Off the Beaten Path: Southern India

The original population of South India are the Dravidians. In Madurai, Thanjavur, Trichy and Mamallapuram are impressive temples. On the coast, there is salt mining, rice and sugarcane are grown and fishing is done with nets. In the Backwaters near Allepey people live on and in the water. In the mountains are rainforests, tea plantations and pineapple, rubber and coffee are grown there.

Mamallapuram was the major seaport of the ancient Pallava kingdom based at Kanchipuram, and a wander round the town’s great, World Heritage–listed temples and carvings inflames the imagination, especially at sunset. ‘Mahabs’, as some call it, is only two hours by bus from Chennai, and many travellers make a beeline straight here. The town is small and laid-back, and its sights can be explored on foot or by bicycle.

Alapuzha (Venice of the East) or Alleppey as it is popularly known is the most prominent township in the backwaters. The Backwaters of Kerala is a network of interconnected canals, rivers, lakes and inlets formed by more than 550 miles of waterways. The backwaters have a unique ecosystem, freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea. Many tourists that come to Alappuzha take a houseboat cruise along the backwaters. If you are not interested in a longer ride in a House boat, there are smaller boats available for rides lasting 3 to 4 hours.

South India Beaches mainly takes in to account the beaches of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, four states of South India. The beaches of Kerala are placed between the Lakhswadeep Sea and the western Ghats in South India. The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu possesses the second longest beach in the world namely the Marina beach. The Bay of Bengal stretches along the vast sand sea shores. Karnataka boast of a coast line of around 200 miles filled with the serenity and charming imagery of the beautiful landscape.

The Malnad region of Karnataka State in South India is part of a unique ecosystem known as the Western Ghats, an area famous for its biodiversity. Due in part to the mountainous biotype and the effect of yearly monsoons, which bring high annual rainfall, the Western Ghats has an incredibly rich assemblage of endemic plants, reptiles and amphibians, many of which remain unknown to science. The rainforest is also the home of the largest venomous snake in the world, the much respected and feared king cobra. 

Looking for that uniquely different vacation destination. Call Rawhide Travel and Tours today 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com. We can help!

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