10 days

Rydah

Hello!
I'm an Australian living in Sri Lanka, working as a teacher at an international school. I can only travel during my school holidays so I have only 10 days for my first trip to India!

Flights are super cheap from Colombo to Chennai so that's where I'll start and finish the trip!
This is a list of places that have caught my eye so far...

Chennai
Kanchipuram
Bangalore
Mysore
Madurai
Trichy

I love temples & generally just being amongst daily life especially chatting with women & children!

If there is a temple in a village or town nearby the cities that I've mentioned, please let me know! I'll probably stay less in the big cities & more in temple towns.

Would love to visit Rameswaran & Kanyekumari but can't on this trip!

Any suggestions welcome...

Thanks

Nick-H

Add Mamallapuram to Chennai/Kanchipuram for at least half a day of temple and stone-carving exploration. Perhaps a night in a hotel not too far from the sea too.

Coming from Colombo: one hour flight, no jetlag, great! Never mind ten days, you could visit India for weekends!

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singsub

advising the same thing twice in 2 days... chuck bangalore. include pondichery if possible.

zoltan

Totally agree.

Kanchipuram is OK for a 1-day journey through but nothing of any real attraction to keep you there overnight.

Mysore has some lovely places and sights to see; Mamallapuram (for it's unique stone carving is a must).

And throw in Thanjavur also.

Cheers
Zoltan

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snonymous

Have a look at the Tamil Nadu tourism website tamilnadutourism.org for their temple tours. You could visit the Chidambaram temple and the world heritage temple sites of Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Dharasuram near Kumbakonam, also a famous temple town. The Madurai Meenakshiamman temple and the Rameshwaram temples are also architectural marvels. Please post your experiences after you visit.

capt_mahajan

Mysore seems to be a little off the rest of the trip.

Maybe knock it off if adding Pondicherry, maybe too rushed.


Pity. It's worth a visit (agree with singsub and zoltan to avoid Bangalore)- but maybe you can do Mysore and Hampi the next time around.

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Rydah

Thankyou for your advice

Some great suggestions...
Now, I'm thinking 10 days in Tamil Nadu only! Saving Mysore, Bangalore, etc. for another trip!

* Chennai
Kanchipuram
Mamallapuram
* Thanjavur (1.5hr train to Trichy)
* Trichy (3.5hr train to Madurai)
* Madurai
* Rameswaran
---> magically arriving back in Chennai

I just realised that the end of October is north-east monsoon time for Tamil Nadu but unless someone strongly suggests not to make the trip, I will brave the rains anyway! I do have some monsoon experience from living here in Sri Lanka.

I would appreciate any advice regarding the order...I don't know if the way I have it now will work well. I'm planning on going to Kanchipuram & Mamallapuram on half day trips from Chennai & then on the way to Thanjavur, if that's possible.

BTW tickets from Colombo to Chennai are $USD175...I think that's a bargain. and like Nick-H said, 1hr flight...no jetlag!

Thanks again for the suggestions so far...

n kumar

hi Rydah,
I think you should follow this route
chennai to mamallapuram and back to chennai,
chennai to kanchipuram,
kanchipuram to tanjur,
tanjur to trichy,
trichy to rameshwaram,
rameshwaram to madurai,
madurai to chennai,
Are you travelling by bus or train or by taxi.

zoltan

Not necessary. You can get an auto from Mamallapuram directly to Kanchipuram. It's a rough journey but cheap enough to do. It takes only 25-35 minutes.

This would save time in returning to Chennai.

Personally, I found Madurai unappealing. The temple in the heart of the city is good (beware of the touts)but that seemed to be the extent of the highlights. I'd spend more time in Thanjavur.

Cheers
Zoltan

n kumar

Hi zoltan,
It is appxm 70 kms from mallapuram to kanchi and I think it is impossible to cover this distance in 35 min with any available transport.

Rydah

n kumar,
I'm planning on travelling by either bus or train, I think Kanchipuram & Mamallapuram are only connected to Chennai by bus. Further south I plan on taking the train mostly.
Thanks!

n kumar

Hi rydah,
Day 1 = Leave chennai in the morning after breakfast and reach mahamallapuram by afternoon.
Day 2 = Leave mahamallapuram in the afternoon.
(70 kms -travel time 2 hours ) and reach kanchi by 4 pm.
Day 3 = leave kanchi after lunch and reach trichy in the evenning.
( 210 kms - travel time 5 1/2 hours)
Day 4 = After visiting srirangam and rock fort temple catch a bus to tanjur.
( 55 kms - travel time appxm 1 1/2 hrs)
Day 5 = After breakfast catch a bus to rameshwaram and reach by evening.
( 255kms - 7 hours travel time )
Day 6 = Leave rameshwaram after lunch and reach madurai by evenning.
(170 kms - travel time 4 hours )
Day 7 madurai
Day 8 = Catch the train no:2636 dep 6:45 am arr chennai 2:40mpm
and that leaves 2 for chennai. If you feel you can spare a day more do it in tanjur and explore nearby temples.
Please post your comments.

n kumar

Hi rydah,
I worked out another itterney for your trip,
Day 1 = travel by bus to kanchipuram (night halt)
Day 2 = travel by bus to chengalpattu(35 kms-one hr travelling) and arrive by 1 pm to catch the train no:2635 to madurai and reach madurai at 8.15 pm evening.
Day 3 = Maduri local sightseing.
Day 4 = Catch the local passenger train no:751 dep 6.30 am and arrives at rameshwaram at 10:30 am and come back to madurai by evening.
Day 5 = leave madurai by no:2636(dep 6:45am) and arrive at srirangam at 9.30 am, after visiting the temple take an auto to trichy( app 10kms) have your lunch and leave to tanjur and arrive evening.
Day 6 = tanjur and catch the night train no:6178 at 8:30 pm to chennai and arrive at 5:15 am on day 7.
Day 8 - make local sight seeing trip to mallapuram, crocodile park etc.
You can also travel to rameshwaram directly from chennai and come back by the route as mentioned.
I think your problem is solved, if you need and more clarification please post.

zoltan

n kumar,
You are quite right.

I put this down to a failing memory (it was many years ago that I did this run) :-)

Cheers
Zoltan

Rydah

Thankyou very much for the itineraries, n kumar!

It still seems like a long way away, but it's great knowing I have some kind of plan!

Thankyou all for your input!

Rydah