Chennai to Cochin: A 20-Day South India Tour with Bout India

My wife and I did a twenty day roadtrip through Southern India starting from Chennai to Cochin. We arranged a fascinating trip with Chahat who got to know us and our interests. We had a wonderful driver who stayed with us throughout the whole trip from the East Coast across the mountains and jungles to the West Coast beaches. We stayed in unique boutique hotels with friendly and efficient services including a night on a houseboat cruising the back water canals of Kerela.

Some highlights including Hindu ceremonies at 1000 year old temples, spending four hours with an astrologist, hiking and rafting through a beautiful jungle, an amazing cooking class, visiting a major international art show, Katakali dance performance, shopping at local department stores and markets, eating in local restaurants referred by our driver and others. People were extremely kind and welcoming to us.

We enjoyed the good food and the weather was perfect. We had a romantic valentines dinner at the Gateway Hotel overlooking Madurai City and enjoyed listening to various kinds of Indian drums and instruments. We learned about tea and coffee at beautiful plantations and sampled numerous types of fruits and local fresh caught fish dinners.

We had a wonderful adventure. Our driver made sure we were dropped off at the airport for our trip back to California. We will miss him and the wonderful people of India who welcomed us to their country. Bout India communicated with us through out the trip to insure our welfare and were wonderful to work with.