Magical Karnataka and Goa’s Beaches

Amazing Karnataka With Goa’s
Beaches

Southern Karnataka has a wonderful mix of travel experiences, and a big bonus is that you avoid the long journey times that are a feature of many tours of North India. The state contains some of India’s finest temples, many with fabulously intricate stone sculptures. To the west lie the beautiful hills of Coorg, with endless miles of coffee and spice plantations that are among the loveliest landscapes India has to offer.

Nagarhole National Park offers world-class opportunities for spotting wildlife including huge herds of Elephants that gather around Kabini Lake during the summer.

The royal palaces of Mysore display the impressive grandeur of its Wodiyar rulers. The amazing Maharajah’s Palace is truly one of the great sights of India with hundreds of rooms containing priceless artefacts. Mysore and its environs are replete with the history of Tippu Sultan who fought many celebrated wars with the British at the end of the 18th Century.

The tropical beaches of Goa lie less than one hour away by internal flights.

Day 01

Depart UK

Depart UK – Overnight flight.

Day 02

Bangalore

Purple Lotus

Bangalore
Bangalore is Asia's fastest growing cosmopolitan city. It is home to some of the most high tech industries in India. Blessed with a salubrious climate, gardens and parks, shopping malls, the best restaurants and pubs in this part of the globe, Bangalore is the ideal gateway to India.

Interesting sights in the city include the Bangalore Palace, inspired by the Windsor Castle and built by the Wodeyar Kings in 1887 on a 400 acre space. Tippu Sultan’s Summer Palace has intricately sculpted arches.

Day 03

Hassan

Hoysala Village

Shravanabelgola
Shravanabelgola is a remarkable rocky outcrop rising from the plains containing one of the most important Jain pilgrim centres of India. A climb of 700 steps carved in to the steep granite slope brings you to one of the tallest and most graceful
statues in the world. The colossal monolithic statue of the Jain saint Gommateshwara (AD 981) is 58 ft high, with 26 ft wide shoulders and feet that are 10-ft wide.

Beautiful views of the plains below can be observed while reaching the 1,800 years old statue.

Day 04

Coorg

Orange County

Halebid
The temple at Halebid bears testimony to the rich cultural heritage of Karnataka. The Hoysaleswara Temple, dating back to the 12th century, is astounding for its wealth of sculptural details – truly one of the wonders of Asia!. The walls of the temple are covered with a endless sculptures of gods and goddesses, animals, birds and dancing girls. The Jain basadis nearby are equally rich in sculptural detail.

Belur
A quaint hamlet with unforgettable, exquisite temples located on the banks of the River Yagachi that was once the capital of the Hoysala Empire. The Chennakeshava Temple took 103 years to complete and its facade is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes of elephants, episodes from the epics and sensuous dancers. The Veeranarayana Temple and the smaller shrines within the complex are well worth visiting.

Day 05

Coorg

Orange County

Coorg
Coorg is located at about 3500 ft above sea level on the slopes of the Western Ghats, set amidst lush green valleys, coffee plantations, teak wood forests and majestic mountain ranges. This is one of the most beautiful regions a traveller can visit in India.

At Coorg, there are some top-class resorts located among misty hills, lush forest, acres and acres of tea and coffee plantations, orange groves, undulating streets and breathtaking views.

Day 06

Nagarhole

Cicada Resort

Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary – PM Jeep Safari
This enchanting 247 square-mile park was an exclusive hunting reserve of the former rulers of Mysore and has recently been renamed 'Rajiv Gandhi National Park’. Gentle slopes and shallow valleys adorn this lovely southern jungle of India. Huge herds of Asian Elephants flock here together and the park boasts a healthy Tiger-predator ratio. Tiger, Bison and Elephant are much more numerous at Nagarhole in comparison to other reserves. Also found are Leopard, Muntjac, Sambar and herds of Spotted Deer with males displaying large antlers.

Day 07

Nagarhole

Cicada Resort

Nagarhole Wildlife Sanctuary – AM Boat Safari
Wildlife safari’s are uniquely possible at Nagarhole by jeep and by boat on the lovely Kabini Lake.

The forests of South India contain about 20% of the world’s entire stock of Asian Elephants. During Summer there is the fine spectacle of the annual Elephant Migration to the Kabini Lake at Nagarhole. This is probably the best place in India to witness overwhelming numbers of wild Elephants all in one place!

Day 08

Mysore

Windflower Resort And Spa

Mysore
The Mysore Maharaja's Palace is one of the most extravagant sights in the whole of India. Built in Indo-Saracenic style with domes, turrets, arches and colonnades, the palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world.

Mysore is a very pretty garden city with plenty of tree lined avenues and interesting colonial period buildings. The Lalitha Mahal Palace is also well worth a visit.

Day 09

Mysore

Windflower Resort And Spa

Srirangapatnam
The environs of Mysore contain many historical sites that are associated with the legendary warrior Tippu Sultan. Tippu’s Fort at Srirangapatnam with double wall defenses was once considered the second strongest in India.

Located a few kilometers outside the fort is Tippu Sultan's Wooden Summer Palace with ornate and beautiful frescoes, now an interesting museum. At The Gumbaz lie the tombs of Tippu Sultan and his father Hyder Ali.

At night, the city of Mysore comes alive with street markets and bazaars. A road leads to the top of nearby Chamundi Hill with great views over the city below. A huge stone Nandi stone bull lies half way, and there is an important Hindu temple at the summit.

Day 10

To Goa

INTERNAL FLIGHT FROM BANGALORE – GOA

1 HR

Bangalore
Return to Bangalore prior to your internal flight to Goa.

NOTE: You can choose as many beach nights as you require.

Depart Goa

Depart Goa – Daytime flights arrive back in UK the
same day.

Other options for extending your Karnataka holiday include the more relaxed tropical beaches of Kerala that also lie less than one hour away by internal flights. Alternatively you can head south to the legendary Hill Station of Ooty and the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu (only 2 hours away from Mysore).

* We will send you a detailed quote with flight options, descriptions of hotels used and daily schedules.