SOUTH INDIA TRAVEL GUIDE South India in One Journey: Temples, Hills, Wildlife and Coastal Escapes Three states. One circuit. Heritage, tea hills, tiger reserves and the coast. FEATURED SOUTH INDIA ROUTE Chennai Madurai Alleppey Mysuru 3 states Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka 5 reserves Tamil Nadu tiger trail 10-14 days Typical full circuit What the journey covers Dravidian temples and gopurams Kerala backwaters and tea hills Five Tamil Nadu tiger reserves Royal palaces and Hampi ruins Coastline, crafts and cuisine CHOLAN TOURS Crafting Journeys, Creating Memories THE REGION South India in One Journey WHY SOUTH INDIA One Region, Many Different Journeys South India is where ancient temples, mist-covered mountains, tropical forests, quiet backwaters, colonial towns, busy cities and long coastlines sit within a few hours of one another. From the temples of Tamil Nadu and the tea hills of Kerala to the royal heritage of Karnataka and the southern beaches, every stop tells a different story. Temples, hill country, tiger reserves, beaches, heritage sites and backwaters in a single circuit. THE JOURNEY AT A GLANCE Culture | Nature | Wildlife | History | Rest Chennai and Mahabalipuram • Madurai and Thanjavur • Kerala backwaters • Western Ghats • Mysuru and Hampi A typical circuit begins with the monuments of Chennai or Mahabalipuram, moves into the temple towns of Madurai and Thanjavur, breaks in the Kerala backwaters, explores the forests of the Western Ghats, and closes with the royal architecture of Mysuru or the ruins at Hampi. Cholan Tours | South India Travel Guide Page 2 TAMIL NADU South India in One Journey STATE ONE Temples, Stone Cities and the Coast Chennai is usually where the journey starts, and it balances traditional and modern city life well. Marina Beach gives you the coastal atmosphere, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple shows Dravidian architecture at close range, and Fort St. George holds the colonial chapter. San Thome Basilica, the museums, the art spaces, the markets and the older restaurants fill out the rest. It is also the easiest introduction to South Indian food. Idli, dosa, vada, sambar, filter coffee and a long list of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes give you the regional flavours before you travel further south. Mahabalipuram PALLAVA MONUMENTS • UNESCO • COASTLINE A short drive down the coast from Chennai brings you to Mahabalipuram, known for its Pallava monuments. The Shore Temple, the Five Rathas, Arjuna's Penance, the rock-cut caves and Krishna's Butter Ball show what ancient Indian stone carvers could do. The combination of heritage and coastline is what makes it work: monuments through the day, a quiet seafront in the evening. Further inland, Kanchipuram, Thanjavur and Madurai carry the state's spiritual and architectural traditions. The Brihadeeswarar Temple at Thanjavur and the Meenakshi Amman Temple at Madurai are the two that most travellers plan the route around. TAMIL NADU HIGHLIGHTS Chennai • Mahabalipuram • Kanchipuram • Thanjavur • Madurai • Chettinad • Ooty and Coonoor Cholan Tours | South India Travel Guide Page 3 KERALA South India in One Journey STATE TWO Backwaters, Hills and Tropical Forests Kerala shows a completely different side of the region. The backwaters at Alleppey are among the most memorable things you can do in South India: a traditional houseboat drifts past coconut palms, paddy fields, village canals and the ordinary rhythm of rural Kerala. Alleppey & Munnar BACKWATERS • TEA PLANTATIONS An overnight houseboat is the standard way to see the backwaters, and it works best moored rather than moving after dark. Munnar changes the landscape completely: rolling tea plantations, mist over the high range, cool weather, nature walks and long views. The two pair well across four or five nights. Thekkady & Periyar WILDLIFE • SPICE PLANTATIONS Thekkady adds forest and wildlife to the itinerary. Sitting beside the Periyar reserve, it opens up Kerala's forests, its spice plantations and the biodiversity the Western Ghats are known for. It slots naturally between the hills and the backwaters on a Kochi to Alleppey route. PLANNING NOTE Kerala runs on a different monsoon calendar. The southwest monsoon finishes by late September, which makes October to March the most reliable window for the backwaters and the high range. Rates on premium houseboats stay below the December peak through November, for weather that is essentially the same. Cholan Tours | South India Travel Guide Page 4 KARNATAKA South India in One Journey STATE THREE Royal Heritage and Historic Wonders Karnataka brings royal architecture, ancient ruins, coffee-growing hills and a long list of cultural sites. Mysuru is the best known stop, mostly for the palace, which is at its most striking when it is lit at night. Mysuru & Coorg ROYAL HERITAGE • COFFEE HILLS Mysuru covers the palace, the markets, the temples and the local food, and gives a clear picture of royal Karnataka. Coorg follows at a slower pace, with coffee plantations, forests, waterfalls and mountain scenery. The drive between the two is one of the better stretches of road in the south. Hampi VIJAYANAGARA RUINS • UNESCO Hampi is the stop for anyone interested in history. The ruins of the Vijayanagara Empire spread across a boulder landscape over roughly 26 square kilometres, which makes it a walking and cycling destination rather than a drive-through one. It is one of India's most rewarding heritage sites. WHY THE COMBINATION WORKS Three different experiences in one state. Mysuru's royal heritage, Coorg's coffee country and Hampi's ancient ruins are close enough to combine, and different enough that a group with mixed interests stays engaged throughout. Badami, Pattadakal and Aihole add older temple architecture where the schedule allows. Cholan Tours | South India Travel Guide Page 5 WILDLIFE FOCUS South India in One Journey THE TIGER TRAIL Five Tiger Reserves Across Tamil Nadu South India's wild side is not limited to hill stations and backwaters. The Western Ghats hold some of India's most important wildlife habitats, and the Tamil Nadu Tiger Trail covers all five of the state's officially declared tiger reserves. The route starts around the Nilgiri foothills and works south through changing Western Ghats terrain. 01 Mudumalai Known for its elephant herds and the richness of the forest, on the Nilgiri foothills. 02 Sathyamangalam The largest of the five, with difficult forest terrain and a strong elephant corridor. 03 Anamalai Home to the lion-tailed macaque and the Malabar hornbill among many endemic species. 04 Srivilliputhur-Megamalai One of the newer reserves, with exceptionally rich high-range ecosystems. 05 Kalakad Mundanthurai The southern end of the trail, holding some of the oldest rainforest in the Ghats. The trail is about far more than tigers. Elephants, leopards, gaur, sloth bears, deer, primates, rare squirrels and a long bird list are all in range. Safaris run as guided jeep drives with English-speaking naturalists, which suits first-time wildlife travellers and experienced nature lovers equally. TIGER TRAIL TOUR Guided jeep safaris | English-speaking naturalists | All five reserves Cholan Tours | South India Travel Guide Page 6 CULTURE & CUISINE South India in One Journey LIVING TRADITIONS Temples, Crafts and Regional Flavours What sets South India apart is that its heritage is still in use. Most temples are not historical monuments alone: they remain active centres of worship and community life. The gopurams of Tamil Nadu, the temple architecture of Kerala and the older shrines of Karnataka each show a different version of the same tradition, and festivals, classical music, Bharatanatyam, handicrafts, textiles and local markets fill in the rest. Crafts Worth Bringing Home SILK • HANDLOOM • WOODWORK Kanchipuram silk, Kerala handloom, Mysore silk and traditional woodwork are the regional crafts most travellers look for, and each is still made where it has always been made. Buying at the source is usually better value than at a hotel shop, and a guide who knows the genuine workshops saves time. TASTE THE FLAVOURS OF SOUTH INDIA Tamil Nadu Dosa, idli, sambar, Chettinad cuisine and filter coffee. Kerala Appam, stews, seafood and traditional sadya on a banana leaf. Karnataka Bisibele bath, Mysore pak and regional vegetarian specialities. There is room to slow down too. The beaches at Chennai, Mahabalipuram and along the Kerala coast, the quieter corners of the Western Ghats, and hill towns like Ooty and Coonoor with their tea estates, viewpoints and colonial-era streets all reward an unhurried pace. Longer itineraries can add Goa for beaches and Portuguese-influenced heritage. Cholan Tours | South India Travel Guide Page 7 PLAN WITH CHOLAN TOURS South India in One Journey CUSTOMISED SOUTH INDIA JOURNEYS Plan Your South India Journey with Cholan Tours No single experience defines South India, and that is the point. Ancient temples, UNESCO sites, tiger reserves, misty hills, backwaters, royal palaces, coastline and the food all sit in the same circuit. Cholan Tours is based at Srirangam in Trichy and has been arranging South India journeys since 1999 as a government approved Destination Management Company, with its own teams and fleet on the ground. ITINERARIES BUILT AROUND YOU Cultural and heritage tours • Wildlife and tiger trail • Nature and hill stations Short breaks or full Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka circuits • Fully customised routes Start planning your South India trip VISIT WEBSITE EXPLORE SOUTH INDIA PACKAGES WEBSITE www.cholantours.com PHONE +91 431 4226100 EMAIL enquiry@cholantours.com ADDRESS No 4, Annai Avenue, Srirangam, Trichy, Tamil Nadu 620006, India Crafting Journeys, Creating Memories South India holiday packages, planned around what you want to see. EXPLORE MORE South India Tour Packages • Tamil Nadu Tour Packages • Kerala Tour Packages • Karnataka Tour Packages cholantours.com/india/south-india-tour-packages Cholan Tours | South India Travel Guide Page 8