CHENNAI
Chennai (Madras) is one of India’s largest cities and the international airport has good links to the rest of the subcontinent as well as being the major hub for south India. The shopping is good. A half day city tour may include Fort St George, St Mary’s Church, a number of museums and the Kapaleeshwarar Temple. | More >>

MAHABALIPURAM (MAMALLAPURAM)
South of Chennai along the Coromandel coast is Mahabalipuram (or Mamallapuram as it is now called). This is a fantastic place to be based as it offers beach, cultural heritage and the possibility of visiting Chennai and Kanchipuram as a day trip. | More >>

PONDICHERRY
Pondicherry (now called Puducherry) is a former French enclave and is administered as a Union Territory within India and still maintains a ‘French’ atmosphere. The town has a long promenade and behind this is the French enclave with its attractive colonial buildings. | More >>

TANJORE AND TRICHY
These cities in central Tamil Nadu were the heartland of the Chola Empire. Tanjore (Thanjavur) was the capital of the Chola Empire for three centuries. The Brihadishwara Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a truly beautiful example of Chola architecture. | More >>

CHETTINAD
This is an area of southern Tamil Nadu. The villages of Chettinad are famous for their highly embellished 19th century houses. These grand houses reflect the prosperity of their wealthy merchant owners. If you would rather be based in a village or country area and do your sightseeing from there, then Chettinad | More >>

MADURAI
Madurai is the oldest city in Tamil Nadu. At more than 2,500 years old it was believed to have been built by the Pandyan King Kulasekara. It was the capital of the Pandyan Kings (apart from a short period when it fell to the Cholas) until the end of the Pandyan Empire. | More >>

KODAIKANAL
Located in the Palani Hills 120 km from Madurai this hill station makes a good stop on the way to Kerala. It offers an alternative to Munnar, the hill station of Kerala on the other side of the border. | More >>

MUDUMALAI
The wildlife sanctuaries of Mudumalai and adjacent Bandipur are easily reached from Mysore, Ooty or Wayanad and have a large population of elephant and other mammals. | More >>

OOTY & COONOOR
These two towns are hill stations (just 20 km apart) high in the Nilgiri Hills of the Western Ghats. Ooty (now officially called Udhagamandalam) is the famous hill station of the Raj period (often called Snooty Ooty). Coonoor is not as famous as its neighbour but offers much the same hill station/tea growing experience and is not quite as busy. | More >>

RURAL TAMIL NADU
The properties in this section are not situated in tourist destinations but are useful for breaking up a long journey or offer visitors an interesting | More >>