Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu, in a few days
The heart of Dravidian architecture: the carved gopurams of Madurai, the temples of Thanjavur and the reliefs of Mahabalipuram facing the sea. Devotion, incense and colour at every step.
- Day by day
- 1 Chennai Days 1-2
- 2 Mahabalipuram Days 3-4
- 3 Puducherry (Pondicherry) Days 5-6
- 4 Thanjavur Days 7-8
- 5 Madurai Days 9-10
- 6 Ooty Days 11-13
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
Day by day
Chennai
The former Madras, which grew up at the foot of Fort St George, the first English fort in India.
- Fort St George, Chennaiabout 1h30 · from Begun in 1639 and completed on 23 April 1644, it was the first English fort built in India, and the city of Madras grew up at the foot of its six-metre walls.
Mahabalipuram
Pallava stone carving from the 7th and 8th centuries, on the shore 60 km south of Chennai.
- The Mahabalipuram monuments2 to 3h · from Sixty kilometres south of Chennai, the Pallava stonecutters of the 7th and 8th centuries left an open-air workshop, listed by UNESCO in 1984.
Puducherry (Pondicherry)
French until 1954, with a white town of ruler-straight streets and street signs still in French.
- The White Town of Puducherry
Thanjavur
Chola country: the 63 m tower of Brihadishvara, and Srirangam, the largest working Hindu temple complex in the world.
- Brihadishvara Temple, Thanjavur
- Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam
Madurai
The city of the Meenakshi temple, whose fourteen painted gopurams can be seen from all over town.
- Meenakshi Temple, Madurai
- Processions and rituals
Ooty
The hill station of the Nilgiris at the top of the rack railway, which climbs to 2,203 m.
- The Nilgiri Mountain Railwayhalf a day · from Opened to Coonoor in 1899 and extended to Ooty in October 1908, this 46 km rack line climbs from 326 to 2,203 metres.
Worth sorting before you go
A driver and the train · A taxi or a car and driver along the coast, and the train between Thanjavur and Madurai.
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Compare the agencies before you land.
Compare · Booking
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
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Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Dosa: a thin, crisp pancake of fermented rice, served with sambar.
- Idli: soft steamed rice cakes, the standard southern breakfast.
- Curries in coconut milk, in the style of neighbouring Kerala.
- Thali on a banana leaf: vegetarian, eaten with the right hand.
- Filter coffee: strong South Indian coffee with hot milk, poured from a height to froth it.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Drink sealed bottled water only, and eat food that is hot and freshly cooked.
- Cover shoulders and knees at temples, and take your shoes off at the door.
- Agree the auto-rickshaw fare before you get in, or use Ola or Uber.
- Plan around the monsoon, from June to September.
Words that help
English ↔ Tamil
| English | Tamil |
|---|---|
| Hello | வணக்கம் (vanakkam) |
| Thank you | நன்றி (nandri) |
| Please | தயவுசெய்து (thayavu seydhu) |
| Yes | ஆம் (aam) |
| No | இல்லை (illai) |
| Excuse me | மன்னிக்கவும் (mannikkavum) |
| Goodbye | போய் வருகிறேன் (poi varugiren) |
| Do you speak English? | ஆங்கிலம் பேசுவீர்களா? (aangilam pesuvirgala?) |
| I don't understand | எனக்கு புரியவில்லை (puriyavillai) |
| How much is it? | இது எவ்வளவு? (idhu evvalavu?) |
| Where are the toilets? | கழிவறை எங்கே? (kazhivarai enge?) |
| The bill, please | பில் கொடுங்கள் (bill kodungal) |
| Help! | உதவி! (udhavi!) |
| Cheers! | சியர்ஸ்! (cheers!) |
The practical page
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/tamil-nadu
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos: Pexels and Wikimedia Commons (H. Grobe, CC BY 3.0 ; Rainer Halama, CC BY-SA 4.0 ; Richard Mortel from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, CC BY 2.0 ; Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 ; MADHURANTHAKAN JAGADEESAN, CC BY-SA 4.0) · Details are indicative, check before you leave.