Escorted Tours 2022-23 2nd Edition

21 Hundreds more escorted tours are available on our website www.mercuryholidays.co.uk Southern Asia Day 7: Kabini to Ooty B/L/D After breakfast journey to the hill station of Ooty, one of three that occupy the UNESCO recognised biome of Nilgiri Hill. For the next two nights, your elevated position offers stunning views across the southern plains and tea gardens that hug the sloping terrain. Day 8: Ooty B/L/D Completed in 1899 by British colonial forces, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway transports passengers through a series of gauges, across lofty bridges and around hillsides blanketed by tea plantations. Having completed this extraordinary sightseeing route, head to a Kathakali cultural show and watch a traditional dance based on themes of Hindu mythology. Day 9: Ooty to Madurai B/L/D Depart Ooty for one of India’s oldest cites, Madurai. As an important place of worship and commerce, it encapsulates the complex historical tapestry of South India. Later this evening, witness a night ceremony at Madurai’s biggest temple; during this procession, behold the spectacle of Lord Shiva’s bronze statue being carried to the Hindu God of Love’s bedchamber, accompanied by religious prayer. Day 10: Madurai B/L/D This morning, visit one of India’s grandest temples, Meenakshi Amman Temple. The pinnacle of your visit and testimony to the region’s architectural finesse lies within the ‘Hall of a Thousand Pillars’. Day 11: Madurai to Munnar B/L/D Following breakfast, cross into the Indian state of Kerala arriving in Munnar - a region famed for its rolling hillsides coated in emerald tea plantations. The rest of your day is at leisure. Day 12: Munnar B/L/D Today visit natural splendours of the region including the mirror-like waters of Mattupetty Lake, call out at Echo Point, discover the origins of your morning tea at a plantation and witness the unforgettable scene of the Jungle Honey Bee Nest. Return to a well-deserved rest. Day 13: Munnar to Alleppey B/L/D In the morning, travel from Munnar to Alleppy - a hub of Kerala’s vast waterway network. Here you will board a traditional houseboat which will be your transport and accommodation for the night. Enjoy a leisurely cruise through winding backwaters and picturesque lagoons. Day 14: Alleppey to Cochin B/L/D Beckoning merchants and explorers for over 500 years, the port city of Cochin offers a dynamic cultural mixture of Portuguese houses, ancient mosques and crumbling remains of British colonialism, all overlooking the tropical Malabar Coast. Disembark this morning for a half-day sightseeing tour to visit the seemingly modest Mattancherry Palace. Continue to the edifice of St Francis Church, believed to be one of India’s oldest churches and gaze at Cochin’s promenade, lined with distinct spiderlike Chinese fishing nets. Day 15: Cochin B/L/D Enjoy a full-day of leisure in Cochin. Day 16: Cochin to the UK B After breakfast, transfer for your return flight, via Dubai or continue on to your chosen extension. Tour includes • All meals daily • 4 and 5 H accommodation: Bangalore-St Mark’s Hotel, Mysore- Radisson Blu Plaza, Kabini-Serai Resort, Ooty-Gem Park Hotel, Madurai-Heritage Resort, Munnar-Tea County Resort, Alleppey-Deluxe Houseboat, Cochin- Holiday Inn • Flights from London Heathrow with Air Vistara Tour pace: Intermediate Alleppey backwaters Departures & from prices 10 Nov 22 £1,999 4 May 23 £2,049 12 Jan 23 £2,329 18 May 23 £2,049 19 Jan 23 £2,229 14 Sep 23 £1,699 2 & 16 Feb 23 £1,999 28 Sep 23 £1,799 2 Mar 23 £1,999 12 Oct 23 £1,899 9 Mar 23 £2,079 26 Oct 23 £1,899 20 Apr 23 £2,049 9 Nov 23 £1,969 2024 DATES AVAILABLE AT 2023 PRICES • Solo Group departures available 25 May 23 from £2,399 and 21 Sep 23 from £2,099 Extend your tour Kerala beach stay, 3 nights, 5 H Full Board from £319 Mumbai city stay, 3 nights, 4 H B&B from £389 No Single Supplement Rooms available with no single supplement. Once sold, single supplement starts from £499 Mysore Palace Meenakshi Amman Hindu Temple Bengal Tiger, Kabini