Elephant Sanctuary and Kollam Cruise
Full-day chauffeur-driven private car excursion with lunch
This full-day excursion gives a fascinating insight into Kerala’s countryside and culture. After breakfast, a two-hour drive through the lush green Kerala landscape takes you to Paripally’s Elephant Camp, where you can feed, bathe and ride these gentle beasts, as well as learn about the role they have played in Indian life and history.
Your journey then takes you on to Kollam (Quilon), one of the oldest ports on the Malabar Coast and once a centre of the international spice trade. Proceed to Ashtamudi Resorts where lunch is served on banana leaves in true Keralite tradition and dancers perform Kathakali.
Later in the afternoon you board a houseboat for a leisurely cruise. The canals and backwaters of Ashtamudi Lake are some of the loveliest in Kerala, with palm trees shading the shores, lotuses and lilies growing in the water, birds calling from the banks and otters splashing and playing in the water. Your vessel is a traditional rice-boat converted to provide comfortable living accommodation, including bedrooms with attached bathrooms. After the cruise we take you back to your hotel at Kovalam.
Note: Please note that the sequence of the itinerary is subject to change at the discretion of your guide.