Category: Tamil Nadu

It takes a while to get out of the urban sprawl that is Chennai, but it’s well worth it. Northern Tamil Nadu is a fantastic place to put on weight, whether by lazing by the beach and enjoying fresh seafood in Mamallapuram or indulging in the fusion French cuisine of Puducherry.

In the foothills of the Nilgiris, this 321-sq-km park (admission Rs 35), and the surrounding forest outside the park boundaries, are the best places for wildlife viewing in Tamil Nadu. Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (3000 sq km), the reserve’s vegetation ranges from grasslands to semi-evergreen forests that are home to chitals (spotted deer), gaurs (bisons), tigers, panthers, wild boars and sloth bears. Otters and crocodiles inhabit the Moyar River. The park’s wild elephant population numbers about 600.

Mamallapuram is Tamil Nadu’s only true travellers’ enclave, a mix of sun, seafood and sand with a dash of seediness thrown in. But it’s much more than that. Famous for its ancient rock carvings, especially the Shore Temple, it was once the second capital and seaport of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram. The village is listed as a World Heritage site and remains a renowned centre for stone carving; you’ll see and hear the constant tapping of hammer and chisel as artisans chip away at exquisite sculptures.

Famous for the awe-inspiring Sri Meenakshi Temple complex, Madurai is an animated city packed with pilgrims, beggars, business-people, bullock carts and underemployed rickshaw drivers. It’s one of South India’s oldest cities and has been a centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. A textile centre from way back, the city was also the setting for Mahatma Gandhi’s decision, in 1921, to wear nothing but khadi (homespun cloth), and tailors’ shops are everywhere in town.

Kumbakonam is a busy, dusty commercial centre, nestled along the Cauvery River some 37km northeast of Thanjavur. Here you can visit the many superb Chola temples scattered around town, or head east to the coastal towns of the Cauvery Delta. It’s also an easy day trip from Thanjavur.

Approached through a surreal landscape of wind farms, Kanyakumari is the ‘Land’s End’ of the Indian subcontinent, where the Bay of Bengal meets the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea. Chaitrapurnima (Tamil for the April full-moon day) is the time to experience simultaneous sunset and moonrise over the ocean.

Famous throughout India for its silk saris, the temple town of Kanchipuram (Kanchi) is also a treasure-trove of Hindu temples and art from the Pallava, Chola and Pandyan dynasties. Many travellers make a day trip here from Chennai or Mamallapuram, which isn’t a bad idea as its attraction for pilgrims and tourists has led to a culture of harassment at some temples and silk shops.

One of three wildlife sanctuaries in the Western Ghats along the Tamil Nadu–Kerala border, this cool, misty mountain park covers almost 1000 sq km of mostly teak forest and evergreen jungle. It’s home to elephants, gaurs, tigers, panthers, spotted deer, wild boars, bears, porcupines and civet cats, and the Nilgiri tahr – commonly known as the ibex – may also be spotted. The park also has a renowned medicinal plant garden and interpretive centre (check out the astrological medicine chart and beauty hints if you’re feeling travel-weary), and is home to the tribal group of Kada people, many of whom work here. The park’s elephant training centre can be visited on the guided vehicle tour.