Coast to Coast - Chennai to Kochi Cycling Adventure

Day 1 Chennai - Arrival

1. 1

   Chennai (Madras)

   4 hours

   Begin your cycle journey from Chennai the capital of Tamil Nadu and flip through 1000+ pages
   of history as you slowly traverse the paths of rich culture and heritage.
   Check-In time : 2pm
   Group Meeting at 6 pm. Meet your leader at the lobby.

Day 2 Chennai To Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram), Cycling Distance 60 kms approx

1. 1

   Shore Temple

   8 hours Admission ticket included

   In the morning, we move out of Chennai towards Mahabalipuram. Wander around the seaport of
   the ancient Pallava Kingdom.
   Learn about the town’s ancient archaeological wonders.

2. 2

   Krishna's Butter Ball

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Krishna's Gigantic Butterball) is a gigantic balancing rock, granite boulder resting on a short incline in the historical coastal resort town of Mamallapuram in the Tamil Nadu state of India.
   Being part of the Group of Monuments at Mamallapuram, a UNESCO World Heritage Site built during the seventh- and eighth-century CE as Hindu religious monuments by the Pallava dynasty, it is a popular tourist attraction locally. It is listed as a protected national monument by the Archeological Survey of India

Day 3 Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) to Pondicherry, Cycling Distance 55 kms approx

1. 1

   Pondicherry

   8 hours

   En route to Pondicherry we visit a magnificent fort. A relaxing ride, through the calm
   surroundings. Till we reach our much-needed energy break at a café. Here on we proceed and learn about the former French colony.

Day 4 Exploring Pondicherry, Cycling Distance 45 kms approx

1. 1

   Seaside Promenade

   2 hours

   Rock Beach (or, known as, "Pondicherry Beach") is the popular stretch of beachfront in the city of Puducherry, India, along the Bay of Bengal. It is a 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, starting from War Memorial and ending at Dupleix Park on Goubert Avenue.

2. 2

   Auroville

   3 hours

   Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity. (The Mother).
   Auroville, sometimes referred to as "The City of Dawn" is conceived for 50,000 inhabitants from around the world. At the centre stands the Matrimandir, the "soul of the city", a place for individual silent concentration, in an oval shaped Peace Area surrounded by a lake.

3. 3

   Sri Aurobindo Ashram

   1 hour

   The Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a spiritual community (ashram) located in Pondicherry, in the Indian territory of Puducherry. The ashram grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he retired from politics and settled in Pondicherry in 1910. On 24 November 1926, after a major spiritual realization, Sri Aurobindo withdrew from public view in order to continue his spiritual work. At this time he handed over the full responsibility for the inner and outer lives of the sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) and the ashram to his spiritual collaborator, "The Mother", earlier known as Mirra Alfassa. This date is therefore generally known as the founding day of the ashram, though, as Sri Aurobindo himself wrote, it had "less been created than grown around him as its centre.

Day 5 Pondicherry to Thanjavur, Cycling Distance 65 kms approx

1. 1

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   Thanjai Mamani Koil is a set of three adjacent Hindu temples dedicated to Vishnu located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Divya Desams, the 108 temples of Vishnu revered by the 12 poet saints called the Alvars.Unlike other Divya Desams where a single shrine is referenced, this set of temples is referred to together in all the pasurams (sacred hymns).
   The temples are believed to be of significant antiquity with contributions at different times from Medieval Cholas, the Vijayanagara Empire, and Madurai Nayaks. The temples are enshrined within granite walls and the three complexes contains all the shrines of the temple.

2. 2

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   Brihadishvara Temple, called Rajarajesvaram (lit. 'Lord of Rajaraja') by its builder, and known locally as Thanjai Periya Kovil ("Thanjavur Big Temple") and Peruvudaiyar Kovil, is a Shaivite Hindu temple built in a Chola architectural style located on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the largest Hindu temples and an exemplar of Tamil architecture. It is also called Dakshina Meru ("Meru of the South). Built by Chola emperor Rajaraja I between 1003 and 1010 CE, the temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples", along with the hola-era Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara temple, which are about 70 kilometres (43 mi) and 40 kilometres (25 mi) to its northeast respectively.

Day 6 Thanjavur to Kanadukathan, Cycling Distance 60 kms approx

1. 1

   Kanadukathan

   8 hours

   After spending the night at Thanjavur we move towards Kanadukathan to experience India’s
   tropical countryside. The village experience is sure to take us back to our roots, relishing our values, the
   days of simplicity, a necessity in today’s fast life.

2. 2

   Chettinad

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Kanadukathan Palace is a palace situated in Kanadukathan in Sivaganga District, in Tamil Nadu, India. This palace is a composite of art, architecture and tradition. As an example, it exposes the cultural facets of the Chettinadu people. The wishes of Chettiars are found elsewhere throughout the structure. Ornamental lights, teak wood materials, glasses, marble, carpets and crystals were imported from overseas for the construction of the building. In spite of that, it has different types of arts and styles in unique ways.

Day 7 Kanadukathan to Madurai, Cycling Distance 55 kms approx

1. 1

   Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

   2 hours Admission ticket included

   Arulmigu Meenakshi Sundaraswarar Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi, a form of Parvati, and her consort, Sundareshwarar, a form of Shiva.The temple is at the center of the ancient temple city of Madurai mentioned in the Tamil Sangam literature, with the goddess temple mentioned in 6th-century CE texts. This temple is one of the Paadal Petra Sthalams. The Paadal Petra sthalams are 275 temples of lord Shiva that are revered in the verses of Tamil Saiva Nayanars of the 6th-9th century CE.
   The west tower (gopuram) of the temple is the model based on which the Tamil Nadu State Emblem is designed.
   We visit the temple at night.

Day 8 Exploring Madurai, Cycling Distance 25 kms approx

1. 1

   Gandhi Memorial Museum

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Gandhi Memorial Museum, established in 1959, is a memorial museum for Mahatma Gandhi located in the city of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. Known as Gandhi Museum, it is now one of the five Gandhi Sanghralayas (Gandhi Museums) in the country. It includes a part of the blood-stained garment worn by Gandhi when he was assassinated by Nathuram Godse.

2. 2

   Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple

   4 hours Admission ticket included

   We visit the temple in the morning and cycle around the temple and also visit a famous flower market.

Day 9 Madurai to Periyar, Cycling Distance 65 kms approx

1. 1

   Periyar Spice & Ayurvedic Garden

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   We visit a spice garden and learn more about the spices and herbs of India.

Day 10 Exploring Periyar

1. 1

   Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

   4 hours Admission ticket included

   We do either Bamboo Rafting or a guided walking tour inside the park. Tickets are subjected to availability.

2. 2

   Kadathanadan Kalari & Navarasa Kathakali

   1 hour Admission ticket included

   Kalaripayattu-the oldest of martial arts is a gift to the modern world and is known as the mother of all martial arts.
   Legend traces the 3000-year-old art form to sage Parasurama-the master of all martial art forms and credited to be the re-claimer of Kerala from the arabian sea.
   Kalaripayattu originated in ancient south India. Kung-fu, popularized by the monks of the Shaolin temple traces its ancestry to Bodhi Dharma-an Indian Buddhist monk and Kalaripayattu master.

Day 11 Periyar to Kumarakom, Cycling Distance 60 kms approx

1. 1

   Kumarakom

   8 hours

   Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam (10 kilometres (6 mi), in Kerala, India, famous for its backwater tourism. It is set in the backdrop of the Vembanad Lake, the largest lake in the state of Kerala.

Day 12 Half day Houseboat cruise

1. 1

   Alleppey Backwaters

   4 hours Admission ticket included

   Enjoy a relaxing day sailing in a private houseboat. Sail around the world-famous Kerela Backwaters.

Day 13 Kumarakom to Kochi, Cycling Distance 45 kms approx

1. 1

   Jew Town

   3 hours

   Cochin Jews (also known as Malabar Jews) are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots that are claimed to date back to the time of King Solomon. The Cochin Jews settled in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now part of the state of Kerala. As early as the 12th century, mention is made of the Jews in southern India Benjamin of Tudela. They are known to have developed Judeo-Malayalam, a dialect of the Malayalam language.

2. 2

   Fort Kochi

   2 hours

   Explore the lanes and streets of Fort Kochi

Day 14 Guided tour of Kochi

1. 1

   Church of Saint Francis

   1 hour

   Saint Francis Church, in Fort Kochi (Fort Cochin), Kochi, originally built in 1503, is one of the oldest European churches in India and has great historical significance as a mute witness to the European colonial struggle in the subcontinent. The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his third visit to India. His body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were moved to Lisbon and are now located at Jerónimos Monastery.

2. 2

   Chinese Fishing Nets

   30 min Admission ticket included

   The huge cantilevered Chinese fishing nets that that droop towards the waters like over-sized hammocks have become a hallmark that represents Fort Kochi on the tourist map. Once just a fishing accessory, it is a now a big bait for tourists.
   Chinese fishing nets - Cheenavala in Malayalam - is believed to have been introduced in Kochi by Chinese explorer Zheng He, from the court of the Kubla Khan. The fishing net established itself on the Kochi shores between 1350 and 1450 AD.

3. 3

   Kerala Kathakali Center

   3 hours Admission ticket included

   When travelling to South India, one must watch the traditional Kathakali Dance which is one of the oldest theatre dance forms in the world. Kochi is one of the best places to witness this heritage dance form. Kathakali artists wear elaborate, billowing costumes with intricately painted faces, flowing scarves, detailed ornaments, and magnificent crowns.
   This classical Indian dance performance tells stories of Hindu mythology, especially the two epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata through footwork and hand gestures. You don't always need an adventure sport to feel the goosebumps, see for yourself by booking this package of this traditional heritage dance form in an air-conditioned theatre.

Day 15 Kochi - Departure day

1. 1

   Chennai (Madras)

   4 hours

   Today will be your departure day, speak to your group leader for your airport drop.
   Check out time : 11am