Sights in Tamil Nadu, Chennai

Hi, I'm new to this site. We are traveling with our family (4 kids) to India in January. It is our first time in India. We will have about 2 1/2 days in Tamil Nadu. We would like to go to Thanjavur, and also see some sights in Chennai. Is this realistic? What would be the must-sees in that amount of time? Also, I'm very concerned about keeping my children safe. Thanks so much for any help.

I took the bus tour of Chennai that's given by TNTDC and it was just fine for an overview of the city. I really can't recall what we saw (well, it was more than 20 years ago) besides a couple of temples, but just driving around the town on a bus full of friendly Indian families was just fine for me.

There's a second tour that goes to Mahabalipuram after stopping at the Crocodile Bank, a few more temples, silk shops in Kanchipuram ...

Welcome to IndiaMike. Hope we can help you. It would help us if you could give us some more information.

How do you come to end up in Tamil Nadu?

Why just 2 1/2 days?

Why Thanjavur especially?

What sorts of things do you like to see and do.

How old are your children?

What do they like to see and do?

What sorts of threats to your children do you have in mind?

We are coming to India for a week of humanitarian work. We will be in India about 6 additional days-2 1/2 in Chennai area and are planning the rest for the golden triangle. We like cultural and historic experiences, architecture, and learning about the places we visit. I was looking at Thanjavur because it was listed as the #1 thing to see in TN, but I am not set on it. Basically, with 4 kids this trip may be a once in a lifetime, so we want to get the most out of it. We don't want our experiences to be super rushed, though. My kids are 16, 11, 9, 9. I can't say that I feel India is an especially dangerous place, but I have read warnings here and there particularly concerning women. So if there is a risk I want to minimize it.

Sorry to be so slow in responding. Harvest season here, now finished.

My initial reaction is that 2 1/2 days isn't enough to see both Thanjavur and Chennai. Americans don't initially grasp that travel in India is slow and difficult. If you plan to drive, you cannot expect to average any better than 50 kph/ 30 mph. You can make it to Thanjavur and back, but you'll lose so much time in transit (whether by car or plane [via Tiruchirappalli/Trichy]) that you won't have much time to see anything.

Here's what I suggest. First, get hold of a copy of DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - India, which is chock full of pictures of important sites in India. We've always found it a great resource for making up a wish list when planning an itinerary. (You can accomplish much the same thing with Google Images, but you have to know what places to Search.)

Then I'd suggest reining in you aspirations and sticking closer to Chennai. If I were in you position, herding around a squad of kids, I'd consider going first to Mamallapuram (Mahabalapuram) for an overnight and a day of sightseeing. It's a sacred beachfront town, small and quiet by Indian standards, with a host of ancient sites (Shore Temple right at the water's edge; Arjuna's Penance, a huge sculpted relief - with elephants!; Krishna's Butterball, an enormous boulder perched on a slope; Panch Rathas, five temples by the sea sculpted out of living rock...). There is little or no traffic - we were comfortable getting around on hired bicycles - and getting from one place to another is quick and easy. Plus, if the brood get restive, you can turn them loose on the beach to wear themselves out while you soak up some rays.

For the next day you might consider a hop across to Kanchipuram. It's one of the seven sacred cites of India (along with Ayodhya, Haridwar, Varanasi, Mathura, Ujjain, and Dwarka). The place has a slew of temples - it's where we told our driver we were finally "templed out." It's also only about an hour from Mamallapuram.

Then you can double back to Chennai in about an hour for whatever sightseeing you want to do there. We skipped Chennai when we were in TN, but gather there's quite a lot to see there in the way of British Colonial architecture (Fort St. George, George Town...).

For convenience I suggest you consider hiring a car and driver. It's far and away the most efficient method of getting around, and we find it to be a not unreasonable expense. It's especially useful when you have to keep several people together.

As to danger to your children, I shouldn't be any more concerned than you would anywhere stateside. If you and/or the kids are uncommonly blond and blue-eyed, you might attract notice; and since in appears that two of the children are twins, inquisitive people might even press in to have a look. The experience will be benign, but the kids should be used to it if this trip comes at the end of your stint of charity work.

Women are at slightly greater risk of annoyances, at least in dense urban environments. So-called Eve-teasing is still a problem in India. In crowds you might find yourself subject to the odd grope or pinch, perhaps a little more often than you would on the subway in NYC. If you have a cell-phone that has (or looks like it has) a built-in camera, you can whip it out and take a picture of the offender, and he will vanish, fearing identification. But you shouldn't have the slightest problem at Mamallapuram or Kanchipuram.

I'm sure other IM'ers will have useful suggestions about how to spend your 2 1/2 days. Hope it works out for you.

If you have only six days I don't think it is a good idea to divide this between the South and the North.
I assume that your first week will be in the Chennai region.

If so I think you should take a plane from there to Jaipur and start the golden triangle trip from there, ending in Delhi.

Maybe it is an idea to include Jodhpur. If so have a look at this trip to the Thar desert
We found it a great experience as did this IM member.

Vonkla's point that you might consider investing all your time in one area is well taken. The question is, which one?

If indeed you are starting in Chennai because that's where your work is, then it would be a shame to miss exposure to nearby parts of South India, which holds itself to be the real keeper of the flame that is India, the rest having been compromised by successive waves of invading cultures. 6 1/2 days might easily be invested in some of the most extraordinary temples in the world.

On the other hand, if this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime trip, you're not about to miss the Golden Triangle. We did it all on our first trip and ended up wondering whether we hadn't seen it all done to death on calendars. Our second trip, concentrated in the south, was a real eye-opener.

That's why I continue to plump for a look-'round while you're in the south, even though your time there is unfortunately so short. Normally I natter on and on about people doing too much in too many places in too little time. (Indeed, if you opt for the north only, I wouldn't add anything to the basic Golden Triangle in the brief time you have, especially if you have to keep the children happy). But here, since you're probably wedded to the Golden Triangle, I'd really like to see you also get a chance at South India.

P.S. It occurs to me that none of us has confirmed that we really are based in Chennai for your humanitarian work. I've always imagined that you'd be at one of the LDS churches there. But that's just a snap assumption based on your Utah address. So, are you to be based in Chennai?

Thanks so much for your replies. It has given me a lot to think about.

The deal is that our humanitarian work, which is at a leprosy colony about 1 1/2 hours out Chennai, is in the middle of the time we have there. That is what cuts the time into the two pieces, a few days before and a few days after, because of when we could get decent flights. So if you are saying that maybe the Golden Triangle is more of a check list thing, and the real treasures are in south India, maybe we do Jaipur and Agra in the first 2 1/2 days after arrival, and give us an extra day or 2 in the south? If we had 4 days in the south, then what might be a good schedule? We'll have from the morning of the 6th, but have to fly out of Delhi at 2:30 on the 10th.

Just FYI, I am a landscape architect, so missing the Taj is not an option But, the more I research, I'm finding such beautiful things in the south as well. Wish I could make it to Coorg and Hambi too, but just not enough time. I appreciate any help and suggestions.

PS, Do you know a reliable tour guide in Delhi or Chennai? Will we be able to find a driver/car to accommodate 6 people with baggage?

Thanks so much.

You can check with Chennai Magic. They also conduct tours in Delhi, Agra and a few other cities. It is mentioned in the website. An Im'er (DaveW) used their services and was quite satisfied with them.Review for Delhi Magic.

Hfot2, normally use the services of Swagatam Tours and Travels for their India visits. They are also satisfied with their services. Review for Swagatam Tours and Travels.

Indian Panorama is another which has got some good reviews here. An Im'er (Rebeccam) used their services and was quite satisfied with them. Review for Indian Panorama.

You can search the forum for more reviews on the three companies mentioned.

Namaste India Tours also get good reviews, but they are predominantly active in Rajasthan / Delhi / Agra.

Is this Chettipunniyam leprosy colony in Chingleput/ Chengalpattu? If it is, it's smack dab in the middle between Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram, the two places I suggested you consider earlier; so you're off to a good start

Can't win this one. If I say yes, I'd be strung up from the nearest lamppost by the Northerners; if I say no, I'll be strung up by the Southerners. (Think the Blues and the Grays.) Moreover, my distaff is partial to the South; I prefer the North (but mostly because I like the food better).

Best to say, perhaps, that there is no bad India; it's just that some India is better than other - and it varies by personal taste.

We travel much more slowly than you have the time to do, and my gut reaction is that you haven't really got time for either. Needs must when the airline timetable drives, though, so I'll do my best.

Plan A

You're going to have to decide how to apportion your time on your own. If you decide to spend the greater part in the South, I'd still like to think you were keeping close to Chennai, just to save driving time.

With that in mind, I'd suggest sticking with the earlier plan of visiting Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram. When we did it, we stayed the whole time at Mamallapuram and made a day trip to Kanchipuram. It saves the bother of shifting hotels, but there's an hour's drivetime or more each way, and there's a lot to see in Kanchipuram. I still think it's the most efficient way to do it, especially as you can make an early start, go till you drop in Kanchipuram, then nap on the way back to the hotel.

The addition to the short-form itinerary starts with a 3.5 hour drive further south to Pondicherry. Pondicherry is curious for being a tidy French Colonial town, well laid out in a manner foreign to India's ad hoc, hurly-burly, what's-city-planning? norm. Indeed, my impression is that the French were better at this sort of thing than the English. But lest you think you're being cheated of Mother India, the modern Indian city crowds in around the French seaside core.

Well within the old French town, probably no more than a 15 minute walk from the sea, there is, improbably Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple, a temple to the elephant-headed (and enormously popular) god Ganesh. There are friezes of the life of Ganesh around the interior of the compact temple, and outside under the porte cochère you and the children can have your heads tapped by the tip of the trunk of the temple elephant (who was Lakshmi when we were there - they're always Lakshmi). This is meant quite seriously as a blessing, but neither Lakshmi nor her keeper nor any of the temple-goers mind the blessing being bestowed upon non-believers. Some small coin is expected for the blessing, usually given to Lakshmi in her trunk so she can pass it to the keeper. Note that Lakshmi's ankles are usually festooned with golden chains. When Lakshmi quits for the day, the keeper removes this jewelry and returns it to the adjacent shopkeepers, who promptly put it back on display to sell to temple-goers and tourists. (I do not know whether they mention Lakshmi's having worn it, which I suppose would be a plus for believers, perhaps a little weird for tourists.)

Another 15 or 20 minutes inland you can cross a busy boulevard that marks the change between France and India. The difference in tone is perceptible and instantaneous. The boulevard is a market, with many shops selling astounding party frocks for little girls. With a little asking-about, you can find your way to a good spice and vegetable market that will give you a reality check on good old Supermarket USA.

You can hire bicycles for Pondicherry (we always bring helmets) as you can for Mamallapuram. But I doubt that either place can provide small bicycles for children. In fact so far as I can make out most Indian rental bikes are big frame, big wheel, but low seat.

My notion is that you've now invested a day in Kanchipuram, a day in Mamallapuram, a day in Pondicherry. You're now about five hours from Chennai. An early start should get you there in time for a brief look around, à la wonderwomanusa's suggestion of a bus tour, but with your own car and driver. You won't have covered much distance on this route, so you won't have wasted much time on the road. But you will have seen how the Indians do a good-sized temple town and a small but holy seaside town chock full of history; then a French Colonial town of great charm, surrounded by an India city of the usual dusty tumult; plus a big Indian city with mementos of the British Raj.

Plan B

I doubt it's feasible, but if you are at Chengalpattu and have any time off, you might manage side trips to Kanchipuram and Mamallapuram. Then you could bolt for Tiruchirappalli/Trichy and Thanjavur/Tanjore. It would be an almighty drive down and back, though. It took us eight hours to get from Pondi to Thanjavur, with several temple stops along the way; I should think it would take at least that to get to Tiruchirappalli, about another hour to Thanjavur, and easily ten hours back to Chennai. You could fly both ways, but you'd have to get transport to Chennai airport, then get from Trichy airport to Thanjavur. Seems to me, especially with a squadron of children, that you're better off taking it slow and easy, with lots of different sorts of things to see, with Plan A.

aarosh is right (he's always right) - we swear by Swagatam. We've traveled with them for seven or eight trips of five to six weeks each. They have principal offices in Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. These guys are pros. They are not everywhere in India, of course, and they subcontract some of the more remote work to associates, local agencies whose work they've vetted. If Swagatam are doing it, it will be done right. If an associate does it there's the slight chance of a glitch, but a call to Swagatam will get it put right at once. In any case, your requirements fit right within the comfort zone of the Delhi and Chennai offices, so you're sittin' pretty.

They can provide you with a guide (though we've never wanted one), a driver, and a car suitable for your requirements - sounds like you need a nine-seat mini-van with luggage space, which is perfectly common on the tourist routes. (I'd specify an air-conditioned vehicle, somewhat pricier but worth it in the south.) Swagatam can also arrange hotel bookings for you, at whatever level you choose. (We find they tend to put us into somewhat fancier hotels than we want or need, so we grump and they change it for us before we leave for India.)

Your replies have been so helpful. I believe that the leper colony probably is in Chengalpattu, since the village we will be staying in is Thottanaval just a bit to the south. I think we will go with plan A-sounds great. Will there be enough to do for one full day each in Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram? Or are there little side trips we should take for part of the day? We were wondering what the driver does at night during the trip? That is kind of a weird question, I guess. I suppose it shows how little we know about how India works at this point. Do you have a specific hotel recommendation in Mamallapuram and Chennai?

Depends on the attention span of the kids, I suppose, and how easily you yourselves are bored. We spent two days at Mamallapuam and were occupied the whole time. Part of this was transit time - we were on hired bicycles, so it took us a bit more time to move from place to place. But Mamallapuram is pretty compact, so we didn't lose all that much time. And again, in Mamallapuram, if all else fails, you can hit the beach south of the Shore Temple and sic the kids on the horse rides.

Since it's probably most practical to stay in your Mamallapuram hotel to make your day-trip to Kanchipuram, you've got a couple of hours locked up in drive time. And Kanchipuram has manymany temples to deal with. These are not like hitting a church back home, where two or three minutes gives you an adequate overview. The big Indian temples are something to wander through, with all manner of nooks and crannies and ancillary buildings (your marriage halls, your dancing platforms...), intricate sculpture, unfamiliar idols and altars.

The thing we most urgently suggest to anyone heading to India for the first time is to please, please, please slow down. You haven't a snowball's chance in the Hot Place of seeing it all, nor even of seeing enough to realize how much there is to deal with. To go like crazy just makes you crazy. Better to think of taking it slow and easy, letting India come to you rather than trying to rush out and grab it all at once.


Driver takes care of himself. If he works for a company, like Swagatam, I believe he's given a modest room allowance, and the better hotels have dormitories for the drivers. In fact, though, many drivers simply sleep in the car and pocket the per diem. Do not fret about that, though - when you get to your car in the morning, it will be spotless, commonly with freshly-laundered cotton seat covers, and a driver in spanking white (I believe Tamil Nadu requires all divers to wear white clothing). Driver will have been up for hours cleaning the interior, scrubbing the exterior, and schmoozing with all the other drivers gathered around the tap doing the same thing.

What's your budget?

Can't help with Chennai - remember, we've not been there. In Mamallapuram we stayed at Temple Bay Resort (now Radisson Blu Temple Bay Resort - doubt they've changed it much), which was much posher than we prefer, but Swagatam didn't understand us way back then. In Pondicherry we sought out one of Patricia's guesthouses. Patricia is heir to one of the patrician lines born of the intermarriage of French Colonials and locals, I believe. She runs three guesthouses, all quite charming.

hfot2, I got quotes from several agencies, and Swagatam is about double the price of the rest--of course I don't have references for the other, so I am leery of booking them, as we don't want to end up with a bunch of problems. The quote is about $1200 for 4 nights (Golden Triangle) vs 2100 for 4 nights. Any advice here would be appreciated. All the companies say the hotels are 3 or 4 star.

Can't really compare packages without knowing what hotels are on offer. Couldn't really be much use even then, as we know intimately only those hotels we've been in and would have to check on the others only on line.

Approaching things from a different angle, I can say that when we made our first trip to India, we comparison-shopped several agencies. This was for a big trip involving the obligatory Golden Triangle, plus a whole lot of Rajasthan and a run to Varanasi. Swagatam's quote came in at the same level as the others. Because we had had more efficient and satisfactory communication with Swagatam, we went with them, and we've never looked back.

Much of our second India trip, again with Swagatam of course, was arranged through their Chennai office. All of the arrangements were flawless, and we got the best driver we've ever had and expect ever to have. He was with us for a month, and he so impressed us that we made a great fuss about him to our friend at Swagatam, in Delhi. No use asking for the driver's name: we (and doubtless others) have praised him so highly that he's been promoted to office work, being now in charge of all transportation out of the Chennai office.

We have been such enthusiastic supporters of Swagatam that we recommended them to a woman who asked a question in International Travel News. She tried them, and she too is now a loyal Swagatam fan. We've learned more about her since that first contact. It seems that she's an uncommonly experienced world traveler, spending upwards of six months of the year as a solo traveler, putting her well within one of the top 100 according to MostTraveledPeople.com's accounting. She also joined IndiaMIke (under the moniker pinkyparker – don't ask), where she has had the following things to say about Swagatam:

Swagatam

I've used Swagatam Tours Private Limited (http://www.swagatam.com; contact sales@swagatamtour.com) for about 6 years and hold the company in very high regard. Their main office is in Delhi, with other offices throughout India, including Chennai They are prompt to respond to emails, are easy to work with in developing an itinerary, they are accountable and they take credit cards. The company was recommended to me by a couple who visit India each year for about two months.

I usually do a combination of a group tour (US or British company), then a two to three week private tour (arranged by Swagatam) to more out of the way areas where there are no organized tours. Swagatam has never let me down. - good guides, good drivers, late model and comfortable cars with 4WD as necessary.

They are a good outfit with reasonable prices.
pinkyparker on Swagatam

Swagatam Tours and Travels

I've used Swagatam Tours and Travels for annual visits to India for several years and have always been pleased. They are quick to respond to emails, take credit cards, have meet all my requests and have put together some complicated itineraries for me to Himachel Pradesh (3 weeks) ,an overland from Kolkata to Mumbai (3 weeks), two weeks in the Indore/Bohpal area, Tribal Orissa (10 days), a yoga program in the Rishikesh area (1 week), a week at Kumbh Mela, and two to three day programs here and there. We are currently working on a multi-week program to Arunachel Pradesh. Once when there was a small problem, a call to the office took care of it right away. You will be assigned one agent and he will give you his various numbers so you can contact him 24/7. He will also contact you every few days (through your driver if you don't have an India phone) to see how things are going.

I give Swagatam Tours and Travels my highest personal recommendation.
more pinkyparker on Swagatam

This is all very good press for Swagatam. Can't say anything about the other operators, because I don't know them. I do know that the global slowdown has hurt tourism in India and that many places are giving good prices to keep their businesses afloat. I have heard that things have been picking up for Swagatam, perhaps by chance, perhaps because things pick up faster for the better companies.

Since you clearly mean to do a responsible job of costing this trip out (and who wouldn't?), why not post a new question on IndiaMike asking for comments on each of the other companies?

I'd also send you to pinkyparker through a Private Message on IndiaMike, except she's on Easter Island right now. Good luck!