Travelling in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in July

Eggcellent

Hey,

Just looking for some help on our intinery for 34 days in the south.

Spent last summer in the north (the usual Rajasthan loop plus a bit) and found the trains amazing, no delays and nearly always directly to where you want to go. From reading the other threads i get the feeling the south isn't quite the same. What do people think?

Also if anyone has some amazing places they can recommend tha would be great.

thanks
xxx

bodas73

Hi my girlfriend Laura was in the South last year and loved it, she highly recommends Madurai, Kochin and taking a trip through the backwaters also said Varkala was beautiful hope you enjoy your trip

snonymous

In my opinion, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, all in South India, are the best holiday destinations.

July however, is mid monsoons except for the central and eastern coasts of TN. The plus side is that the several spectacular waterfalls of all 3 states, will be in glorious spate.

What are your interests, for example: architecture, temples, culture, wildlife, beaches, tea estates, plantations etc?
Check these sites for a general overview to help you narrow down your choice of destinations.

http://www.tamilnadutourism.org
http://www.keralatourism.org
http://karnatakatourism.org

ananda2193

Do see Madurai!

http://www.madurai.com/

Eggcellent

We been looking at places all night! ! So far we know our interests are wildlife/backwaters and tes! Plus the odd temple- if they're in the right place (as in not going to travel miles of our way).

So far but not at all decided we have:

Chennai - where we fly into
Pondicherry and auroville (the token tourist thing to do)
Then straight to the very south, spend some time around Vakala.
Decide how we want to do the backwaters - spend a few days travelling around by local's ferries.
Wildlife sanctuary (no idea which one or how to reach it best)
Then up towards the Ghats/ Mountains aiming for Coonoor (not Ooty).
Spend sound time in around the tea.
Head back to Chennai via the falls (which I can't remember the name of...)

How does it sound so far? We like to fit alot it, so a lot of travelling is fine.

Any more suggestions to throw in?

Thanks

snonymous

If you dont have time for any of the more famous temples such as the ones at Thanjavur or Madurai, you could visit the Kapaleeswar temple in Chennai city itself, it is also splendid and a good introduction to Dravidian temple architecture.

For wildlife, remember that monsoon time in tropical jungles is also LEECH time!

You may be referring to the Hogennakal falls.

If you want to combine tea estates with spectacular waterfalls, then you could also take the route from Coimbatore to Valparai [tea estates] through to the Vazhachal and Athirapally falls in Kerala along the same road which ends up at the Chalakudy junction just north of Cochins Nedumbassery airport.

In the Coonoor area, please check road conditions prior to travel. Landslides on the Mettupalayam Coonoor road are fairly common during the monsoons.

Eggcellent

[quote=snonymous;515741]

You may be referring to the Hogennakal falls.

If you want to combine tea estates with spectacular waterfalls, then you could also take the route from Coimbatore to Valparai [tea estates] through to the Vazhachal and Athirapally falls in Kerala along the same road which ends up at the Chalakudy junction just north of Cochins Nedumbassery airport.
QUOTE]

Hey thanks for the info.

Which is the best way to do this route? We prefer trains is this possible? Are the Valparai tea estates best? We were planning to head up to Coonoor for tea.

Thanks

sajithr

Hi,

I suggest a place called

Masinagudi....

Visit www.masinagudi.com

Regards
Sajith

snonymous

[quote=Eggcellent;520206]Coimbatore and Cochin [airport] are both convenient. I dont think trains run on that route. Im sure public buses go there but if you hire a pvt taxi, it will be most convenient. From Coimbatore the route is via Pollachi - Valparai - Vazhachal - Athirapally - Cochin. Valparai is at a lower altitude than Coonoor, but Munnar is an excellent location for tea estates. Munnar is also convenient from both Coimbatore and Cochin. If you go to Munnar from Coimbatore you can also visit the Chinnar sanctuary and scenic Marayoor region en route. Check mapmyindia.com for a general idea of road routes. Also keralatourism.org for more ideas. Valparai and Pollachi are in Tamil Nadu state, the rest of the places are in Kerala and Chinnar falls in both states.