NEW South India & Sri Lanka

19 days
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Small Ship Cruise
Journey to the lush jungles, vibrant cities, and palm-fringed coasts of South India and Sri Lanka—destinations that, though once overlooked, have recently emerged as two of Asia’s best-kept secrets.

Overview

Trip type
Small Ship Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

    • Explore the rock sculptures of Mahabalipuram, beginning with the stunning Arjuna's Penance
    • See images of Hindu mythology, local animals, and everyday life, as well as a natural cleft that was meant to represent the holy River Ganges.
    • Visit an Indian fishing village
    • Experience the spiritual side of Sri Lanka by meeting a Buddhist monk
    • Visit some of Colombo’s most vibrant attractions—including the sprawling 19th-century Gangaramaya Temple
    • Visiting a local tea factory and estate
    • Visit the immense Sigiriya rock fortress.

What's this trip about?

    Journey to the lush jungles, vibrant cities, and palm-fringed coasts of South India and Sri Lanka—destinations that, though once overlooked, have recently emerged as two of Asia’s best-kept secrets.

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Details

Itinerary focusClassic Highlights
Group sizeStandard Group - 25 + people
Age rangeNo age restrictions
Flights and transportAll internal ground transport included
Start CityChennai
End CityCochin

Travel Themes

  • Birding
  • Cultural
  • National Parks
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Train & Rail Journeys
  • Religious

Destinations

  • Asia
  • India
  • Sri Lanka

Attractions

  • Chennai
  • Kerala
  • Kochi

Activities

  • Bird watching
  • Culture
  • Historic sightseeing
  • History
  • Nature
  • Short Cruise
  • Trains & Rail
  • Wildlife viewing

Trip includes

    • International airfare, airport transfers, government taxes, fees, and airline fuel surcharges unless you choose to make your own air arrangements
    • All land transportation and 2 internal flights
    • Accommodations for 17 nights
    • 13 small group activities
    • Services of a resident, English-speaking OAT Trip Leader
    • NEW: Gratuities for local guides, drivers, and luggage porters
    • 5% Frequent Traveler Credit toward your next OAT trip—an average of $280

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Itinerary

DAY 1
Depart U.S. You’ll depart today on your overnight flight from the U.S.

DAY 2
Arrive in Chennai, India Accommodations: Radisson Blu Hotel Chennai City Centre or similar You’ll arrive in Dubai this evening for your connecting flight to Chennai, India. Travelers who took our Amritsar & Dharamsala pre-trip will arrive in Chennai this evening and transfer to our hotel.

DAY 3
Discover Chennai Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Radisson Blu Hotel Chennai City Centre or similar

Vanakkam! Welcome to South India.

After breakfast and some time to rest, we'll gather for an orientation briefing with our Trip Leader. Then we'll explore C...

DAY 4
Overland to Mahabalipuram Meals included: B L Accommodations: GRT Temple Bay Hotel or similar

After breakfast, we'll travel south along the coast to the stone-carving village of Mahabalipuram (also called Mamallapuram). Believed by many historians to have been the sit...

DAY 5
Mahabalipuram • Optional Kanchipuram tour OPTIONAL TOUR Meals included: B D Accommodations: GRT Temple Bay Hotel or similar

Today, continue your discoveries of Mahabalipuram on your own, or join us for an optional excursion to Kanchipuram, "City of 1,000 Temples." Kan...

DAY 6
Mahabalipuram • Visit an Indian fishing village Meals included: B L Accommodations: GRT Temple Bay Hotel or similar

Today, we’ll dive deeper into the vibrant culture of South India when we visit an Indian fishing village. After breakfast, we’ll drive to Kokilamedu, a ...

DAY 7
Fly to Colombo, Sri Lanka • Meet local monk Meals included: B D Accommodations: Cinnamon Red Colombo or similar

This morning, we’ll transfer to the airport for our flight to Colombo, Sri Lanka, via Chennai.

When we arrive in Colombo in the late afternoon, we’ll...

DAY 8
Explore Colombo • Home-Hosted Dinner Meals included: B D Accommodations: Cinnamon Red Colombo or similar

Today, we’ll explore Colombo—Sri Lanka’s bustling commercial capital. While Colombo was once known as the “garden city of the East,” today it’s flourishing as a vi...

DAY 9
Train ride to Kandy • Visit Royal Botanic Gardens Meals included: B L Accommodations: Hotel Suisse or similar

We’ll say goodbye to Colombo this morning as we board a train to Kandy, a city encircled by mountains and the Mahaweli River. This was the last capital of the...

DAY 10
Visit tea estate • Sri Lankan Civil War discussion • Night ceremony at Temple of the Tooth Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Hotel Suisse or similar

Today, we’ll learn more about Sri Lanka’s most important crop: tea. The British were the first to introduce tea to ...

DAY 11
Overland to Habarana • Visit spice garden • Explore Polonnaruwa Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Chaaya Village Habarana or similar

After breakfast this morning, we’ll drive north to Habarana, a small village known for its location at the crossroads of Sri Lanka’...

DAY 12
Visit Sigiriya • Enjoy an elephant ride Meals included: B L Accommodations: Chaaya Village Habarana or similar

Today we’ll visit the immense Sigiriya rock fortress. Rising 600 feet above the surrounding jungle, this monolith is visible from miles away. Dubbed “The Lio...

DAY 13
Overland to Negombo • Explore Dambulla Cave Temple Meals included: B L Accommodations: Jetwing Lagoon or similar

After breakfast, we’ll depart for Negombo—a beach town that was once fought over by the Dutch, Portuguese, and British for its strategic position as a comm...

DAY 14
Fly to Cochin • Transfer to Kumarakom Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Coconut Lagoon or similar

Early this morning, we’ll have coffee and tea at our hotel before transferring to Colombo for our flight to Cochin, India. When we arrive, we’ll transfer to our hotel...

DAY 15
Optional yoga class • Explore Kerala’s backwaters • Indian cooking class Meals included: B L Accommodations: Coconut Lagoon or similar

This morning, you’ll have the option of participating in a yoga class before breakfast, learning more about this physical and mental ...

DAY 16
Cruise Kerala’s backwaters Meals included: B L D Accommodations: Coconut Lagoon or similar

Today, you’ll have the morning free to make your own discoveries in Kumarakom, perhaps opting to learn more about the ancient practice of Ayurveda by indulging in an Ayurvedic m...

DAY 17
Overland to Cochin • Explore Fort Cochin Meals included: B L Accommodations: Casino Hotel or similar

After breakfast, we’ll depart for Cochin (Kochi), the cosmopolitan “Queen of the Arabian Sea,” with its fine natural harbor—where mariners from Arabia, China, Holland,...

DAY 18
Discover Mattancherry Meals included: B D Accommodations: Casino Hotel or similar

This morning we’ll explore Mattancherry—a section of Cochin that was once the center of the spice trade. Mattancherry is also home to one of the world’s oldest Jewish populations, as we’...

DAY 19
Return to U.S. Meals included: B Very early this morning, you’ll transfer to the airport for your return flight to the U.S. via Dubai. Travelers who are joining our post-trip to Rajasthan: Udaipur & Jodhpur will transfer to the airport this morning for their flight to Mumbai.

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Dates & Availability

Price From $3,895
Price per day$205
Last Updated: 3/23/2023

Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours).

The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.

Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.

Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours) Reviews & Ratings

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Policy over practical customer service. zero customer service

Dec 2023

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don't expect humanity or common sense

This letter is effectively what was communicated no less than 8 times in writing and conversation to OAT representatives up the chain, beginning 19 days before the t...

Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours) Company Reviewsby Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours)

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Booked for July and gave them $12,000. They talked us into early arrival and then come back to us a two months later saying we can't offer. We have to keep our airli...

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Overseas Adventure Travel (O.A.T. Tours)

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Overseas Adventure Travel offers unique small group adventures worldwide to Americans over 50. By land and sea, we explore on—and off—the beaten path with a resident OAT Trip Leader, immersing ourselves in local cultures, sampling unique modes of transportation, and staying in authentic lodgings that reflect the essence of your destination. Grand Circle Small Ship Cruises serves both our GCT and OAT brands with an award-winning fleet known for exceptional value and high-quality experiences in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America. Custom-designed according to our travelers’ specifications, our fleet includes 50+ small river and ocean-going ships that we own or privately charter.

Grand Circle Corporation is a global enterprise—comprised of a family of travel companies—committed to changing people’s lives by offering high-impact experiences to our travelers and building local communities through philanthropy, social entrepreneurship, and volunteerism.

Simply by traveling with OAT, you support the work of the nonprofit Grand Circle Foundation, which was created with the mission of changing people’s lives through travel—both those of our travelers, and of the people who welcome us so warmly into their homelands.

Journey with the Leader in Adventure Travel and Watch Your Dreams Take Flight: It is the stuff of dreams: gazelles bowing to lap at a glassy pool in the Serengeti as the vast sky turns purple with night, the tiered splendor of the Himalayas, rising behind a Tibetan monastery. Dreams like these are everyday realities for OAT travelers, thanks to the principles which ground every OAT adventure: value, choice, discovery, and carefully paced itineraries.

Our Value puts your travel dreams within reach: OAT can help you realize your travel dreams for a lot less than you thought possible. Together with our regional offices located throughout the world, we’ve been able to establish long-term relationships with many local vendors and hotels. Buying direct brings down our costs—and allows us to pass the savings on to you. And negotiating directly for hotel space also allows us to secure as many single room allotments as possible for our solo travelers. That way, we can also extend our great value to solo travelers. In fact, we offer the best value for solo travelers, guaranteed.

The Choice is yours: You’ll always have plenty of choices with OAT. We offer you a breadth of awe-inspiring travel destinations—from the peaks of the Andes to the sweeping desert sands of the Sahara to the rugged natural beauty of Iceland. You'll also enjoy more trip extension choices than ever before—like hiking to ancient monasteries in Bhutan or discovering the Moai monolithic rock statues on Easter Island. You have plenty of choices within each adventure, too, including several interesting optional tours. And the free time we’ve woven into our itineraries allows you plenty of opportunities for independent exploration. You can shop, unwind, perhaps linger at a sidewalk café, visit an interesting gallery or museum, or explore a cobbled street that caught your eye earlier in the day. You can do as much or as little as you want on an OAT adventure—the choice is yours.

OAT Difference

Adventure Travel: Adventure travel with OAT is a journey beyond the familiar, one that takes you into the very heart of a destination—to meet people where they work and live.

OAT Advantages: Journey with the leader in adventure travel and watch your dreams take flight, thanks to the principles which ground every OAT adventure: value, choice, discovery, and carefully paced itineraries.

Small Groups, Big Discoveries: When you discover the world in an OAT small group, you’ll journey off the beaten path to the places the big tour groups miss—and enjoy an intimate, discovery-filled adventure filled with personal connections, shared experiences, and treasured memories.

Trip Leaders: No matter where in the world you venture with OAT, you'll have one of our resident, expert Trip Leaders by your side. All are fluent in English and possess the skills, certification, and experience necessary to ensure an enriching adventure.

Airport Transfers: We’ve listened to your feedback, and will now offer international airport transfers to and from your hotel to our travelers who choose to purchase their own airfare on OAT adventures as part of our Personalize Your Trip program, which allows you create the OAT adventure that's right for you.

Personalize your trip: OAT travelers have long expressed the desire to decide exactly where they’re going, how they get there, and when they wish to leave. That’s why we developed a variety of choices that enhance the value of every trip we offer, allowing you to create the adventure that works best for you.

Traveling solo? Enjoy your own room or cabin—at no extra cost: You’re in control of your travel dreams—and we’re making them more affordable than ever: Maybe you prefer the freedom of solo travel—or maybe you and your usual traveling companion can’t agree on a destination. Whatever the reason, you don’t have to put your travel dreams on hold. When it’s time to go it alone, you’ll never pay a Single Supplement to have your own room or cabin with OAT.

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Small group tours for seniors and retirees wanting an international adventure, especially solo female travelers.

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Logistics

Accommodation

,Radisson Blu Hotel Chennai City Centre Chennai, India Situated in the heart of Chennai, the Radisson Blu offers on-site amenities like restaurants, a coffee shop, a fitness center, an outdoor pool, and a spa. All of the hotel’s rooms feature an LCD TV, complimentary wireless Internet, coffee- and tea-making facilities, an electronic safe, a minibar, and a private bath. GRT Temple Bay Hotel Mahabalipuram, India In a city famous for its beachfront temples, the GRT Temple Bay is a modern compliment to ancient wonders. Situated on 46 acres overlooking the Bay of Bengal, this hotel's rooms feature satellite TV and private bathrooms. Three restaurants serve the complex, and the seaside pool lets you relax in style. Cinnamon Red Colombo Colombo, Sri Lanka Centrally located, Cinnamon Red Colombo is within walking distance of sites like Gangaramaya Temple, the National Museum, and Viharamahadevi Park. Each of the hotel’s 242 modern rooms has a TV, mini-fridge, coffee- and tea-making facilities, an iron and ironing board, and a private bath with a hair dryer. On site, guests can enjoy the hotel’s fitness center, restaurants, and rooftop infinity pool. Hotel Suisse Kandy, Sri Lanka Situated on the scenic shores of Kandy Lake, Hotel Suisse provides guests with an on-site restaurant and bar, an Ayurvedic center, and an outdoor pool. All of its colonial-style rooms include a satellite TV and a private bath. Chaaya Village Habarana Habarana, Sri Lanka Sitting on 27 acres of lush gardens and a scenic lake, Chaaya Village Habarana features several cottages inspired by traditional Sri Lankan thatched roof homes. All of the air-conditioned cottages have a minibar, cable TV, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a private bath. On site, guests can enjoy the hotel’s coffee shop, bar, and restaurant. Jetwing Lagoon Negombo, Sri Lanka At Jetwing Lagoon—a hotel located next to the scenic Negombo Lagoon—guests can enjoy an expansive swimming pool and gym, along with two restaurants and bars. Each of the hotel’s 50 guest rooms features complimentary wireless Internet access, a cable TV, a mini-bar, an electronic safe, an iron, and a private bath with a hair dryer. Coconut Lagoon Kumarakom, India Built on the lush lands of a coconut grove on the shore of Kumarakom’s Vembanad Lake, Coconut Lagoon provides a swimming pool, fitness center, Ayurveda wellness center, and meditation center. All of its guest rooms include a private bath. Casino Hotel Cochin, India Located on Cochin’s Willingdon Island—the largest man-made island in India—Casino Hotel offers an on-site pool, tennis court, fitness center, spa, and restaurant. Each of its 65 guest rooms has a private bath. Extensions The Park New Delhi Delhi, India Located in the heart of Connaught Place—Delhi’s largest financial, commercial, and business hub—The Park New Delhi overlooks the city’s famous Jantar Mantar observatory. Each of the hotel’s 220 rooms offers Internet access, an LCD TV, a digital safe, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a private bath with a hair dryer. Radisson Blu Hotel Amritsar Amritsar, India Located near the Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, the Radisson Blu Hotel Amritsar is only a short drive from attractions like the Golden Temple, Khalsa College, and Durgiana Temple. All of its 186 rooms include free wireless Internet, a mini-bar, a TV, a safe, and a private bath. Hotel Norbu House Dharamsala, India Located in Dharamsala’s McLeod Ganj area, overlooking the famous Tsuglagkhang Complex, Hotel Norbu House has an on-site restaurant. Each of its 32 rooms features coffee- and tea-making facilities, an LED TV, complimentary wireless Internet access, and a private bath. Please note: The restaurant at Hotel Norbu House serves vegetarian cuisine only. At breakfast, eggs will not be served. Trident Bandra Kurla Mumbai, India Trident Bandra Kurla is located in the heart of North Mumbai’s new commercial hub. It offers 436 air-conditioned guest rooms, each of them with a TV, Internet access, telephone, safe, and private bath. An array of restaurants, a spa, an outdoor swimming pool, and a health club are on site. Rajputana Udaipur Hotel Udaipur, India Located about 10 minutes from the historic city center of Udaipur, Rajputana Udaipur Hotel has an outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, and spa on site. All of its air-conditioned guest rooms offer wireless Internet access, a cable TV, a mini-fridge, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a private bath with a hair dryer. Park Plaza Jodhpur Jodhpur, India At the Park Plaza Jodhpur, guests can enjoy an on-site fitness center, currency exchange, spa, several restaurants, a swimming pool, and a rooftop bar. All of its 65 rooms offer wireless Internet access, a safe, a satellite TV, coffee- and tea-making facilities, and a private bath. Lemon Tree Premier Hotel Delhi, India Conveniently located, Lemon Tree Premier Hotel is about 2.5 miles from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. On site, guests can enjoy the hotel’s fitness center, swimming pool, spa, restaurant, and bar. Each of the hotel’s 280 guest rooms includes complimentary wireless Internet access, satellite TV, a minibar, coffee- and tea-making facilities, an electronic safe, and a private bath with a hair dryer.
Travel Insurance
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Visa requirements
Visa requirements vary depending on your country of origin and your country of destination. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the relevant requirements. For a handy tool that can help you quickly find the requirements, please visit this link .
Meals Included
  • 38 meals—daily breakfast, 12 lunches, and 9 dinners (including 1 Home-Hosted Dinner)
Age Requirements
No age restrictions
Additional Information
Trip ID
overse-oveadvtranewsouindsri

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