Kerala & Tamil Nadu · 11 days
Kochi to Chennai
Coast to coast across the bottom of India, in eleven days rather than three weeks.
The journey
The short version of the traverse. Out of Kochi, up through the backwaters and the tea, over the Western Ghats at Munnar, and then east across Tamil Nadu — Madurai, Chettinad, Trichy, Thanjavur — to Pondicherry and the Coromandel coast. Eleven days is not long for that much ground, so the stops are chosen rather than collected.
Route
- Fort Kochi
- Alleppey
- Munnar
- Madurai
- Chettinad
- Trichy
- Thanjavur
- Pondicherry
- Mahabalipuram
- Chennai
What stays with you
- 01A night on the backwaters before the road east begins
- 02The ghat crossing at Munnar, which is the moment the country changes
- 03The Meenakshi temple at Madurai in the evening
- 04Chettinad: the merchants' houses, and lunch in one of them
- 05Brihadeeswarar at Thanjavur, finished in 1010 and still standing square
- 06Pondicherry, then the Pallava carvings at Mahabalipuram on the way to the airport
Day by day
A shape rather than a timetable. Days move, and most people move one or two of them.
1 – 2
Into Kochi. Fort Kochi on foot, and the evening for Kathakali.
3
Down to Alleppey and onto the water.
4 – 5
Up to Munnar. The estates, and Eravikulam early on the second morning.
6
Over the ghats into Tamil Nadu, and into Madurai for the evening ceremony.
7
East through Chettinad to Trichy, and on to Thanjavur.
8
The Chola temples, then up the coast to Pondicherry.
9
Pondicherry: the French quarter in the morning, Auroville after.
10
Mahabalipuram — the shore temple, the rathas, and the stone carvers still working.
11
Up to Chennai and out.
Shall we plan it?
Tell us roughly when, and how many of you, and we will come back with dates, a price and anything we would change about the route.
Or write to us at info@scenicescapesindia.com
The South