South India is where the great Dravidian kingdoms were established, and anyone interested in ancient history and grand temples must visit Tamil Nadu or Karnataka. While Chennai may owe its modern origins to the 17th century British East India Company’s first traders, the shore temple at Mahabalipuram, just 40kms to the south, takes us deep back into the Tamil history of the seventh century. The devout Dravidian people of the south live and breathe their ancient religion. There are so many impressive temple towns in Tamil Nadu – Chidambaram, Tanjore, Trichy, and, most of all, the pilgrim centre of Madurai – one of the oldest cities in Southern India – with its dramatic and lively Meenakshi Temple, dedicated to the fish-eyed goddess. Alternatively, for a different style of relaxation, visit the attractive French-style coastal town of Pondicherry, south of Chennai.
Enjoy the lush, green tropical landscapes of coconut groves, paddy fields and placid backwaters that make up the Kerala coastline. Traversing the pristine backwaters of Kerala is where succumbing to a therapeutic Ayurvedic massage is as mandatory as idling away an afternoon aboard a slowly drifting “kettuvallam”, the traditional houseboat or sipping coconut water under a tropical sun before taking part in a ritualised Kathakali dance.
The Western Ghats stretch out like a mountainous spine for around 1400km from the north of Mumbai, across Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala, before petering out at the southernmost tip of Tamil Nadu. The misty hills, lush green valleys, evergreen forests, meandering brooks beckon nature lovers for a tranquil sojourn. The region is scattered with hamlets, villages and townships surrounded by coffee plantations, orange groves interspersed with cardamom and pepper plants and dense forests. It is a land of dramatic contrasts – from the harbours of Cochin and the tranquil backwaters of Kerala, coffee and spice plantations in Wayanad and Coorg, herds of elephants in Nagarhole National Park, intricacy and profusion of sculptural work in the temples of Belur and Halebid, and the ruins of the mighty ‘Vijayanagar’ Empire at Hampi. Further delights are waiting in the gracious sandalwood city of Mysore and Bangalore, for another, different taste of Indian urban life; the city is affluent, bustling and vibrant and -splendidly adorned with trees, parks and gardens.