their habitat. In an around Banidipur, traffic is banned in the hours of darkness to protect all wildlife from road accidents. Our visit helps support the project and therefore protect the tigers for the future.We take a couple of train journeys on the trip, one of which enables us to cover a long distance in the most environmentally-friendly way possible - with the added bonus of getting to experience the fabulous Indian train system! The other is a narrow gauge heritage railway line which winds its way through beautiful mountain scenery. Using this line creates a reason for this 120 year old system to be maintained and kept in close to its original condition.
As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.
People
One of the hotels we use on this trip supports the SOS Children's Villages charity which provides education and family-based care for orphaned children. For our night on the Houseboat we work with a local cooperative to ensure that the local economy benefits from our visit and the income generated is spread throughout the community.Our Indian tour leaders have a deep passion for their country and a desire to help travellers experience all it has to offer. They attend our annual training course, which has a strong focus on responsible tourism practices, ensuring that our trips run in accordance with our code of practice. At the start of each trip they provide guidance concerning local customs and culture to ensure that local sensibilities are understood and respected. Throughout the trip they encourage our groups to eat in small local restaurants along with the locals, try regional food, and support community shops and businesses.
As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.
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