Tamil Nadu · 5 Days
Tamil Nadu — the Coromandel Coast
The short coastal break — Chennai, a night by the Shore Temple, and two in White Town.
Day by Day
5 Days, In Full
A first, easy taste of the south, all within a short drive of Chennai. A night in the city for Mylapore and the museums. A night at Mamallapuram for the seventh-century Pallava monuments and the beach. Two nights in Pondicherry for the French quarter, Auroville and the promenade. It suits a long weekend, a stopover, or the start of a longer southern trip.
Chennai
Arrive in Chennai
Chennai is the usual gateway to the south, with direct flights from the Gulf, South-East Asia and across India. You are met at the airport and driven to the hotel. If the arrival is early enough, the afternoon covers Mylapore: the Kapaleeshwarar Temple with its painted tower, the lanes of flower sellers, and San Thome, the church built over the tomb of the apostle Thomas. The evening is free, perhaps a first South Indian meal and a walk on Marina Beach as it cools.
Chennai → Mahabalipuram
Chennai to Mahabalipuram — Down the East Coast Road
A short drive south, about two hours, down the East Coast Road along the sea. Stops on the way: the Cholamandal artists' village, India's largest artists' commune, and DakshinaChitra, an open-air museum of relocated South Indian houses and living crafts. You reach Mamallapuram by early afternoon. The rest of the day is the Shore Temple on the beach, best in the low evening light, and a walk through the carvers' workshops along the main road.
Mahabalipuram → Pondicherry
Mahabalipuram to Pondicherry — the Coast Road
A drive of about two and a half hours further down the coast to the old French town of Pondicherry. The road runs past salt pans and fishing villages, with an optional stop at the Sadras Dutch fort or the bird sanctuary at Vedanthangal in season. You arrive in White Town by afternoon and settle into the quieter pace. The evening is for the Promenade, closed to traffic, as the town comes out to walk by the sea.
Pondicherry
Pondicherry — White Town and Auroville
A morning walk through the French Quarter: the grid of mustard-and-white houses, the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, and the seafront. It can be done on foot or by bicycle. After lunch, the short drive north to Auroville, the international township founded in 1968, for the visitor centre and the walk to the viewpoint over the golden Matrimandir. The late afternoon is free for the cafes and boutiques of the old town.
Pondicherry → Chennai
Pondicherry to Chennai — Departure
A last slow morning in the old town, for the Promenade, a French-Tamil breakfast, and any shopping in the ashram boutiques and paper workshops. Then the drive back up the coast to Chennai airport, about three hours, in time for an afternoon or evening flight. A later departure allows a stop at Mamallapuram or DakshinaChitra on the way.
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