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Spice Of The South

Duration: 16 Nights / 17 Days
Places to Visit: Bangalore - Mysore - Coorg - Hassan - Halebid - Sravanabelgola - Hospet - Badami - Dandeli - Goa - Aurangabad - Mumbai

Day 01 Arrive Bangalore – Mysore
Upon arrival meet and assist by our representative and then transfer to your hotel in Mysore a short distance away. Reach your hotel and relax.
In the afternoon visit the summer capital of Tipu Sultan at Srirangapatnam which holds a few mural paintings depicting life tales of Tipu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali both a living terror to the British forces.

Day 02 Mysore – Somnathpur – Mysore
In the morning visit the Maharaja’s palace with ornate interiors suggests the rich and extravagant lifestyle of the rulers of this region. In the evening visit to the famous Bridavan gardens.

Day 03 Mysore – Coorg
In the morning leave Mysore and reach the hill station of Coorg. Rest of the day is at leisure.

Day 04 Coorg
Full day in Coorg visiting this quaint little hill station situated on the western ghats and commonly known as the Scotland of India.

Day 05 Coorg – Hassan
Drive to Hassan from Coorg in the morning via a visit to the Raja’s Tomb at Gadduge and the romantic island of Nisargadama.

Day 06 Hassan – Belur – Halebid – Hassan
Hassan provides as the convenient base to visit the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebid. Halebid was the capital of the Hoysalas from the 11th century. Here we see the Hoysaleshwara temple built in 1125 AD.
Belur was also the Hoysala capital for some time. Here worth mentioning is the Chenna Kesava Vishnu temple from 1117AD built by the Hoysala kings.

Day 07 Hassan – Sravanabelgola – Hassan
In the morning we take you to an interesting excursion to Sravanabelgola – the great centre for Jain pilgrimage in the south. The 20 mts high statue of Gometeshwara carved out of a single rock is very impressive. This great figure is visible for about 15 kms and was built in 980AD by the local ruler. The view from atop the Indiragiri is excellent. Return to Hassan by early evening and relax at your hotel.

Day 08 Hassan – Hospet
Today you will travel through the unparalleled sights of Karnataka and reach Hospet via a visit to Chitradurga. Chitradurga gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped lofty hill found here. The Historic Fort is a marvel of military architecture that made it impregnable by the Nayak Palayagars. It has 19 gateways, 38 posterior entrances, a palace, a mosque, granaries, oil pits, four secret entrances and water tanks. Amidst rocky surroundings inside the fort complex on the hill are many temples. It is on a hilltop with a good view of the surrounding plains. The place is renowned for its Kallina Kote ("the place of the stone fort"), and is home to the "Fort of Seven Rounds", built with large stones. In the hill fort there are temples of the Sampige Siddeshwara, Hidimbeshwara (a cave shrine), Ekanathamma, Phalguneshwara, Gopalakrishan etc., amidst thick rocky surroundings.

Day 09 Hospet – Hampi – Hospet
Hampi is one of the magnificent ruined cities of the world and offers a totally different experience for the travelers. This city was the immense and a very rich capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Just outside the city limits lies Hospet on the site of the Tungabhadra Dam and dates back to the ancient ages of the Ramayana – it is believed that it is here that Rama met Hanuman the monkey god. The Vitthal temple is an excellent example of the Vijayanagara school of architecture.

Day 10 Hospet – Pattadakal – Aihole – Badami
In northern Karnataka is the 6th century capital of Badami fortified by nature and the Chalukyan king Pulaskein I. Here you see the cave temple dating back to 6th and 7th century. The first to caves are dedicated to Shiva the third to Vishnu and the fourth cave is a Jain faith cave. Later visit the museum with artifacts dating back to the 1st century BC.
Today in store is a full day excursion of Pattadakal and Aihole.
In Pattadakal the Sangameswara temple was constructed in 750 AD and bears a very strong resemblance to the Kailashnath temple of Kanchipuram as the architects were from the same area.
At Aihole there are a numerous Hindu and Jain temples that range in style from Cave to the simple well-evolved freestanding structures. The Ravala temple has the finest expression of art of that period.
Reach Badami after a fun filled day.
Sculptures at the Ladkhan temple are considered to be the earliest of the surviving structures. The nearby Durga temple is also very impressive.

Day 11 Badami – Dandeli
Leave Badami and reach Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary. Here we see the Indian Bison in its natural habitat.

Day 12 Dandeli – Goa
Leave Dandeli and reach Goa. Upon arrival check in at your beach resort and relax.

Day 13 Goa
Relax on the beach.

Day 14 Goa – Aurangabad by flight
In the morning enjoy the city tour of Goa. In time transfer to the airport for your flight to Aurangabad via Mumbai. Upon arrival transfer to your hotel.

Day 15 Aurangabad – Ajanta – Aurangabad
In the morning after your breakfast transfer to Ajanta. These Buddhist caves, were carved out of rock on a hillside in Maharashtra, in the first and second centuries B.C. Some of the caves are monasteries or prayer halls. Others have sculptures and paintings on the walls that depict the life of Buddha and events from the Jataka Tales. The Ajanta caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 16 Aurangabad – Ellora – Aurangabad
After breakfast, proceed for a day's tour of the Ellora Caves. These Buddhist, Jain and Hindu caves, carved from rock during the 5th to the 13th century A.D., are renowned for their sculpture and workmanship. The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Travel to the nearby Aurangabad Caves. These 12 caves are carved to form Viharas or monasteries and have some fine Buddhist carvings and sculpture.

Day 17 Aurangabad – Mumbai – Paris by flight
In time transfer to the airport for your flight to Mumbai. Upon arrival transfer to the international airport for your flight to Paris.

Tour price includes:
1. Daily breakfasts and dinner
2. All sight seeing and tours mentioned in the itinerary
3. French speaking local guide wherever available
4. Overnight stay in the hotels mentioned or similar
5. All applicable taxes
6. Airfare for sectors mentioned: Goa – Mumbai – Aurangabad – Mumbai
7. One jungle safari to view bisons in Dandeli
8. All entrance fees
9. Air conditioned car with chauffeur (Toyota Innova)
10. Drivers expenses and all other expenses for the car

Tour price is Euro 1690 per person on twin sharing basis.
Valid till 31 march 2008

CITY	HOTELS	NIGHTS	CATEGORY
MYSORE	NALAPAD RESIDENCY	2	3*
COORG	ORANGE COUNTY	2	RESORT
HASSAN	SOUTHERN STAR	3	3*
HOSPET	MALLIGI	2	4*
BADAMI	BADAMI COURT	1	4*
DANDELI	DANDELI RIVER RESORT	1	RESORT
GOA	THE VERCA PALMS	2	3*
AURANGABAD	QUALITY INN	3	4*

NOTE: VISA IS COMPULSORY TO TRAVEL TO INDIA FOR ALL FOREIGN NATIONALS.

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