Goa Honeymoon Vacation

Welcome to India! Our representative will greet you up at the Bangalore (Bengaluru) airport, and then a comfortable private car will take you to check in at the hotel. You will enjoy some free time exploring the city on your own.

Suggested Items to Take Before Travel
1. Clothes. Long pants for men and long skirts for women when visiting temples. Do take your scarf to protect you from sunburn and the strong wind in some places. And the swimsuits are also needed.
2. Exchange some local currency in advance. You also can do the exchange during the tour, since some restaurants do not take credit card.
3. Adaptor. The power plugs in India are all round, which are type C, type D, and type M, please check yours and take the adaptor if needed.
4. Standing drugs for diarrhea, cold or others.
5. Sunscreen if you need.

► Afternoon Suggestion in Bangalore
If you have some free time in the afternoon, you can take a stroll along the Commercial Street, where there are many small vendors selling trinkets on the roadside. The Gothic style building close to the Commercial Street is the St. Mary's Basilica, it is a building from the colonial period that has been in use ever since. Take a taxi for about 10 minutes to back to your hotel for dinner.

Meals: No meals, advice freely available
Accommodation: Royal Orchid Central, Bangalore

In the morning, our tour starts at the Cubbon Park located in the heart of the city. The 300 acres of green and flowers as well as the diamond-shaped aquarium invite you to enjoy their beauty. Then we will visit Lal Bagh, an 18th-century botanical garden built by the emperor of Mysore. Next stop will be the Nandi (Bull) Temple, a Dravidian-style temple renowned for the largest Nandi idol in the world. We will end today at Vidhana Soudha, the seat of the state Legislature and the Secretariat. This Dravidian-style white building was completed in 1956. When the Bangalore tour ends, we will drive for about 4 hours to Mysore and stay overnight.

Mysore - A Holy Land for Astonga
Mysore is the second largest city in southern India, where Ashtanga yoga was born. Ashtanga exercises the body's strength, flexibility, and endurance in a balanced manner, and is loved by many fitness enthusiasts. This city is also famous for the hometown of the yogi and Ayurveda Therapist - Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya.

Mysore is also one of the famous travel destinations, and our guides and drivers will take you to explore the most worthwhile attractions.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Royal Orchid Metropole, Mysore

Today, your guided tour will start with the Mysore Palace. It is a splendid palace built in 1911 with a golden domed roof. Inside you will see a lot of treasures such as a wooden howdah decorated with gold, various iron decorations, and exquisite murals and sculptures. Then we will drive to the Chamundi Hill to visit Chamundeshwari Temple where you can view the whole city from the hill. On the way back to Mysore, we will stop by Nandi Bull, a statue of a black bull, which is the mount of the Indian god Shiva and also the most faithful believer of Shiva.

In the afternoon, we will visit Srirangaptana, an island town used to be the fortress capital of this region. We will see Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, a Dravidian-style Hindu temple dedicated to Ranganatha. It is one of the biggest Hindu temple in use. Then we will visit Gumbaz, an 18th-century Muslim mausoleum located at the center of an extensive garden. Our last stop today is Daria Daulat Bagh, an 18th-cenury summer palace built of teakwood. This Indo-Saracenic architecture will show you ancient weapons and painting of the Tipu's era. 

Navratri - The Grand Festival of India
Navrati is one of the most solemn festivals in Hinduism to celebrate the nine incarnations of the goddess Durga. It is held every March-April and September - October and lasts for 9 nights and 10 days in some cities. The last day of the festival is called Dussehra.

During the festival, Locals will burn huge statues of the demon king Ravanna with ten heads to commemorate the righteous god Rama's victory over evil forces. It is interesting that every day of Navrati is blessed with a special color. If you are happen in India during this festival, you will find that the locals are all wearing clothes of the same color that day. Don't be surprised, it must be the blessing color of the day.

The best place to watch performances and ceremonies in Mysore is the Mysore Palace when the lights illuminate the magnificent palace. Drama, singing and dancing performances, as well as wrestling competitions are performed in the theater. Join in one of the activities or watch a performance if you are interested.

Meals: Breakfast

Our destination for today is Hassan. We will firstly drive for about 4 hour to get to Belur, once served as the capital of Hoysala Empire (1026–1343). It can be fun to go sightseeing at Chennakeshavatemple complex like the Chennakesava Vishnu Temple. The King Vishnuvardhana(1108–1152) ordered the temple built and dedicated to Vishnu in 1117, but it was not finished until 103 years later. Here you will see carved panels, pillars and doorways depicting Indian mythologies. Next we will stop at Halebid to visit the Hoysalesawara Temple that consecrates Shiva lingas in twin stupas. Carvings and sculptures here embody the themes of Hinduism and you can learn a lot about South India in the 12th century. We will also see Kedareshwara Temple. Then we will continue our drive for about 1 hour to Hassan for one night stay.

One of the Top 10 Wonders of Indian Architecture
Belur was once the capital of Hoysala Empire, which flourished in South India from the 11th to the mid-14th century. The Chennakesava Temple here was built by King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoshala dynasty in 1117 AD.

In front of each palace of Chennakesava Temple, there is a statue of a majestic man holding a sword, standing or riding an elephant, fighting against a lion. Legend has it that one day, a fierce and cannibalistic lion scared away everyone except this man. He bravely fought against the lion and ultimately killed it, this Hoshala Empire was established afterward.

With the tour guide's explanation, a mythological history of Hoshala Empire is presented from these carved statues. Our guide will introduce you to the door gods JAYA and VIJAYA in the history of Indian mythology, the dance gods, the other vivid statues including the Bird Talker, S-shaped dancers and the mythological stories that they interpret in ancient times.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hoysala Village Resort, Hassan

After breakfast, we will drive to Hospet by our comfortable vehicle. On the way, we will pass by Chitradurga, where we will paya visit to Chitradurga Fort, it is a well-maintained 17th-century fort taking you back to the old times of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan. Later we will continue to Hospet, the whole transfer takes 6-7 hours, but it will not be boring with interesting sightseeing and breaks.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Royal Orchid Central Kireeti, Hospet

Very near to Hospet, there is a small town named Hampi. Today, your private guide takes you to spend a full day exploring the Hampi Ruins, which were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1986. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire (1336-1646) and contains more than 40 temples. Our first stop is the Virupaksha Temple which is the oldest shrine of Hinduism and consists of many small temples. Then we visit the Vittala Temple containing the most sophisticated buildings in Hampi and a Garuda shrine inside was built as a stone chariot. It has 56 carved pillars that can make musical sounds when hit. Next we head to the Hazara Rama Templewhere carvings on the outer walls depict the Hindu Mahanavami Celebration and the Spring Holi Festival. From there we go to see the Elephant Stables, the Queen's Bath, and the Ramachandra Temple. The last stop is Lotus Mahal which combines Islamic and Indian architectural styles.

The Lost City - Hampi
Hampi was once the capital of the Vishnagara Empire, a Hindu Empire that prospered for over 200 years from the 14th to the 16th century, extending its territory from inland to the Arabian Sea. Wealthy kings liked to build large-scale buildings, with over 500 temples and palaces rising from the ground. Until 1565, this empire was defeated by the Muslim coalition and Hampi was looted. After centuries' vicissitudes, temples and palaces became ruins and broken tiles, scattered around and gradually submerged by weeds. It was not until the British colonial rule over India that archaeologists realized the existence of this city and brought it back to life.

There are too many historical sites here, and it may take three or four months if we explore them one by one. Fortunately, tourists are not as ambitious as archaeologists. Most people only visit a few key sites, just like playful students rushing to review before exams. Our guide will show you the key chapters with exquisite carving, the functions of different palaces and the legend in the Epic Ramayana. In addition to these stunning buildings, the women dressed in colorful saris working nearby make the entire scene more vivid.

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we'll drive 162km to get to Badami. En-route we will stop for a guided visit to Aihole, an ancient walled city full of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments of the Middle Age. Among the 125 stone and cave temples, the Kontigudi and the Galaganatha group of temples are the most famous. There are also popular attractions like 5th-century Lad Khan Temple, the rock cut temple Ravana Phadi and the Jyothirlinga Group. Next we will stop at a UNESCO World Heritage site - Pattadakal to visit the exquisitely carved Hindu and Jain temples like the largest Virupaksha Temple, Sangameshwara Temple, Chandrashekhara temple and so on. Continue to Badami.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Badami Court, Badami

After breakfast, we will drive for about 6-7 hours to Goa, which was ruled by Portugal for about 450 years. It is famous for the European-style buildings and beautiful beaches. After arrival, you will be free to spend the rest of the day on the beach and enjoy the elegant seascape.

★ Goan Delicacies We'd Like to Share With You
1. Xitti Kodi, a kind of Fish Curry, traditionally known as Nusten Chi Kodi and it is popular among locals. This dish is mainly made of moderately sized pomfret and a raw mango, along with various spices and coconuts, giving it a rich flavor. Pomfret can be replaced with other fish or shrimp and served with rice.
2. Recheado, as the name suggests, is actually a dish from Portugal, made from pomfret, mackerel, or any other fish stuffed with spicy masala. Made with roasted Kashmiri chili and cinnamon, pepper grains, cloves, ginger garlic sauce, and other spices, and served with bread.
3. Goan Chicken Cafreal, chicken wrapped in green Cafreal paste. The green paste can be known as green masala sauce, made with green chili peppers, fresh coriander, mint leaves, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, and fresh ginger, garlic, and lemon juice. The chicken legs are then marinated in this sauce and cooked over until dry. It is a very popular at local bars or seaside shacks.
4. Sannas or Sannon, named after the circular container used to stam, it is a kind of local bread or cake. Local women soak rice for 6 to 15 hours, grind it into a thick batter, then they will add freshly ground coconut, palm sugar, and toddy, mix all of these materials and ferment in a warm place, finally put it in the circular containers and steam, served with various soup or meat dishes.
5. Goan Khatkhate, a spicy vegetable stew mixed with Toor dal and Channa dal, along with various vegetables such as carrots, corn, potatoes, French beans, green peas, and chicken legs, served with rice.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Radisson Candolim, Goa

Enjoy the full day at leisure. You can get relaxed on the beach or take part in the activities by yourself.

► Free Time Suggestion
It is really pleasant to spend your day on the beach. If you’d like to have a glance at the city, you can order a taxi with the help of the hotel staff and take a stroll to Old Goa, where you can visit the Basilica of Bom Jesus. This church is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in Asia due to its preservation of the body of the greatest Spanish missionary in history, St. Francis Xavier. In the evening, the beach becomes lively, restaurants and bars welcome guests with enthusiasm, you can find one of your favorite to enjoy the dinner and the party there.

Meals: Breakfast

Your private honeymoon package comes to an end today. We will take you to the Goa Airport for your homeward flight. If you are interested in extending your tour to other cities like Delhi or Mumbai, please inform us and we will be pleased to be helpful with the arrangements.

Meals: Breakfast