We shall travel by an efficient morning train to Mysore. An air road connection is also available via Bangalore. We recommend the train journey because rail travel in India presents a fascinating 'world-within-a-world'. We shall also see the contrasts in the Indian countryside and in local dress, as the sub-tropical greens of Tamil Nadu change to the deep orange soil of Karnataka state.

Mysore is a city of palaces, gardens and oriental splendor. The ochre-colored Maharajah's palace is a massive edifice where the oriental decorative imagination runs wild in a synthesis of Hindu and Muslim styles. A short distance outside the city is a sparkling white, elegant palace, the Lalitha Mahal , where we shall stay overnight. From Mysore, we will proceed to the fabulous temples at Belur and Halebid, celebrated for "the artistic combination of horizontal with vertical, and the play of outline and of light and shade..."

Cochin is a living blend of peoples and cultures. We shall find Jewish synagogues, Dutch architecture, Hindu temples and Chinese fishing nets. The air is heavy with the smell of exotic spices, and the shouts of Dhoti clad men pushing overladen carts around the harbour. 

Cruising on the backwaters, we shall touch the heart of Southern India. We travel several hours on our motor-launch along narrow, winding sea-water canals, under a thick canopy of tropical foliage and swaying palm trees. We will explore picturesque fishing villages set along golden beaches or in the midst of coconut groves. 

Periyar Wildlife Reserve is spread around a man-made reservoir - the Periyar Lake. It winds around the surrounding hills almost like a river. Herds of elephant, wild bulls and various species of deer wander down to the lake-side for water, and can be observed from launches cruising upon the lake. The big cats - tigers and leopards - are more elusive but can be glimpsed in the dry months. 

At Madurai, Trichi and Tanjore, trumpets and drums and religious chanting constantly fill the air. The bazaars bustle from dawn to dusk with pilgrims who have come to visit the magnificent temples in these towns. The temples represent great feats of structural engineering as well as art. Their pillars are great picture-books in stone, featuring the entire gamut of human expression: graceful dances, dignified royal events, even lusty humor. We may come across the temple elephant sauntering down the corridors.