India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) - Keith Bain [82]
Day 7 & 8: Thanjavur & Chettinad Region & Madurai
After viewing the Brihadeshvara Temple in Thanjavur at dawn, head into the rural delights of the Chettiar district, where you can admire the peeling facades of mansions that line the dusty streets of Kanadukathan, just outside Karaikkudi, before retiring to your very own mansion, the gorgeous Visalam. From the Chettinad area, Madurai is a 2-hour drive southwest; once there, choose between the gracious Taj Gateway Pasumalai Madurai or the chic new boutique hotel, Heritance Madurai.
Day 9: Madurai
Early in the morning, visit Shri Meenakshi-Sundareshwarar Temple, one of South India’s biggest, busiest pilgrimage sites. Garish stucco gods, demons, beasts, and heroes smother the various towers in a writhing, fascinating mass of symbolism, vividly painted a riot of bright colors. Near the inner gate, a temple elephant, daubed with eye shadow and blusher, earns her keep by accepting a few rupees in exchange for a blessing—bestowed with a light tap of her dexterous trunk. From here you can wander at will, finding your way at some stage to the Thousand Pillar Museum, housed in the impressive 16th-century Hall of a Thousand Pillars. This hall has 985 elegantly sculpted columns, including a set of “musical pillars” that produce the seven Carnatic musical notes when tapped. All around the complex of shrines and effigies, various pujas (prayers) and rituals are conducted. Once you’re done exploring the site and have spent an hour or so wandering the lanes adjacent to the temple, either retire to your hotel and return to witness the evening ceremony, or push on and drive to Munnar, sometimes referred to as Kerala’s Scottish highlands. Overnight at Windermere Estate or one of the planter’s bungalows at Tea Sanctuary.
Day 10: Munnar
Munnar is a collection of vast green tea estates first established by a Scotsman in the late–19th century. Besides enjoying the rolling mists and endless greenery, you can arrange a tea factory visit and a stopover at the Tea Museum. To get up close to some of the world’s last Nilgiri tahr (a variety of mountain goat or ibex), visit nearby Eravikulam National Park. Existing only in the mountain grasslands of the Western ghats at altitudes above 2,000m (6,560 ft.), the tahr is as endangered as the tiger.
Day 11: Periyar
Drive to Periyar Tiger Reserve, originally the hunting grounds of the Maharajah of Travancore. The park covers 777 sq. km (303 sq. miles) and is divided into core, buffer, and tourist zones. Although this is a tiger reserve, tiger sightings are rare, particularly in the tourist zone, but the reserve is also home to the elephant, sloth bear, sambar, Indian bison or gaur, wild dog, leopard, spotted deer, Malabar flying squirrel, barking deer, and Nilgiri tahr, as well as some 260 species of birds. More than 2,000 species of flowering plants grow here, including at least 150 different kinds of orchids. Organize a private boat launch ride from where you can view animals coming to drink at the water’s edge. You can also take one of the 3-hour daily walks, which give you the opportunity to admire the area’s stunning flora. To ensure you have a close-up encounter with an elephant, go on a 30-minute elephant ride in the park. Overnight at Shalimar Spice Garden or Spice Village.
Day 12: Kumarakom
Drive to the heart of Kerala’s backwaters region to Kumarakom, which has by far the best accommodations. Idle away the hours on a backwaters cruise, indulge in Ayurvedic therapies, and laze under the tropical sun—that’s about as busy as your day is likely to get. Overnight at the Kumarakom Lake Resort or Coconut Lagoon (or Green Lagoon if you don’t mind shelling out for absolute exclusivity)—or head for the beach resorts at Mararikulam.
Day 13: Houseboat
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