Meenakshi Sundareswarar, Madurai
Pondicherry
Dune Eco Village & Spa
SOUTH INDIA
A journey through southern India’s glittering highlights takes you across landscapes that span an extraordinary bounty of cultural and religious contrasts. This is a world filled with rich temple architecture, where the hill stations of the British Raj nestle amidst the blue hills of the Nilgiris, great cities like Madurai evoke the rich magnifence of a Tamil past and the Arabian Sea laps the golden coastline.
MYSORE Renowned for its sandalwood, silk and incense, Mysore was the capital of the Wadiyars for some 650 years. The city’s main draw is the grand Amba Vilas Palace with its rich mix of Dravidian, Oriental and Roman styles of architecture. An added attraction is the 10 day Dasara Festival each October. You can enjoy the parade of decorated elephants and guards through Mysore during the October departure of our Images of South India tour (see opposite page).
NAGARHOLE NATIONAL PARK Along with the neighbouring national park of Bandipur, Nagarhole forms the largest protected area in southern India. Set up in 1955, the park is blessed with an astonishing abundance of wildlife including leopard, elephants, Indian bison (gaur) and Indian wild dogs (dhole) and no less than 250 species of birdlife.
OOTY & COONOOR As British influence spread through India, small communities sprang up amongst the fertile foothills of the Ghats. Recapture some of the nostalgia with an hour long narrow gauge, or ‘toy train’ ride between Ooty and Coonoor.
MADURAI One of India’s oldest cities, Madurai is famed for its temples, including the magnificent Meenakshi Sundareswarar which is one of the most important sites of Hindu pilgrimage. The city has a rich Tamil heritage stretching back some 2,500 years and is famed for its hospitality.
CHETTINAD Home to a once prosperous community, Chettinad is an area steeped in the tradition and heritage of the Chettiars, a group famed for the richly decorated palaces built to showcase their wealth. We recommend staying at Visalam, situated near the village of Kannadukathan in Karaikudi.
TEMPLES OF TRICHY & TANJORE Situated on the banks of the Cauvery River, Trichirapalli (known as Trichy) is located in the shadow of the spectacular Rockfort Temple. Tanjore meanwhile was once the cultural capital of the great Chola kings and is renowned for the artistry of its 11th Century Brahadeeswar Temple, considered to be one of the finest temples in southern India.
KANCHIPURAM & MAMALLAPURAM Kanchipuram is known as the ‘City of a Thousand Temples’ and is one of India’s 7 most revered Hindu sites, The UNESCO Site of Mamallapuram lies along the coast of the Bay of Bengal and is home to some of the finest examples of stone carvings anywhere in India, which can be seen in its many temples and reliefs.
DUNE ECO VILLAGE & SPA
NEW Set on 35 acres, close to Pondicherry, this beach resort and spa features 50 uniquely appointed rooms and villas
that lie along Tamil Nadu’s Coromandel coast. The resort’s Paradise Spa incorporates traditional Ayurvedic treatments, reflexology and Californian massage, whilst its two restaurants serve up a range of organically produced gourmet cuisine.
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It’s our experience that makes yours
INDIA
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