Blend of Beaches, Beauty and Backwaters
With abandoned ruins, temple cities, national parks, coffee plantations or sun-kissed beaches, a trip to South India is quite a dazzling experience. Revealing a starkly different, diverse, cultural and religious part of India, it is draws millions of tourists ever year to its embrace.
Consisting of four states—Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, South India Travel Guide includes the famous sightseeing options, cuisines and festival details. If Kerala Tourism is famous for wildlife, beaches, backwaters and house boats, Karnataka Tourism is famous for old ruins, caves, coffee plantations and lakes. Similarly travel to Tamil Nadu to experience the richness of temple cities embellished with fine architecture and sculptures. And nothing reveals the old world charm as a trip to Andhra Pradesh along with its spicy cuisines.
With so much of architectural, historical, religious, romantic and adventurous options on the platter, South India Tourism is definitely a larger than life endeavour to undertake. So, get ready for it.
Following are the tourist attractions of South India
Kerala
Popularly known as ‘God’s Own Country’, it is famous for Ayurvedic treatments, mountain ranges, backwaters, houseboats, wildlife sanctuaries and sun-kissed beaches. One of the most popular tourist destinations in India, it is famous for wildlife tourism, eco-tourism and popular holiday destination.
The popular tourist attractions of Kerala include Wayanad, Munnar, Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kovalam, Alappuzha, Kumarakom and Thiruvananthapuram. The famous beaches are at Kappad, Beypore, Cherai, Varkala, Marari and Kannur. The houseboat ride on Vembanad Lake and Ashtamudi Lake is truly spectacular.
Andhra Pradesh
Popularly called as the ‘Koh-i-Noor of India’, it is famous for several tourist attractions like temples, forests, wildlife, caves, hills and beaches. One can spot many beautiful beaches and Borra Caves in/near Vishakhapatnam. The capital Hyderabad is famous for its old world charm, spicy biryanis, mosques, bangle streets and of course, the world famous Char Minar.
The presence of Tirupati, famous for Balaji Temple, makes it an important cultural and religious hotspot in India. One can also spot Mogalarajapuram Caves and Undavalli Caves in Vijayawada. Ornithologists can explore the Nelapattu bird sanctuary in Nellore. History buffs can explore Ongole, one of the ancient towns in Andhra Pradesh.
Karnataka
Extremely popular due to its capital ‘Bengaluru’, which is also called as the ‘Silicon Valley of India’, Karnataka tourism is also famous for historical monuments, beaches, hill ranges, ancient sculptured temples and world heritage sites. History buffs must explore Badami which is famous for cave temples and carried the feeling of abandoned ruins.
Adventure enthusiasts and wildlife lovers must visit Bandipur National Park, famous for protecting endangered species like tigers, gaurs, sloth bears and Indian elephants. The city of ‘Royal Palaces’ or Mysore is strongly linked with Indian history with the connection of warrior Tipu Sultan. Those searching for a blend of trekking and solitude can always visit Coorg, one of the picturesque hill-stations in Karnataka.
Tamil Nadu
Famous for its Dravidian culture, it is famous for rich cultural history, historical monuments, beaches, folk dances, cuisines and temples. Chennai, popularly called as the ‘Gateway to South India’ is the capital. Old Portuguese style churches along with interesting galleries and temples are the pride of Chennai.
The Mahabalipuram Beach has evolved as a famous beach destination and one can take expeditions to Arjuna's Penance, Five Rathas and the Shore Temple. The temple city of Kanchipuram is also famous for handicrafts and silk saris, famous all over the world for their fine fabric and designing. And for history buffs, a visit to Tamil Nadu is incomplete without exploring Pondicherry which is famous for Cellular Jail and Viper Island, linked closely with the Indian Freedom Struggle.
Famous Cuisines of South India
The popular dishes of Andhra Pradesh are pootarekulu, chaaru, sorakaya pulusu, biryani, gutti vankaya and pickles. The Karnataka cuisine is famous for Dosa, Uttapam, kesari bhath, rasam and idli sambar. The lip-smacking dishes of Tamil Nadu are bonda, vadai, kheer, payasam and paniyaram. While, Kerala cuisine includes shrimp coconut curry, erucherri, upperis, kappa, pork masala and duck roast.
Festivals in South India
The famous festivals include Onam (Kerala), Pongal (Tamil Nadu), Hampi Festival (Karnataka), Natyanjali Dance Festival (Tamil Nadu) and Dussehra (Karnataka).
When to Reach
The winter months from November to January give way for an ideal travel to South India with pleasant weather conditions.
How to Reach
Air: South India is well connected with India and foreign countries with innumerable airports in its four states. International airports are at Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Railway: With very well connected railheads in all the above states, tour to South India is convenient and comfortable to explore with train journeys.
Road: Intra and Inter-state buses are available to connect the different states of South India, quite flawlessly.
So, what are you waiting for? Take that trip to South India this season and explore the unknown wonder of India.