Marieke's Art of Living

Day 1 Chennai (Madras)/ Mamallapuram

Guests meet at Chennai Airport and drive to Taj Fisherman’s Cove Hotel, a sea-side oasis situated on the Bay of Bengal.
Much more lovely than staying in an otherwise uninteresting city, mostly geared to commerce, Fisherman’s Cove provides delightful cottage accommodation, a lovely swimming pool, the pleasure of waking up near the ocean and excellent food in a tranquil environment.

Days 2 - 6 Chennai - Pondicherry

This morning explore UNESCO protected Mamallapuram's cave temples and ancient bas reliefs. After a delightful seafood lunch continue to Pondicherry, where highlights include Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the nearby temple of Sri Manakula Vinayakar Temple and the old French quarter with its charming mellow colonial architecture, cafés, and seaside ambience.
Visit Auroville to understand how the various communities operate (a cheesemaker, organic gardens, arts and crafts) and where the shops are excellent. Meet Pierre Elouard a restaurateur and Aurovillian of 36 years with his own organic vegetable gardens.
Two nights are spent at Le Dupleix, once the 18thC home of Nawab and General Marquis Joseph Francis Dupleix, the former French Governor of Pondicherry, and today both one of the most gorgeous villas in town as well as being a boutique luxury small hotel of immense character and charm.

A further two nights are spent at the Dune Eco Resort a unique development overlooking the Bay of Bengal inspired by environmental sustainability, organic produce and ancient Ayurvedic principles.
Hands-on cooking demonstrations will be offered by the chef who specialises in “Hypotoxic” (cleansing) cuisine and one afternoon offers the opportunity to visit Kanchipuram, one of Hinduism's seven most sacred pilgrimage cities (60kms away) renowned for its 7th and 8thC temples and cotton and famous silk weaving workshops.

Days 6-8 Pondicherry/Tiruchirippali/Karaikudi

Today is a scenic half-day’s drive to Trichy situated on the banks of the Cauvery River to view this fascinating temple town. Continue to Karaikudi, the biggest city in Chettinad and famous for its Ganesha temple, antiques, woven textiles, crafts, majestic mansions and a most distinctive cuisine that includes the eating of meat.
Your residence for two nights is at the comfortable and restful Bangala, ancestral rural “Bungalow” home of Mrs Mayappan’s family who come from a lineage of plantation owners.

Mrs Mayyapan will conduct cooking demonstrations of delectable family recipes with ingredients such as quail, prawns, fresh water fish, and a fabulous array of seasonal vegetables and pulses. The family’s four chefs and their assistants create delectable dishes for which the masalas and spice mixes are still ground by hand on a traditional stone.
Nearby at Kanadakhatan is the wonderful village of wealthy merchant homes and small palaces, almost like a deserted ghost town, but ambient in detail and character with architectural styles that range from high Victorian to Art Deco. Nearby
weaving co-operatives produce lovely cotton and silk textiles and you will visit some of these homes.

Days 8-10 Karaikudi/Periyar

Today is a very scenic 6 hour drive with a picnic lunch en-route. You traverse the beautiful scenery and tropical farmlands of the Western Ghats, rich with coffee, tea and spice plantations, to reach Thekaddy by late afternoon. For the next two nights you are based in Periyar National Park, a 780 sq km sanctuary created in 1934 as a conservation zone for elephants, bison, sambar, wild boar, spotted deer, a huge assortment of butterflies and waterfowl and the occasional tiger or leopard.
Your accommodation is the charming and very comfortable eco-friendly Spice Village which has its own extensive organic market garden, spice gardens all around and a marvellous Ayurvedic Centre for health and pampering treatments.

The hotel chefs will engage you in hands-on cooking in the garden pavilion, elaborating on the role of spices as well as referring to some local tribal culinary traditions such as earth cooking and the traditional ceremonial sadya banana leaf platter, hallmark of all important festivities. There may also be opportunities for trekking in the park or game viewing on the lake as well as visits to local tribal villages

Days 10-12 Periyar/Alleppey/Kumarakom

From Thekaddy you travel by road through very lush, verdant tropical scenery and lunch en-route will be enjoyed at a private coffee and rubber Estate that dates from and preserves the art deco period as well as a legion of superb family recipes
After lunch you reach the backwater Island heritage resort of Coconut Lagoon when there is the opportunity for a tour of the lakes and environs with a naturalist.
This afternoon enjoy a cooking school focusing of fish and seafood preparations before a seafood feast.

Days 12-13 Cochin
The last two days are spent at nearby Fort Cochin residing at the Brunton Boatyard.
Highlights include:
an afternoon cooking with Nimmy Paul at her home where Nimmy is custodian over a repertoire of superb Syrian Christian food traditions;
an early morning visit to the fresh seafood and vegetable markets of Mandicherry;
a sunset boat cruise to enjoy the passing parade of harbour activity;
Lunch at the hip and charming Malabar House;
the opportunity to browse the gorgeous boutiques and antique shops…
and a grand finale colonial themed farewell dinner.

Cochin, is the oldest European settlement in India: a lagoon of islands and peninsulas separated by backwaters of the Arabian Sea, which are connected by bridges and ferries with a rich maritime history that still ships Kerala’s coir, rubber, seafood and pepper products to foreign ports. Influenced at various times by the Arabs, the Chinese, the Dutch, the British and the Portuguese, and the white Jews who first emigrated from Roman persecuted Jerusalem in 6th century BC to Cochin.
It is now a charmingly curious potpourri of Jewish synagogues, Chinese fishing-nets, Portuguese churches, Dutch palaces and British cricket greens.
The atmosphere is perceptibly Mediterranean but the climate is characteristically sub-tropical, the shopping and ambience alluring.
The Brunton Boatyard is a modern accolade to the early Dutch and Portuguese architecture of Fort Cochin, where all rooms overlook the harbour and its private jetty doubles as a "cafe", overlooking the pool and private garden.

Day 14 Cochin
The last day is a day at leisure- time to rest and relax at your lovely hotel, take a swim, or shop. This evening you will be transferred to the COCHIN airport for your international departure.

Guests may also choose from a range of individual post touring options that marieke's Art of Living will arrange for you.

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