South India

Places it includes

Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh

Culture & Festival

Covering four states and endless traditions, South India brings a plethora of art forms, mythologies and mouth-watering cuisines, much to the delight of every traveller. The classical Carnatic music and dance forms like Kathakali have been centre of international attraction time and again.

People here are lovers of various arts and mainly belong to Hindu community while other communities like Muslim, Jewish, Christians are also found in abundance. Apart from the humidity during summers, the weather is mostly pleasant with moderate rainfall, making its beaches one of the most sought after beaches in India. Being a coastal area, the cuisine combines special spices, rice and fishes as staple ingredients.

Some of the spectacular festivals include:

Pongal (Tamil Nadu) – 14th January
Hampi Festival (Karnataka) – 3–5th November
Tea and Tourism Festival (Tamil Nadu) – January–February
Onam (Kerala) – August–September
Kavadi Festival (Tamil Nadu) – January

Shopping Attractions

Silk Apparel (Especially sarees) (Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu)
Palm leaf/wooden handicrafts (Kerala)
Exclusive metal wares and statues (Tamil Nadu)
Exquisite Jewelry (Tamil Nadu, Kerala)
Authentic Sandalwood items (Karnataka, Tamil Nadu)
Bamboo mats & carpets (Kerala, Bangalore)
Paintings (Mysore, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu)

Highlights

Beaches
Backwaters
Temples
Wildlife
Ayurveda
Festivals

Best time to visit

December to February (For hill stations, however, summers are as good)

Smart Tip

Don’t forget to use lots of sunscreen while you’re travelling in South India as the weather tends to get sunny and humid at times.

Commuting via public transport might get tricky here as most of the common population speaks local languages. It’s always better to hire a cab and a guide for commuting within the cities.

Description

South India as a tourist destination has so much to offer that it gets extremely difficult to categorize it strictly on the basis of states. The breathtaking lakes, refreshing beaches, life-affirming temples, mesmerizing backwaters and rejuvenating Ayurveda and spa experiences make you indulge in luxury like never before.

Telling a story of their own since ages stand the immaculate temples of South India. Displaying the ancient architecture techniques and rock-cut designs, these temples were built by the ancient rulers here to immortalize their glory. Some of the popular temples include ISKCON temple (Karnataka), Sree Krishna temple (Kerala), Cave and Jain temples (Karnataka) and Meenakshi temple (Tamil Nadu) to name a few.

The beaches in South India are absolutely unparalleled in terms of beauty, cleanliness and the access to luxury spa, Ayurveda services. Each beach offers something novel and attracts thousands of tourists every year from across the globe. Some of the most popular beaches are Karwar Beach (Karnataka), Kovalam Beach (Kerala), Varkala Beach (Kerala) and Marina Beach (Tamil Nadu).

Something that Kerala exclusively boasts of, the beautiful brackish water of backwaters and the lush green surroundings offer an exotic experience to the travellers. Formed by multiple natural and artificial lakes and lagoons, this offers perfect blend of luxury and nature. One can easily hire a houseboat and enjoy the company of their loved ones in utmost privacy. For the adventure enthusiasts, there is a Snake Boat Race every August and September.

How to Reach

All the states in South India are well connected to the rest of the country via railways and roads. So if you’re already in India and have time on your hands, a relaxed train journey could be a good idea.

However, there are number of airports with frequent national as well as international flights to choose from.