Tamilnadu is the state in the southernmost tip of India with a rich heritage and an unique culture. This state is my home and I have spent the best part of my life here.
I have traveled to few countries in Asia and have seen very many beautiful places in rest of India. Yet Tamilnadu has a special place in my heart since it is my home.
I have grown up in a place where the scorching Sun is at its fiery best throughout the year. The usual four seasons do not make sense in my place. I would say the four seasons applicable to my state are peak summer, wet summer, mild summer and dry summer. This applies to any region in the plains of Tamilnadu.
In sharp contrast to the plains of Tamilnadu, the landscape changes its color in the mountain ranges. A good green cover and a pleasant weather greet the mountain ranges. Hill stations are a welcome sight in any place, more so in a hot place like ours. We are lucky to have many hill stations in Tamilnadu that give relief from the unbearably hot conditions seen in the plains.
The coastal towns, at the end of the plains, are hotter. But we get reprieve from the heat when the sea breeze sets in around afternoon. The beaches there attract people by the thousands in the evening. I love standing on the beach to let my heels cool by the crashing waves. I find fishermen living just five meters off the coast and that is probably because the Bay of Bengal Sea has less pronounced tidal movements.
Tamilnadu is a land of contrast with huge tracts of barren land and a dense evergreen forest seen side by side. The state boasts of very many popular destinations like Chennai which rekindles memories of the colonial past or Ooty, the real queen of hill stations. In this lens, I would highlight the other destinations that may score a bit low on the popularity front but are still good places to visit as the focus is on offbeat travel in Tamilnadu.
The five places I would talk about are Yercaud, Chidambaram, Courtallam, ECR and Yelagiri. I am sharing what I have enjoyed and what to expect from each of these places. One common advice for anyone travelling to Tamilnadu for the first time is to carry lots of light cotton clothing and remember to drink plenty of water and other liquids. Delicious tender coconuts are sold by vendors on the roadside and one can have this during travel.
The Lake Forest, Yercaud
Yercaud is located closer to Salem in Tamilnadu. It takes about seven hours to drive down to Yercaud from Chennai. Yercaud has a mild and pleasant weather throughout the year since it is at an altitude of about one thousand five hundred meters. It never gets as cold as the more popular hill stations like Ooty or Kodaikanal. But I like Yercaud weather because it encourages one to spend lots of time outdoor.
The road connecting Salem and Yercaud is one of the best maintained mountain roads in Tamilnadu. I have always enjoyed driving up or down this hill. One should not forget to stop on a couple of viewpoints on the way to Yercaud. From one of this viewpoint, we can have a panoramic view of the plains extending up to horizon and merging seamlessly there.
Yercaud got its name from two Tamil words “Yeri” and “Kadu”. Yeri means lake and Kadu means forest. So the main attraction for Yercaud is the lake in the heart of this small town. It offers boating facilities. Motor boats and even Pedaling Boats are available if one wants to burn up a few calories. I love going around the lake in bicycle. Bicycles are available for hire by the lakeside.
There is a nice botanical garden located just a few minutes’ drive from the lake. You would see rare species of trees and plants here. I have visited the botanical garden only once but I have missed it on all my other visits since it is closed on weekends. I am not sure why anyone would close a major tourist attraction on a weekend.
There is a famous rose garden with a huge collection of rose plants of various colored flowers. Luckily it is open on all days and can be reached after a thirty minute drive from the lake area. The rose garden is in full bloom in summer months and is a treat to watch.
There is a nice waterfalls in the valley but it does not have road access. The only way it can be reached is by trekking. The trek is a bit strenuous but it is worthwhile since there are plenty of greenery as visual treat. I would always advice individuals not to go alone on this trek and preferably go in a group. This place can be extremely deserted and one would not like to be lost here alone.
I love the home made chocolates that Yercaud is known for. There are a number of shops selling home made chocolates in the market area located closer to the main bus stand. Other than chocolates, we can also pick up good quality organic oils like Citronella oil, Eucalyptus oil etc.
There are many options for stay at Yercaud. First, there are some good resorts located around the lake. I would recommend Shevaroy or the TTDC (Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation) hotel if one likes to stay closer to the lake. There is another resort by name Sterling resort that is located a bit away from the main town. The Sterling resort offers some breathtaking views of the valley.
The Temple Town
Chidambaram is a coastal town in Tamilnadu and is known for its famous Natarajar temple. I was primarily attracted to Chidambaram because it had numerous other attractions besides the temple. The Natarajar temple itself is a very old temple and reflects the rich architectural splendor of ancient Tamils. When I first took my family to Chidambaram, we had made arrangements for our stay at Chidambaram.
It took about five hours to cover the distance between Chennai and Chidambaram in my car. The first half of the road was well maintained till we reach the town of Pondicherry. After that, I had to put up with average roads for most part of the remaining journey. On the way to Chidambaram, we crossed a historic port town by name Tarangambadi which was part of our literary.
The largest mangrove forest in Tamilnadu is located on the outskirts of Chidamabaram in a place called Pichavaram. We visited the mangrove forest first. The dense mangrove vegetation has formed a green wall around the back water canals and all I could see was the blue water, green vegetation and the blue skies. This place was a like a little paradise offering the most breathtaking views nature has in store.
We went on a boat ride around the canals. I insisted that the boatman took us around the very narrow canals where the trees were forming an arch over our heads. That was an awesome experience going under the trees in the narrow passage. We also got lucky enough to spot a water snake sneaking under water just a few feet from our boat.
Then we visited Tarangambadi, the port town built by Dutch during their era. The majestic fort that the Dutch had used stands tall till date right in front on the Bay of Bengal Sea. The town itself is very small and I think the Dutch must have used this port town mainly for trading purposes. The fort and the town served as a reminder of the numerous connections the state had with the western world in the distant past.
Other than the fort, there is another attraction called “Bungalow on the beach”. This bungalow was used by the Danish royalty during their regime. Now it has been converted into a heritage resort for travelers. The staff took me around on a tour of the bungalow and I wished I had stayed there instead of staying in Chidambaram. This bungalow is a true heritage property with all its vintage charm.
Courtallam
Courtallam is a small town located in the southwest part of Tamilnadu on the foothills of the Western Ghats mountain range. Courtallam is a place of many waterfalls. The waterfalls here are not just known for their aesthetic appeal but people throng here to take bath in the waterfalls. I have been visiting Courtallam ever since my childhood and the childlike enthusiasm is still there when I think of making a visit.
We would usually reach Courtallam by early morning and just dump our luggage in the resort. We would head for a bath in the waterfalls straightaway. This bath should last for about thirty minutes making us feel refreshed and hungry. Then we would eat like a king (or a queen) and rest for sometime. The cycle of bathing, eating and resting continues for the rest of the period. It is a nice place to chill out and relax.
The main town has Main falls and small falls. Five falls, Palaya Courtallam and Tiger falls are located on the outskirts. Honey falls and Shenbagadevi falls are located on top of the mountain range. The ideal flow for an enjoyable bath happens in main falls and five falls. These two are also the most popular and the most crowded of all the water falls in Courtallam.
Small falls is ideal for elders and young children who are scared of the heavier flow in other waterfalls. Palaya Courtallam and Tiger falls are located in very remote areas and are usually less crowded. I like these two waterfalls for the very same reason. I have trekked twice to Shenbagadevi and Honey falls. It was a tough trek but was still very enjoyable in the midst of the greenery.
When I last heard, trekking is not allowed anymore on the mountain range and so Shenbagadevi falls and Honey falls are out of bounds of visitors now. Though I miss the two waterfalls now, I had heard from locals that the wildlife population has started thriving again in the mountains thanks to the absence of human interference. That is some good news.
Courtallam is heavily populated with monkeys. I used to look forward to seeing monkeys in Courtallam when I was a kid. These monkeys are so well comfortable with human beings that they would never fear us. They love stealing our food too and one needs to be careful eating anything while in the open. The monkey thieves can even enter inside the hotel room if we leave a window or a door open.
I personally prefer visiting Courtallam on weekdays, schedule permitting. The weekends are heavily crowded with locals thronging the area. The best months to visit are from June to December. The waterfalls will go dry between February and May. I would prefer the October or November months again because the water flow would be near its peak and the crowd is relatively less compared to other months.
There are many options available for stay in Courtallam including budget hotels, guest houses and resorts. The quality of food is usually good in most restaurants in the town. What I love the most is the strong aroma of the coffee that emanates from the coffee shops. Sipping a hot delicious coffee on these roadside shops with the gentle drizzle caressing us could make anyone of us poetic.
The Journey becomes the Destination: ECR
ECR stands for East Coast Road. It is the name of the one hundred and forty kilometer road connecting Chennai and Pondicherry. The road is laid parallel to east coast and hence the name East Coast Road. The road is very scenic with tall bamboo trees and deep blue sea vying for our attention. ECR is loaded with loads of entertainment options that one can plan a vacation around this stretch.
I remember seeing a tourism department billboard that says “where the journey becomes the destination” in reference to ECR. It is no wonder that the ECR has become the favorite road for people looking to unwind themselves after a tough week. ECR is actually not a great road considering that it is a single lane road with no median separating traffic from either sides. Yet it has become iconic to entertainment, relaxation and fun.
DakshinaChitra is the first main attraction in ECR featuring the architectural splendor of South India. The traditional residences of different communities is recreated with minute attention to detail. The household utensils and the pottery used are all matched to perfection in material, form and shape. I love the Kerala type houses the most as these are luxurious with lots of character and style.
Then we have Muttukadu boat house. Boating facilities are available in this huge backwater lake and it is currently managed by Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation. There are motor boats, rowing boats and water scooters available for rent. We also can spot lots of birds visiting the lake to feed on the fish. Since it is a backwater lake, it would be better to visit the same during high tide as the lake would appear lot fuller.
Then we have a large crocodile bank that nurtures hundreds of crocodiles. Though the reptiles are kept in captivity, the enclosures are designed so as to resemble their natural habitat. We have many species of salt water and fresh water crocodiles here.
Around forty five kilometers from Chennai, we have Mahabalipuram, a famous travel destination in Tamilnadu. Mahabalipuram is known for its stone sculptures created in the ancient times by the Pallava kings. The three important places to see in Mahabalipuram are the Shore temple, the Pancha Pandava Rathas and the Arjuna penance.
I like Arjuna penance because it offers a chance to walk up the small hillock housing numerous stone carvings created about a millennium ago. The climb is not steep as it is a small hillock. At the end of the climb, one reaches a light house built more recently during the British era. Many people wrongly assume that the light house was built by Pallava kings too. We also get a good view of Bay of Bengal Sea from the light house.
Ideally one can plan their stay on any of the good resorts located between Muttukadu and Mahabalipuram. The good resorts that I have stayed earlier are Taj Fisherman’s Cove, MGM, Temple Bay and TTDC. One should preferably insist on a sea facing room in any of these resorts.
Yelagiri: Hill Station for Off Season
I visited Yelagiri for the first time on an official visit nearly fifteen years ago. My visit was sudden and I had to travel in a cab under the hot summer Sun for seven long hours. The roads used to be bad back then and that did not help me either. Finally when I reached Yelagiri, I found the place to be too hot for a hill station. After finishing my work quickly, I decided to leave Yelagiri within a couple of hours not willing to stay a minute longer.
The tourism department had made efforts to promote Yelagiri as a hill station but I was thoroughly disappointed with what I have experienced there the first time. That was fifteen long years ago. Three years ago, we were planning to go on a family vacation. We wanted to avoid the often visited places.
I reconsidered Yelagiri as it is the closest hill station from Chennai despite my not so pleasant experience earlier. Some of my friends said Yelagiri should be avoided only during April or May and it would be pleasant otherwise. Yelagiri is at an altitude of around one thousand meters above sea level and so the drop in temperature is not very high. That explains why Yelagiri is hot during summer and pleasant otherwise.
Finally I decided to give Yelagiri one more try. It was a comfortable drive as I could cover the distance between Chennai and Yelagiri in just about four hours, the roads have improved considerably now compared to what it was fifteen years back. For people living in Chennai, the short driving time is an important factor working in favor of Yelagiri.
Once we reached Yelagiri, we were greeted by pleasant weather. Occasionally the Sun shone brightly but it was never too hot. We spent a lot of time in the lake area. We had taken a boat ride and then we could spend some time in the park near the lake. There are a couple of nurseries selling fruits and plants, I always make it a point to visit the nurseries during every visit.
There is another small lake in a town called Nilavur. It takes about half an hour to reach there. Boating facilities are available but the boats here are the smaller ones. There are couple of temples one must visit purely for their rustic charm.
Yelagiri also boasts of much less light pollution compared to its surroundings. So amateur astronomers can hope to have some interesting viewing sessions here. I have been always unlucky so far on this front due to cloud cover blocking the night sky.
The tourism department organises “Musical fountain” show during the weekends. The show is well organised and I wondered why such shows do not happen in the more popular hill stations like Ooty or Kodaikanal. We have limited stay options here. Landmark is a good resort located close to the lake. I would say Yelagiri is a good option to consider except during the summer months.