Meeting and assistance on arrival at Cochin airport/railway station and transfer to Alleppey. Rest of the day at leisure or an option to enjoy an Ayurvedic massage at the resort for which Kerala is famous. Overnight stay at Alleppey.

Alappuzha is a district of immense natural beauty with the Arabian Sea on the west and a vast network of lakes, lagoons and fresh water rivers crisscrossing it. It is referred to as the Venice of the east by tourists across the world. Here one can watch rural life at close quarters - observing many activities like toddy tapping, fishing for small fry, coir-making, prawn farming, and scores of other sights by a boat trip in a country craft is popular among the tourists.

The important places of visit are Ambalappuzha Sree Krishna Temple , St. Sebastian Church, Champakulam church, Chavara Bhavan, Edathua Church and Pathiramanal Island , a small island which is a favorite haunt of hundreds of rare migratory birds. There is also an old lighthouse, which is quite fascinating to visitors.

Morning at leisure. In the afternoon proceed to check into the houseboat. The houseboat will be your home today. Lunch is on board the houseboat. Overnight aboard the houseboat.

Houseboats accommodate two people plus a crew of three, including a captain and a cook. The bedroom is private and the bathroom modern, with showers, flush toilets and hot water. Check in at noon and you are welcomed with fresh tender coconut water and the cruise starts. Lunch is aboard the houseboat, with lavish menu of traditional Kerala cuisine. If you require any special meals (like main food in north Indian or food without spice etc) it has to be informed in advance. The cruise covers the beautiful rivers and canals with palm trees and small houses near to it, village paddy fields, churches, etc. You can get out and get an experience of Toddy (soft liquor made from Coconut it is safe and pure). You can also buy fresh prawns or crab or karimeen from local fishermen and give to the chef, who will prepare it for your dinner. While cruising, you can observe the rural life of the villages on the banks of the canals.

At 1800 hrs the houseboat will anchor till next morning at 06.00am (so as not to disturb the local fishing industry). Evening dinner and retire for the night in your floating paradise. Note AC is switched on only during sleep time. Next morning enjoy the fresh air with a cup of bed tea/coffee. Check out after breakfast by 09.00 am.

Morning after breakfast, check out from the houseboat and drive to Cochin . On arrival at Cochin , check into the hotel and after freshening up a sightseeing of Cochin to see the major attractions like the Dutch Palace , Jewish Synagogue and St Francis Church. Later, drive along the coast and at the harbor's mouth see the fixed, cantilevered Chinese fishing nets introduced by the Chinese traders in the 14th Century. The tour ends in the Fort Kochi area where you can walk through the historical Dutch and Portuguese buildings. In the evening, an option to watch Kathakali, a cultural dance performance.

Cochin ( Kochi ) is the commercial capital and most cosmopolitan city of Kerala . It is one of the finest natural harbours of the world, this was once a major center of commerce and trade with British, Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch etc.

Dutch Palace though originally built by the Portuguese and presented to the Cochin raja in 1555, acquired its present name after the Dutch carried out some extensive repairs on it. Some rooms contain breathtaking 17th-century murals depicting scenes from the Indian scriptures.

Jewish Synagogue built in 1568, is the oldest synagogue in the Commonwealth. The Great Scrolls of the Old Testament, copper plates bearing records of the grants of privilege made by the Cochin rulers, gifted gold and silver crowns, and exquisite Chinese hand-painted willow patterned floor tiles are of interest.

The other interesting places to visit are the Dutch cemetery and St. Francis church , where Vasco da Gama was buried in 1524 and after 14 years his remains were transferred to Lisbon .

Kathakali - Kathakali is a combination of two Malayalam words "Katha" which means "story" and "kali", which means "play". It is a story acted out and contains mime, drama, music, acting, etc.The stories are mainly taken from Hindu mythology. The most interesting aspects of Kathakali is its elaborate make-up code. The dance-drama is arresting because of its elaborate get-up. The artistes wear flamboyant costumes and use a highly developed language of gestures to convey entire sentences and stories. The body movements and footwork are very rigorous

Drop in time to the Cochin airport/railway station for your onward journey.