Excel India Tours

Staff of Excel India Tours will meet you at the ship. You can see him holding the pager board with the name of lead traveler of your group. The staff will escort you to waiting Van /Car / Coach. Then different tours start. Tour # 1. Backwater & Houseboat Tour. This tour is designed to introduce Kerala and its attractive backwaters to travelers. In the morning the tour start with an overland drive from the Kochi harbor to Alleppey / Kumarakom Backwaters. ( 1 hour 45 minutes ) Tour reaches the Jetty of the houseboat. Board a pre arranged houseboat and start the backwater cruise (3 hours.) The houseboats are previous spices boats of Kerala innovated into houseboats for tourists with bedrooms kitchen and a spacious lobby. The kitchen of the houseboat under an enthusiastic Chef will cook for you our traditional food to your taste. The cruising along the backwaters and palm fringed rice paddies and tiny villages will be an experience you will never have anywhere else. After the cruise the tour will return to Kochi (drive is 1 hour 45 minutes.) An orientation drive to Fort Kochi to Chinese Fishing Nets and Jewish Town for photo stops. ( 30 minutes ) Returns to the pier. Tour # 2 .Glimpses of Cochin The group travels to Fort Kochi (30 minutes) At Fort Kochi, the group will be transferred to the waiting Tuk Tuks (two people in one) Ride in Tuk Tuk to Church of St. Francis. Visit the church and pay homage to Vasco de Gama who had his first burial in this church before taking him to Portugal. (30 minutes) Then do a soft walk (5 minutes) to Chinese Fishing nets. Watch the operation of these. Interact with the fisher men and try your hand in operating the nets. (20 minutes) Return to waiting Tuk Tuks and ride in it to Jewish Town. Walk around Jewish town along the ancient streets of the Jewish community studded with the fascinating Jewish houses once occupied by the European Jews before they leaving for Israel after the state Israel formed. (30 minutes) At the end of the Jewish town visit the Paradeshi Synagogue belonged to the European Jews who still use this synagogue on Sabbath. (Three resident Jews and visiting Jews from other countries form minion.) You can wander around the area for hunting gifts in the shops. (30 minutes) Walk to Dutch Palace ( 10 minutes ) the seat of administration of the Koch Royalty now a museum for most beautiful mural on the wall. Dutch Palace (30 minutes) Return to ship in the waiting Van /Car / Coach Tour # 3 Glimpses of Cochin and Fishing Village Tour Tours proceed to Chellanam fishing village by road (1 hour drive.) overseeing fish and rice fields. Reaching the Chellanam fishing harbor watch the early morning mob of fishermen and vendors indulged in the business of buying and selling fresh fish brought by the fishermen to the shore after the overnight fishing. The tour spends (1 hour here.) The tour proceeds from the fishing harbor to Fort Kochi. (30 minutes). Stop at the beach where the Chinese Fishing nets are operated. Watch fishermen operating these nets. (15 minutes) Walk to Church of St. Francis (5 minutes) Visit this first European church in India and more importantly it is in this church that Vasco da Gama the sailor first buried before taking him to Portugal. (15 minutes) Proceed to the Santa Cruz Basilica. (10 minutes drive) Santa Cruz is one of the heritages edifices of Kochi. You can get wonderful photos of the church both inside and outside of the marvelous building. (15 minutes.) From Santa Cruz Basilica the tour travels to Jewish Town. (20 minutes) Walk around Jewish town along the ancient streets of the Jewish community studded with the fascinating Jewish houses once occupied by the European Jews before they leaving for Israel after the state Israel formed. (30 minutes) At the end of the Jewish town visit the Paradeshi Synagogue belonged to the European Jews who still use this synagogue on Sabbath. (Three resident Jews and visiting Jews from other countries form minion.) You can wander around the area for hunting gifts in the shops. (30 minutes) Walk to Dutch Palace (10 minutes) the seat of administration of the Koch Royalty now a museum for most beautiful mural on the wall. Dutch Palace (30 minutes) Return to ship in the waiting Van /Car / Coach End of the tour and returns to ship. ( 30 minutes drive ). Tour # 4 Backwater Ride in Water Taxi. Tour of 6 hours takes you to backwaters (2 hours in backwater ride.) This tour is designed to introduce Kerala and its attractive backwaters to travelers. In the morning the tour start with an overland drive from the Kochi harbor to Alleppey / Kumarakom Backwaters. ( 1 hour 45 minutes ) Tour reaches the Jetty of the Water Taxi. The group will board a pre arranged water taxi and start the backwater cruise (2 hours.) The water taxis are previous travelling boats of the land lords of Kerala innovated into boats for tourists with separate passenger cabins with elegant teak panels and driver’s room. If you desire so you can sit outside on top of the boat which is covered with a canopy. The cruising along the backwaters and palm fringed rice paddies and tiny villages will be an experience you will never have anywhere else. After the cruise the tour will return to Kochi (drive is 1 hour 45 minutes.)

Aluva

Aluva is a prominent townon the banks of river Periyar in Kerala on the way to the Athirappally Waterfalls. We will be crossing this river,and if you prefer will stop near the river for photo.