Madurai

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.

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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 and overseas tourists. It catered well to groups but didn't feel impersonal at all. The pool was a saviour and surprisingly empty most of the time. The food was the choice of buffet or a la carte and had a good tasty variety. To be honest, we felt like we were back on our adventure travel days of our youth and this would have been that hotel that you treated yourself to when you needed a day off!

We only had 2 nights and really 1 1/2 days in Madurai. It was the tail end of the monsoon season so the humidity was high and there was a drizzle in the air in the mornings and evenings. 

We woke up early and took an auto to the Meenakshi temple which is the biggest and most famous of the temples in Madurai. It's worth going early (It opens at 4am!) to beat the crowds. And gosh she didn't disappoint. There was only a smattering of people and it was the biggest blessing to be forced to leave your phone with your shoes in the lockers at the door. We were all fully focussed and present to take it all in. The temple complex was huge and we took our time walking through it and soaking it all in.

In the evening we took a street food tour.  Due to the weather we tried many dishes in local 'hotels' and 'restaurants'. Honestly this is where you will find some of the best food. Cooked hot and fresh and served on a banana leaf. The highlight of this was the famous Madurai parathas. Watching the men make them was showstopping. I could have stood and watch them for hours!

    

If you are thinking of heading to Madurai and doing a tour of Southern India, I highly recommend doing it with my friend Ali over at Trunk India. If I was on my own I would have 100% done it with her. Her itineraries and travel style are exactly the way I would want to see this country!