India - Around Bangalore & Chennai

Hi all

On previous visits to India I've - predictably perhaps - spent the majority of my time in the north.

I'm not quite ready for Kerala and given that Bangalore & Chennai feature so rarely in any tourist guides, my interest is piqued.

For a stay of around five days, with the emphasis of getting out of both cities and exploring the surrounding regions, what would your suggestions be for things to do?

Thanks in advance for your recommendations.

It depends on what kind of stuff you want to see.

You can easily spend five days in and around MAA.

City sights = one day or two days
Mahabalipuram plus lunch / dinner at Taj Fisherman's cove = one day
Kanchipuram (temples, silk shops) = one or 1/2 day
Beaches = evenings
Snake park, crocodile park, bird sanctuary, zoo (all different places)
Catch a Tamil movie.

Pondicherry = one day

EAT! (Every day :))

Plenty to do.

Time of the year will also matter.
April / May are super hot (40 degrees centigrade easily on several days)


I am not a BLR expert. Although, BLR traffic has made me not want to go there.

Time of the year will also matter.

Was thinking about late Oct / early Nov.

And thanks for the suggestions Snod08, but I'm looking for the accent to be on cultural sightseeing, so not sure Bangalore and its environs are going to hold much interest for me, based on what you described in your post. But perfectly happy to be proven wrong.

Snake park, crocodile park

how are these parks????in december i may have a day to kill in maa between work so may consider venturing out to the nearby areas....

I am not a BLR expert. Although, BLR traffic has made me not want to go there.

i hear you....definitely one of the worst things about blr....

how are these parks????in december i may have a day to kill in maa between work so may consider venturing out to the nearby areas....

The snake park is a "city" location. Its near the IIT campus in Madras. Its decent. Can spend an hour or so.

Crocodile park is at least an hour or more away from town. I used to enjoy going there. Havent gone in last 5/6 years. So, not sure how good it still is.

Bird sanctuary (Vedanthangal) - November is high season. So December may be good too. Its at least 2 hours away from the city.

TO just kill time for one day in the daytime....go visit the "Museum". Its a really old Museum, and next to it is the "Connemara Public Library". These two places are very cool. The public library has really old texts and stuff.

After that, get some lunch at the Vivanta Taj Connemara (not too far from the museum).
Afternoon (after 3:30PM), drive to see the Adyar Banyan Tree (its the oldest banyan tree in Asia or the world (dont remember). Its incredible and very peaceful. That tree is located in "Adyar". Everyone knows where it is. Also located in the same spot is the Theosophical society started by J.Krishnamurthy.

Later in the afternoon, you can visit the beach at Besant Nagar, which is not far from Adyar area. (Now, Adyar is also near IIT campus and snake park).

THat will be a light day and easy way to kill some time.

The snake park is a "city" location. Its near the IIT campus in Madras. Its decent. Can spend an hour or so.

Crocodile park is at least an hour or more away from town. I used to enjoy going there. Havent gone in last 5/6 years. So, not sure how good it still is.

Bird sanctuary (Vedanthangal) - November is high season. So December may be good too. Its at least 2 hours away from the city.

TO just kill time for one day in the daytime....go visit the "Museum". Its a really old Museum, and next to it is the "Connemara Public Library". These two places are very cool. The public library has really old texts and stuff.

After that, get some lunch at the Vivanta Taj Connemara (not too far from the museum).
Afternoon (after 3:30PM), drive to see the Adyar Banyan Tree (its the oldest banyan tree in Asia or the world (dont remember). Its incredible and very peaceful. That tree is located in "Adyar". Everyone knows where it is. Also located in the same spot is the Theosophical society started by J.Krishnamurthy.

Later in the afternoon, you can visit the beach at Besant Nagar, which is not far from Adyar area. (Now, Adyar is also near IIT campus and snake park).

THat will be a light day and easy way to kill some time.

good info....thanks for the advise....

There are also the temples - those parts of them that are open to non hindus at least.

And some really good restaurants that have opened up in the past few years

but I'm looking for the accent to be on cultural sightseeing, so not sure Bangalore and its environs are going to hold much interest for me, based on what you described in your post. But perfectly happy to be proven wrong.
Mysore is about a 3 hour drive out of Bangalore and I absolutely loved the time we spent there on a day trip, except for where I got violently ill half-way through the day and had to explain to the driver that we needed to return to Bangalore immediately and that, along the way, I needed to stop to use a toilet. He eventually understood and complied but was struggling mightily to find a "proper" loo for the white guy. I eventually explained that it simply didn't matter and took care of business.

But the time I was coherent in Mysore was truly lovely.

I wrote a bit about that day of our trip here: 1,000 steps to dysentery (http://boardingarea.com/blogs/thewanderingaramean/2008/06/1000-steps-to-dysentery/)


http://millerworks.smugmug.com/photos/313182613_jw5ja-S.jpg

http://gallery.millerworks.net/photos/313182577_NVmcX-S.jpg