Hi.
Welcome to KikiNetwork Travel.
I have a passion for taking small groups on life-changing adventures! Join me….
Hi.
Welcome to KikiNetwork Travel.
I have a passion for taking small groups on life-changing adventures! Join me….
KIKINETWORK TRAVEL
kiki@kikinetwork.com
Kiki 608-858-2733
Price per person/Kerala (Shared Room): $7495.00
Single Room/Kerala Supplement: add $1600.00
Price per person/ Delhi & Agra extension: $2500
Single Room/ Delhi & Agra Supplement: $700
Discounted Rate for Full Trip with Extension: $9795
Single Room Supplement: $1999
Group size is 10 - 12 participants. A deposit of 40% is required to reserve your place.
Embark on an unforgettable journey through India, where vibrant cultures and breathtaking landscapes await! Your adventure begins in the enchanting city of Cochin, known as "The Queen of the Arabian Sea." Stroll through its historic streets, visit stunning heritage sites like the Mattancherry Dutch Palace and the Jewish Synagogue, and witness the mesmerizing Kathakali dance drama in the evening. Here, every corner tells a story, and every experience is a celebration of life.
As your journey unfolds, immerse yourself in the natural beauty of Periyar, home to lush wildlife and serene landscapes. Enjoy a thrilling nature walk in the Periyar National Park, encounter majestic elephants on a leisurely boat ride, and explore fragrant spice plantations that reveal the essence of Kerala. Transition to the tranquil shores of Marari Beach, where you can relax in luxury, take an elephant ride through spice-laden plantations, and cruise along picturesque canals, discovering the rich tapestry of local village life.
For those who choose to join us on our extension tour, your adventure culminates in the vibrant cities of Delhi and Agra, where history comes alive. Explore the bustling streets of Old Delhi, savoring the flavors of its famous food markets, and marvel at the architectural brilliance of the Taj Mahal, a timeless symbol of love. This trip promises not just sights but experiences that will linger in your heart long after you return home. Join us for this incredible journey and create memories that will last a lifetime!
Arrive in Cochin by various international flights. On arrival, after crossing immigration and customs and collecting your baggage, you will be met by our representative in the arrival hall, who will transfer you to our hotel (Rooms available from 1400 hours).
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Fragrant Nature Retreat (Dukes Chamber)
Meals: None
After breakfast, we’ll enjoy a heritage walking tour of Cochin. Formerly a princely state which beckoned travellers from distant shores, Cochin is also known as "The Queen of the Arabian Sea". The sightseeing of Cochin will include the visit to Mattancherry Dutch Palace built by Portuguese, the Jewish Synagogue and the famous Jew Street, St. Francis’ Church where Vasco Da Gama was buried and the ubiquitous Chinese fishing nets along the shores. Also visit the spice stores along Jew Town.
Lunch at Kashi Art Café (NOT included)
Rest and relax to enjoy our beautiful hotel
In the evening, you will witness the spectacular Kathakali Dance Drama. The most popular and sacred dance-drama of Kerala, Kathakali, has evolved over last 400 years. This classical dance requires lengthy and rigorous training to attain complete control of the body and sensitivity to emotion so as to be able to render all its nuances through facial expressions and hand gestures. Themes centre round the two great Indian epics - the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. We suggest arriving early at the theatre in order to witness the artists putting on their make-up!
Welcome dinner on the rooftop (included) (set menu)
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Fragrant Nature Retreat (Dukes Chamber)
Meals: Breakfast & Dinner
Morning, visit the Kochi - Muziris Biennale, the event occurs every two years and attracts art enthusiasts, artists, and curators from around the world. The Biennale showcases a diverse range of artworks, including paintings, sculptures, installations, performances, and multimedia exhibits, making it a vibrant platform for artistic expression and cultural dialogue.
Lunch at Pandhal Cafe & Deli, David Hall Art Cafe (included)
Rest of the day is free to shop. Wander the lovely streets of this historic town. Kiki will lead a walking shopping tour
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Fragrant Nature Retreat
Meals: Buffet breakfast & lunch
In the morning, we’ll travel to Periyar after breakfast. Approx. 4.5 to 5 hours hour’s drive. Periyar wildlife sanctuary is home to nomadic tribes of wild elephant, boar, deer and more.
On arrival, check in.
Lunch at hotel (included). Relax and enjoy your hotel and its facilities.
Meet to depart at 3:00pm for a 3:30- 5:30pm nature walk with a local forest guide in Periyar National Park.
Market & shopping
7:30pm: Dinner at the hotel (included)
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Spice Village
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner
9AM, depart from the hotel. 10:00AM-1200PM Spice Plantation visit, You will have an opportunity to view spice plants like cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, tea estates etc. You could stop at the local market and pick up some fragrant spices.
Shop for Spices
Lunch at Spice Village (included) (or other)
3:30 to 5PM Afternoon of boating at Periyar Lake. Periyar Tiger Reserve offers boating trips on a motorized launch at the lake near the sanctuary. A herd of elephants or a group of sambar deer are common sights near the lake. You may be able to spot herds of Gaur and wild boars in the grasslands adjacent to the shores.
6-7PM: Kalarippayattu, Evening visit to a Centre to see Kalaripayattu-the oldest of martial arts in the world.
Dinner at the hotel (on your own)
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Spice Village
Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Morning : Enjoy a short 25 minutes elephant ride through the spice plantations
Leisurely drive to Marari (3 hours) via lunch enroute at Nasrani Tharavad, a 260-year-old homestay in Kerala which offers a glimpse into Nazrani culture (Syriac Christians who trace their lineage back to the Apostle Thomas). This is the residence of John and Thressi who belong to this illustrious family. Also visit their inhouse restored Museum with authentic period furniture and rare artifacts. (included).
Check into Marari Beach Resort, a sea-side village experience set on 30 acres with coconut groves, lily ponds, fruit trees and a large organic farm. Day to walk on the beach, explore, visit the local village, get a spa treatment, etc. This is a luxurious and beautiful place with so much to do right on the property.
Dinner at the hotel (included)
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Marari Beach Resort (Garden Villa)
Meals: Buffet Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Morning Yoga at the hotel 7:00AM (30 -45 minutes) common session
10:15AM: We’ll travel by boat to reach our island destination at 11:15AM where we’ll visit a beautiful family-owned farmhouse where the family will engage you in a cooking demonstration followed by lunch. The cooking class is wonderful, and the food is amazing. We’ll take a tour with the family and learn about farming below lake level as well as the different crops cultivated. 2:30PM departure.
The afternoon can be spent relaxing at the resort or enjoying an Ayurvedic (herbal) message, for which Kerala is famous.
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Marari Beach Resort (Garden Villa)
Meals: Buffet Breakfast & Lunch
Visit the fishing harbour at 8:00 AM, where you can witness the fresh catch being brought in and the auction taking place, a good engaging experience.
Later, a two hour village visit. Life in the fishing villages around Marari Beach Resort is both fascinating and endearing. While the men come home with the catch of the day and stories of the sea, the women set up small scale units at home to convert natural resources around them to produce for their daily lives. You will explore these villages and the ways of life they represent by tuk tuks.
Lunch at hotel (NOT included)
Afternoon is free.
Farewell dinner at the Seafood grill (included)
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Marari Beach Resort (Garden Villa)
Meals: Buffet Breakfast & Dinner
Drive to Cochin (2.5 hours) with boxed lunch.
Later departure transfer for your international flight
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Check in at Port Murizis for those flying home from India (providing you a place to rest until your late night flight)
Meals: Buffet Breakfast & Packed Lunch
You will be transferred from Marari to Cochin Airport 2.5 to 3 hours in time to board your flight to Delhi
Cochin-Delhi Indigo 2382 1605-1920 hours
Economy class 15 kgs check in and 7 kgs hand baggage
Transferred to your hotel (rooms available from 1400 hours onwards).
No Dinner
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Oberoi Maidens (Heritage Room)
Meals: Breakfasr & boxed lunch from Marari
DELHI reflects the legacy and heritage of Mughal Delhi, which is now known as Old Delhi. Pulsing with energy and colour, Old Delhi is laced by a maze of narrow lanes where you get a glimpse of the many flavours from the wedding bazaar to spice markets to graceful architecture. In contrast to Old Delhi the imperial city or New Delhi, created by the British, has numerous fine colonial structures, magnificent buildings and wide boulevards laid according to the master plans of the great colonial architect Lutyens.
After a relaxed breakfast, our local expert will take us on a guided tour of Old Delhi.
To get a real feel of this area we will take a Rickshaw ride in the busy and narrow streets of the mile long Chandni Chowk, surrounded by shops and bazaars. Our guide will take us through the famous food streets and the biggest Spice market – Khari Baoli - existing for centuries and now known for its wholesale groceries.
Visit the largest mosque of Old Delhi- Jama Masjid with its tapering minarets and wonderful marble domes.
This afternoon, visit the Humayun’s Tomb. This tomb, built for the second Mughal emperor, launched a great Mughal architectural legacy, even the Taj Mahal, which was built by Humayun's great-grandson, was inspired by it. Set in peaceful surrounds, the tomb features an artful combination of red sandstone and white marble, which plays with the wonderful symmetry and scale used by the makers of the Mughal empire.
Dinner at a local restaurant in Connaught Place (included)
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Oberoi Maidens (Heritage Rooms)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Transfer to the railway station to board your train to Agra
Delhi-Agra Gatimaan Express 0810-0950 hours
The ancient city of Agra lies on the banks of the river Yamuna and is one of the oldest settlements of India. Between the 16th and 17th C it was the seat of power of the Mughals and three generations of Great Mughals ruled a huge empire from here. It was also a centre of learning, Culture, Art and Religious philosophies which produced some of the most renowned litterateurs and scholars.
Today, we enjoy a visit to the incomparable Taj Mahal. Experience the sublimity of the Taj Mahal - a varying kaleidoscope of solitude, colour and mood. A tribute from a great emperor to the memory of his beloved wife, it was 22 years in the making (1631-1653) and is a cerebral experience that defies description. Widely regarded as the earthly replica of paradise, the Taj Mahal is likened to “a vision, a dream, a poem and a wonder”. (closed on Friday)
Lunch at a local restaurant (included)
After lunch, proceed for a visit of the Agra Fort, strategically situated along a bend on the Yamuna River. Built 16th century AD by three generations of Mughal emperors, it is a superb synthesis of stern military fortifications with delicate interior details.
Later, visit a Marble Inlay workshop. Taj Mahal’s intricate beauty lies in the inlay work; where semi-precious stones are set into the marble tiles and floors to create floral motifs.
Head back to Delhi by train.
Agra-Delhi Gatimaan Express 1730-1930 hours
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: Oberoi Maidens (Heritage Rooms)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Morning, we have organized a visit to a Sikh temple where we will witness the largest community kitchen serving free food to thousands of devotees.
Later, head over to Khan Market, a happening shopping area to pick up gifts and knick-knacks. You may visit stores such as Fabindia, Good Earth, and Anokhi.
You will have your rooms till 6:00pm today, since most flights depart very late.
Group departure to the airport for your flight home.
Daily Summary:
Accommodation: N/A
Meals: Breakfast Only
Fragrant Nature Cochin, situated in the heart of the storied city, indulging in the city's cultural tapestry. The prime locations provides easy access to key attractions, including the iconic Fort Kochi, the vibrant Jew Town, and the serene backwaters that Kerala is famous for. Offering state-of-the-art amenities and facilities like three categories of well-equipped accommodation two event venues, and three dining options, including a rooftop restaurant. Other facilities at the hotel in Cochin include a swimming pool, a gymnasium, and a spa among others. It also offers a range of activities and experiences in and around Cochin to help you make the most of your sojourn.
Spice village for us is a work of nature as much as it is a lofty expression of the imagination. We conceived the resort as a village and approached its building the way you would a village - with local materials, native artisans, mountain spirit and traditional wisdom in its creation. Though traditional in its conception, this is a ‘village’ that offers you all the comforts of a city minus the noise, pollution and other urban ills that you can do without. Our interaction with the ecology of these hills is symbiotic, influenced by the native people of these parts who have lived in harmony with their surroundings for generations. They taught us about self-sustaining systems and also steward our organic gardens that put fresh vegetables, fruits and spices on your tables every day.
The sea-side village experience set on 30 acres with coconut groves, lily ponds, fruit trees and a large organic farm. The cottages at Marari reflect the culture and lifestyle of the fisherman community. Infused with a strongly native aesthetic, the roofs are thatched with coconut leaves. The bathrooms echo nature, to offer the experience of bathing under the open skies. The serene, balmy private pools and sea breeze lull you into deep relaxation.
With a history of over a century and remarkably endearing hospitality, Maidens Hotel offers a journey back in time. Established in 1903 as one of the first hotels of Delhi and recognized as a Heritage Hotel in 1994, Maidens Hotel is a stately survivor of the golden age, a time when steam ruled the waves & the rails, empires flourished and when the rich, the famous and the titled used it as their stage. Its sweeping driveway and the grand façade give an inkling of its star-studded past. Its architecture is the most glorious illustration of old-world European charm with its colonial impressions. A stay at Maidens Hotel is ethereal and unmatched, an experience historically and culturally enriching! Every corner in the hotel has a story to tell, whether it's unraveling the majestic royals of the princely states, the Delhi Durbar with its pre-independence coronation, or the ruling times of The British Raj.
Price per person/Kerala (Shared Room): $7495.00
Single Room/Kerala Supplement: add $1600.00
Price per person/ Delhi & Agra extension: $2500
Single Room/ Delhi & Agra Supplement: $700
Discounted Rate for Full Trip with Extension: $9795
Single Room Supplement: $1999
Group size is 10-12 participants. A deposit of 40% is required to reserve your place.
Commitment
Planning a trip can be daunting. We want you to relax and know that we are committed to ensuring that you will enjoy your journey. We work hard to create trips that have the feel of casual travel with friends rather than formal tours and plan itineraries that match your interests and fit your budget.
Responsible Travel
Global travel can only succeed if communities benefit from tourism. We hire local operators who value sustainable travel and support their communities.
Inspiring Through Travel
We specialize in journeys of discovery and inspiration. Our adventures are all about local culture—the people, history, art, architecture, and food. Our trips showcase a rich source of inspirational people, landscapes, and cityscapes. Traveling is the time for discovery, exploration, and adventure.
Trusted Support
In case of an emergency, all our guides are licensed and trained to handle situations that may arise. We are always with you to assist in any way we can to make your trip safe and memorable.
Disclaimer
Payments: As soon as we receive your down payment, we will confirm your reservations and at this point, all change and cancellation policies will be in effect. KikiNetwork Travel will send you a finalized itinerary which will contain all necessary information including confirmation numbers, addresses, and phone numbers. We must receive 40% of the trip cost when you register for the trip. The full cost of the trip must be paid 75 days before date of travel, on August 15.
Forms of Payment: We accept ACH transfers (1% fee and .30) and credit cards (American Express, Visa, and MasterCard). There is a 2.9 processing fee for MC and Visa credit cards, and American Express incurs a 3.9% fee. If you pay by check there is no additional fee. You will need to mail the check to Kiki Keating, PO Box 223, Georges Mills, NH 03751.
Airfare/Visas/Special Permits: You are responsible for your flight to the place of the trip departure. I am happy to advise and recommend the best flights for you. Please email me at kiki@kikinetwork.com for more details.
I will inform you of any visa needs, and you must obtain any necessary visas and travel permits for all countries that you will be traveling to or transiting through. Visa and entry requirements may vary depending on your nationality, the length of your stay, and the purpose of your visit. Please make certain that your passport is valid for at least six months after the latest expected end date of your planned trip, as some countries will not allow entry if your passport expires sooner.
Insurance is required for any KikiNetwork Travel trip. KikiNetwork Travel requires an insurance plan with 100% of trip cost insured, $150,000 of emergency assistance and transportation, and a minimum of $50,000 medical evacuation coverage. I am happy to work with you to recommend one of my recommended insurance coverage companies. Please call me directly at 603-858-2733 to discuss and ask questions about travel insurance coverage.
Health and Safety Matters: Please visit your local hospital Travel Clinic. Your doctor will let you know what, if any, vaccinations or other health or safety precautions are necessary or recommended for your destinations. We are not physicians, and nothing we say should be interpreted as professional medical advice. Government health advisories can be found on the internet at: http://www.cdc.gov and http://www.who.int
Cancellations: In addition to any cancellation penalties related to trip components we are not responsible for (e.g. permits, airfare, travel insurance, etc.), the following fees will apply: 75 days or less, no refund AND UP TO to 90 days, 30% of trip cost is refunded.
Cancellation penalties apply as soon as we have received payment. Trip cancellation and interruption insurance is required.
Responsibility/Release and Assumption of Risk: By paying and signing up for a KikiNetwork Travel trip you are agreeing to the following statement; I understand and am aware that during the travel itinerary in which I will participate under the arrangements of KikiNetwork Travel and its agents or subcontractors, certain risks and dangers may arise, including but not limited to the hazards of traveling in unsafe areas or under unsafe conditions, the dangers of civil disturbance and war, unplanned forces of nature, or disease. In consideration of, and as part of the payment for, the right to participate in such travel itineraries, I have and do hereby expressly assume all of the above risks. The terms of this agreement shall serve as a release and express assumption of risk for myself, my heirs, assignees, administrators, executors, and all members of my family, including any minors accompanying me. I have read and fully understand the provisions and the legal consequences of this Release and Assumption of Risk and I hereby agree to all its conditions, especially noting and agreeing to the portion of this provision that releases the Company and its agents, employees, officers, associates, and subcontractors, to the extent permitted by law, from liability for the negligent or reckless acts or omissions of the Company’s affiliated companies or subcontractors.
