Oh Chettinad. Where do we start?! Chettinad has been on my list for a very long time. To be honest the biggest thing that put me off was a propeller plane flight - turns out it was absolutely fine, and on the way back we got a stock standard plane. So that said, I wish we had gone sooner. From Bangalore we flew said plane to Madurai, and from there it was a very easy two hour drive to Chettinad. Easy! History Chettinad is the name of the area given to the Chettiar community of money lenders and traders. They founded this community in the 19th Century after there coastal town in Tamil Nadu was wiped...
For the school holidays we decided to venture further south. Let's face it I LOVE the south. My parents grew up in Madras (now Chennai) and this is the India I grew up with. My Dad was actually born in Madurai due to the travelling his father did being in the Indian Customs and this prompted our decision to go and see the city of the temples. Where we stayed . Â We stayed at Heritage Madurai for two nights and loved it for many reasons. It wasn't your fancy 5-star hotel but instead felt like a luxe version of your hard working travellers hotel. It had a buzz of people coming and going. A mix of local domestic travellers...
Oh Jaislamer. I'm not sure where to begin?! This was my first time to the yellow city and I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting. Look I wasn't let down in any way but I guess I wouldn't say it's my favourite city that I have been to in Rajasthan - and I have oh so many to go. It has everything that a first city should have. A grand yellow fort, temples, a lake, a bustling market place and a vast dessert which sits in a completely separate category to the rest of the city. For me it was lacking something which I can't quite put my finger on. So here goes... my Jaisalmer in two days and two nights. ...
Here are snapshots from my travels. Not a guide by any means as I'll leave that to to experts. Just the places I went to and enjoyed. I'll add to this as I explore them further.