Like any other coastal city, upon arrival, Chennai greets you with all its heated glory. Previously known as Madras, Chennai is a melting pot of various cultures which are reminiscent of the past and also embraces modernism with open arms. Though Chennai has its fair share of tourist sites, for those who are locals, summer time escape from the metropolitan city offer some much needed respite. So here is a list of the top 5 weekend getaways from Chennai.
* Pondicherry
The French left the country but what they delivered in the process was the quaint town of Pondicherry. Popularly referred to as “Pondy”, Pondicherry is divided into two parts, the French quarters, displaying vintage style colonial buildings mostly painted in white and mustard and the Tamil quarters, representing an older vibe with its customary air of gajras and mogra flowers, elaborate Nagada style temples and it’s smaller and more populated roads.
* Yercaud
Yercaud Meaning “Lake Forest” is a popular hill station located in the Eastern Ghats. When one thinks of Yercaud, all that comes to mind are the mountains of verdant green upon which one can take numerous treks to find hidden natural treasures. Speaking of natural treasures, the Yercaud Lake is another noteworthy tourist destination along with the Killiyur falls and Lady’s seat which is one of the many viewpoints that provide panoramic views of the surrounding undulating hills.
* Coorg
Much like its other hilly counterpart (Yercaud), all you see is green all around. Green dew-kissed hills going on all the way till the eyes can see. Coorg serves as one of the most popular hill stations of India and it’s probably because of its tranquil environs, amalgamated with an element of adventure- read trekking across the verdant never ending hills.
* Thekkady
Thekkady is located on the Tamil Nadu- Kerala Border, is considered a heaven for coffee and natural spices. Thekkady is also known for its proximity to Chellar Kovil which has a lot of picturesque waterfalls and cascades. Thekkady is however more popularly as the location of Periyar National park. The wildlife sanctuary was declared a tiger reserve in 1978.
* Rameshwaram
Rameshwaram is considered one of holiest sites of pilgrimage in India and is a part of the Char Dham Yatra(Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka, Rameshwaram). Legend says that Rameshwaram was the point of conjunction where Lord Ram built a bridge to Sri Lanka to save Sita. In modern times, Rameshwaram is known for the esteemed Ramanathaswamy temple which has the largest temple corridor in India.