Sandalwood and Spice, Incentive Tours.

DAY 3. MUMBAI I BANGALORE : Board the morning flight to Bangalore. Assistance at the airport on arrival and transfer to hotel. One of the fastest growing cities of the world, it is also rightly called "The Garden City" with its numerous parks and avenues of jacaranda, gulmohur and cassia.The sightseeing commences with the Bull temple at Basavanagudi. The monolithic Nandi, Siva's bull, is believed to have grown in size since and now measures nearly 5m in height and over 6m in length. It is made of grey granite polished with a mixture of groundnut oil and charcoal. Nearby is one of Kempe Gowda's four towers. The Gavi Gangadharesvara Cave Temple, north west of the Bull temple , also built by Kempe Gowda, has four monolithic pillars and an unusual image of Agni ,the God of Fire.Visit Tipu's Summer Palace started by Haidar Ah and completed by his son Tipu Sultan in 1789. Based on the Dana Daulat palace in Srirangapatnam, the 2 storeyed ornate structure has a substantial amount of wood with walls and ceilings painted in brilliant colours with beautiful carvings. Visit to the Lalbagh Gardens the superb Botanical Gardens which were laid out by Haidar All in 1760 while his son Tipu Sultan added a wealth of plants and trees from many countries. It has a very good collection of tropical, sub - tropical and medicinal plants with over 1,800 species and a floral clock. In the evening drive to Rudraksha,the ethnic farm resort that farm has esoteric sculptures all over creating an open air auditorium amidst trees. On arrival enjoy a welcome coconut water drink as you wander around the farm amid theatre masks and sculptures or watch craftsmen ply their trade. Later enjoy an hour long performance of a dance ballet or a classical dance followed by cocktails and dinner of coastal Karnataka cuisine. Later drive back to your hotel. Overnight Bangalore.

Mysore Palace Tour

DAY 4. BANGALORE / MYSORE : Drive to Mysore. The former capital of the princely state, it is the city of the Royal palace , sandalwood and a center for the manufacture of incense sticks. An attractive and clean city with a pleasant climate, it has beautiful parks and shady avenues. Commence the city tour with the City Palace designed by Hemy Irwin and built in 1897 as the new palace after a fire which burnt down the old wooden one. It is in the Indo -Saracenic style in grand proportions, with domes, arches and colonades of carved pillars and shiny marble floors adding a touch of class. The stained glass, wall paintings, ivory inlaid doors and the ornate golden throne (now displayed during Dasehra) are all remarkable.This follows a visit to the Maharaja's residence, now a museum. The ground floor with an enclosed courtyard displays costumes, musical instruments, children's toys and numerous portraits and photographs. The upper floor has a small collection of weapons. Drive up to the Chamundi hill immediately to the south east of 999 the town which has temple of Durga (Chamundeswari) celebratp mg her victory over the buffalo God. She became the guardian deity of the Wodeyars. On the road to the top is the giant Nandi, carved in 1 659.Later a special visit to the Govt Sandalwood Oil Factory is arranged where one can see the extraction of oil and how incense is made. The factory produces more than half the country's output. An excursion to the Brindavan Gardens is arranged in the evening.Brindavan Gardens, 19 kms from Mysore comprises of a dam and attractive gardens arranged around a series of fountains. The highlight is the "dancing musical fountain" 1.2 kms from the entrance. Drive back to your hotel for a brief rest followed by an extravagant evening at the lawns of the Lalita Mahal palace,the entire palace being lit up for you and guests driven in royal horst carriages to the venue where a befitting dinner awaits you.

DAY 5. MYSOREI KABINI RIVER LODGE: Drive to Kabini River Lodge Buffet lunch at the Gol Ghar overlooking the Kabini river or at tht Viceroy's bungalow depending on weather. Wildlife tour into the Nagarhole National Park, in the resort's jeeps, accompanied by experienced drivers and naturalists. Evening return to the lodge Dinner around campfire at the "Gol Ghar" or Viceroy's bungalow's. Overnight Kabini River Lodge.

DAY 6. KABINI RIVER LODGE Drive into the park and ride coracles on the Kabini river accompanied by a naturalist. The coracle is a roun native boat. View acquatic bird-life and spot a crocodile and other wild life on the water edge. Return to lodge for breakfast at the Gol Ghar.Afternoon park rounds to view the exotic wildlife.Return to the lodge in the evening to savour the delicacies of a bar - be- que dinner with cocktails over a tribal dance performance. Overnight Kabini Lodge.

SANDALWOOD AND SPICE