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Itinerary Summary for The Luxury Oberoi Kerala Backwaters Cruise and Bangaram Island - [19 days]

Day 1 - Mumbai - Reception and welcome at Mumbai airport followed by transfer to your hotel. Overnight at The Leela Kempinksi.

Day 2 - Mumbai - Cochin - Fly to Cochin. Once a much prized pawn between the Portuguese, Dutch and English, Cochin has a history of being a premier port along the fabled "spice route" to the east. The story of Cochin Jews is fascinating. The Jews were the first to arrive as early as 587 BC and many trace their origins to King Solomon. Overnight at Brunton Boatyard.

Day 3 - Cochin - Visit the sights of Fort Cochin and the Pardesi synagogue, at the heart of what is called locally "Jew town". Overnight at Brunton Boatyard.

Day 4 - Cochin - Thekkady - Drive to Thekkady (about four hours.). Thekkady is situated on the Western Ghats in Kerala. This spectacular and scenic drive takes you through gentle hills, which are punctuated with vast expanses of tea plantations, rubber and coffee plantations, meandering upwards to the aromatic forests where spice grows in abundance. Overnight at The Spice Village.

Day 5 - Thekkady Leisure day and boat ride on Lake Periyar to view the abundant and varied wildlife on the shore. Overnight at The Spice Village.

Day 6 - Thekkady - Leisure day to enjoy the beautiful resort and its beach. Overnight at The Spice Village.

Day 7 - Thekkady - Kumarakom - Drive to Kumarakom. (about four hours) Kumarakom is a beautiful paradise of mangrove forests, emerald green paddy fields and coconut groves interspersed with enchanting waterways and canals adorned with white lilies and blue water hyacinths. Kumarakom is a sanctuary for birds with a sleepy agricultural and fishing township. Almost surrounded by the Vembanad Lake, Kumarakom is formed by the 40 odd rivers that flow down into the Arabian Sea from the cardamom hills in the west. Overnight at the Coconut Lagoon

Day 8 - Kumarakom - Leisure day with options to visit nearby villages and experience the traditional life of the inhabitants of the backwaters. relax, experience Kerala's famous Herbal Rejuvenation Ayurvedic treatment and possibly attend a cooking class. Overnight at the Coconut Lagoon

Day 9 - Kumarakom - M. V. Vrinda - Transfer to the Vembanad Lake Jetty, where the three night cruise begins. Owned and run by The Oberoi group of hotels M.V. Vrinda has eight super-luxury en-suite cabins. Each has a king-size bed, en suite bathroom with shower and a large picture window overlooking the waterways. After winding slowly through lush tropical scenery on a network of tranquil waterways, Vrinda returns to Lake Vembanad at sunset for dinner and an evening of entertainment

Day 10 - M. V. Vrinda - Cruising the Backwaters and excusions from luxury riceboats. Dinner on board

Day 11 - M. V. Vrinda - Cruising the Backwaters and excusions from luxury riceboats. Dinner on board

Day 12 - M. V. Vrinda - Marari - Short drive to the beautiful Marari Beach Resort. Day at leisure. Overnight at the Marari Beach Resort

Day 13 - Marari Day at leisure. Overnight at the Marari Beach Resort

Day 14 - Marari - Cochin - Agatti - Drive to Cochin airport (about two hours)/ Fly to to Agatti for transfer to Bangaram Island Resort by boat. The resort offers superb scuba diving, snorkeling and deep sea fishing as well as kayaking and beautiful beaches. Overnight at the Bangaram I

Day 15 - Bangaram Island - Leisure or chosen activities. Overnight at the Bangaram Island Resort

Day 16 - Bangaram Island - Leisure or chosen activities. Overnight at the Bangaram Island Resort

Day 17 - Bangaram Island - Leisure or chosen activities. Overnight at the Bangaram Island Resort

Day 18 - Bangaram Island - Agatti - Cochin - Mumbai - Transfer by boat to Agatti for flight to Cochin and connecting flight to Mumbai. Mumbai city tour. Overnight at The Oberoi Mumbai.

Day 19 - Mumbai - Tour of the City famous for its Gothic architecture and stopping to visit the Dhobi Ghat or open-air laundry. After lunch at the ?Indigo? a local restaurant that has won rave reviews continue city tour with excursions to the Prince of Wales Museum, the Modern Art Museum, and a heritage walk through the old section of the city. A range of shopping options includes luxury fabric and jewelry stores and Spice boutiques.

Day 20 - Depart early hours for onward destination

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