{"id":9135,"date":"2018-11-23T16:35:05","date_gmt":"2018-11-23T16:35:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/AFRICAtime\/?p=9135"},"modified":"2020-07-08T08:56:42","modified_gmt":"2020-07-08T07:56:42","slug":"southern-india-tamil-nadu-and-kerala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/southern-india-tamil-nadu-and-kerala\/","title":{"rendered":"Southern India &#8211; Tamil Nadu and Kerala"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\"cmsArticle-subTitle standfirst\">South India is a fascinating and vibrant mix of stunning monuments, world-renowned temples, scenic forests and golden beaches, and the perfect all round destination for culture, amazing cuisine, wonderful weather and its warm people.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9136\" style=\"width: 606px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/0ce118d6-c9a3-4122-8ee9-3049ffe9a6f3-e1542992066659.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9136\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-9136 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/0ce118d6-c9a3-4122-8ee9-3049ffe9a6f3-e1542992066659.jpg\" alt=\"Tamil Nadu\" width=\"596\" height=\"558\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/0ce118d6-c9a3-4122-8ee9-3049ffe9a6f3-e1542992066659.jpg 596w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/0ce118d6-c9a3-4122-8ee9-3049ffe9a6f3-e1542992066659-320x300.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 596px) 100vw, 596px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9136\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Tamil Nadu<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Sanjay recently visited Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and shared his experience with us.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">The Itinerary<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Sanjay&#8217;s trip began with\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">2 nights in Chennai, which is located on the Bay of Bengal in Eastern India, and which is also the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. From here he went on to Rameshwaram, for one night. Rameshwaram is known for the Ramanathaswamy Temple, a Hindu pilgrimage site with ornate corridors, huge sculpted pillars and sacred water tanks, so perfect for those who enjoy visiting the\u00a0distinctive temples in and around India.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Madurai was his next stop for one night, and is the second city in the Tamil Nadu region. It is also perfect for temple sightseers as it is home to the Meenakshi Temple, which is a contemporary version of the Taj Mahal in Agra, and the intricately-adorned fifteen-domed Thirumalai Nayaka Palace, both must sees.<\/p>\n<p>Periyar National Park, home to elephants and tigers, was next on the itinerary, and is South India&#8217;s most popular wildlife sanctuary. It encompasses an amazing\u00a0area of 777 sq km. It occupies a prime location, set on the attractive man-made Periyar Lake, and attracts over 300,000 visitors a year.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9143\" style=\"width: 590px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9143\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-9143 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_2255-e1542992409948.jpg\" alt=\"Animals beside Periyar Lake\" width=\"580\" height=\"472\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_2255-e1542992409948.jpg 580w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_2255-e1542992409948-369x300.jpg 369w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 580px) 100vw, 580px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-9143\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Periyar Lake<\/p><\/div>\n<p>For the ultimate in relaxation, Kumarakom, which is located around the shores of Vembanad Lake, was Sanjays penultimate stop for 2 night. It is known for its Ayurveda Spa resorts and\u00a0is the most beautiful and picturesque backwater destination of Kerala, famous for its rubber plantations and its 15th century ancient churches.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9138\" style=\"width: 765px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/b69c87ce-297c-4952-878d-c2f8c640210f-e1542992523800.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9138\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-9138 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/b69c87ce-297c-4952-878d-c2f8c640210f-e1542992523800.jpg\" alt=\"Backwaters of Kerala\" width=\"755\" height=\"729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/b69c87ce-297c-4952-878d-c2f8c640210f-e1542992523800.jpg 755w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/b69c87ce-297c-4952-878d-c2f8c640210f-e1542992523800-311x300.jpg 311w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9138\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Backwaters<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Sanjay&#8217;s wonderful trip concluded in Kovalam, which is world-famous for its beaches, which are amongst the most pristine in India. The leisure options at this beach are plenty and diverse, with lots of activities available ranging from catamaran cruising to surfing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"g\">\n<div class=\"rc\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><b>Accommodation<\/b><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"rc\"><span class=\"s1\">During Sanjay&#8217;s travels around Tamil Nadu and Kerala, he stayed at the Crowne Plaza in Chennai,\u00a0<\/span>Intercontinental in Mahabalipuram, Hyatt Place in Rameswaram, Taj Gateway in Madurai, Spice village in Periyar, Coconut Lagoon in\u00a0 Kumarakom and Niraamaya Surya Samudra in Kovalam.<\/div>\n<div>\n<div id=\"attachment_9144\" style=\"width: 650px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9144\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-9144 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_2319.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_2319.jpg 640w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/IMG_2319-400x300.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-9144\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span class=\"s1\">Highlights from the trip<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Sanjay&#8217;s highlights during his trip included visiting the\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">spice farms near Periyar as well as the stunning backwaters near Kumarakom. He also enjoyed visiting\u00a0Kanyakumari, also known as the &#8220;God&#8217;s own district&#8221;. From all the various cities he visited on his itinerary, his favourite was\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s1\">Kumarakom and its backwaters<\/span><span class=\"s1\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Sanjay&#8217;s advice for anyone thinking of visiting Southern India<\/strong><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_9139\" style=\"width: 778px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/e519727a-f2b8-4967-9242-b6a5af784c22-e1542992782894.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-9139\" class=\"img-responsive wp-image-9139 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/e519727a-f2b8-4967-9242-b6a5af784c22-e1542992782894.jpg\" alt=\"Backwaters of Kerala\" width=\"768\" height=\"826\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/e519727a-f2b8-4967-9242-b6a5af784c22-e1542992782894.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/e519727a-f2b8-4967-9242-b6a5af784c22-e1542992782894-279x300.jpg 279w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-9139\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">.<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\">Travel light when on this type of itinerary as you can easily arrange for your clothes to be laundered at any of the hotels you stay at. The journeys between the cities can sometimes be long so be prepared for that.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<\/p>\n<p>If you are thinking of visiting South India, we have a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/india\/suggested-itineraries\/glimpses_of_kerala\"><strong> Glimpses of Kerala<\/strong><\/a> Itinerary and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/india\/suggested-itineraries\/kerala_experience\"><strong>Kerala Experience<\/strong><\/a> Itinerary which are ideal. We can tailor-make these to your own specifications with a choice of alternative accommodation, and duration.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\">For more details on our Itineraries or to discuss a bespoke Itinerary call Simply India Holidays by Somak on 0208 423 3000 or email india@somak.co.uk and we will be delighted to help you plan your\u00a0 trip to Incredible India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":39,"featured_media":9136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[437,575,605,1,580],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-adventure","category-india","category-inspiration-the-indian-subcontinent","category-uncategorized","category-wildlife-and-safari"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/0ce118d6-c9a3-4122-8ee9-3049ffe9a6f3-e1542992066659.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/39"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9135"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10918,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9135\/revisions\/10918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.somak.com\/inspiration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}