Bangalore
Bangalore, or Bengaluru, once known as the Garden City is now Silicone city, modern India writ large, though you can still find attractive park areas amid all the hustle and bustle of shopping malls, restaurants and bars. It also has one of the busiest and most modern international airports in India.
Mysore
Mysore, (Mysuru), a 2 to 3 hour drive from Bangalore is a much more relaxed city to explore. At the foot of the Chammundi Hills and surrounded by fields of vibrant paddy and sugar cane its centre is dominated by the exotic Amba Vilasa palace, official residence of the former ruling Wodeyar dynasty. An ornate structure known for its eclectic mix of architectural styles and decor it is especially worth a visit at weekends and festival times when the facade is spectacularly illuminated by almost 100,000 light bulbs.
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Coorg
Coorg a picturesque region of rolling hills, tropical forest and the coffee estates, for which it is famed. Its people, known as Kodavas, have their own distinctive traditions and culture.
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Srirangapatna
Seringapatam just 15km from Mysore lies on the banks of the sacred Cauvery river. Its ruined fortifications and wooden summer palace are reminders of a state which once dominated vast areas of South India under rulers Hyder Ali and his son Tippu Sultan and it's the spot where Tippu, scourge of the Bitish East India Company, was finally defeated and killed in battle.
Somanathapura
Somnathapura 24 miles east of Mysore is a hidden gem. The site of a small but highly atmospheric collection of ancient Hoysala temples decorated with an abundance of wonderfully intricate reliefs and friezes.
Shravanabelagola
Shravanabelagola, is a sleepy town, dominated by an awe inspiring 58ft monolithic statue (claimed to be the largest in the world) and one of the most important pilgimage centres for the Jain religion. Major ceremonies are held here every 12 years, the next due this year - 2018.
Hampi
Hampi in the north of Karnataka was the medieval capital of the once mighty Vijayanagar empire with impressive ruins of more than 500 temples and monuments which can be explored on foot or by hired bicycle.
Jog Falls
Jog Falls is the highest single tier waterfall in India while the Shivanasamudra Falls (the site of Asia's first hydroelectric power station) is a segmented fall where water divides into 2 or more channels before cascading over the cliffe face. Both are at their most spectacular during and just after the monsoons.
Shivanasamudra Falls
Shivanasamudra Falls is the second largest waterfall in India and the sixteenth largest in the world.[11] It is situated on the banks of the river Kaveri and is the location of the first Hydro-electric power station in Asia, which was set up in 1902.[12] This is a segmented waterfall. Segmented waterfalls occur where the water flow is broken into two or more channels before dropping over a cliff, resulting in multiple side by side waterfalls. It has an average width of 849 meters, a height of 90 m, and an average water output volume of 934 cubic meters/sec. Gaganachukki on the left is a large horsetail waterfall[13] and Barachukki (also spelled Bharachukki) in the centre is a jagged crashing cascading waterfall. During the monsoons this waterfall grows enormous, perhaps a thousand feet in width. The right waterfall is the Bharachukki.[14] Asia's first hydro-electric power stations, still functional, is located at the waterfall.[15] This station was commissioned by the Diwan of Mysore, Sir K. Seshadri Iyer. The electricity produced here was initially used in the Kolar Gold Fields. Thus, Kolar Gold Fields became the first town in Asia to get hydro-electricity..
Bylakuppe
Bylakuppe is the location of "Lugsum Samdupling" (established in 1961) and "Dickyi Larsoe" (established in 1969), two adjacent Tibetan refugee settlements, in the west of the Mysore district. It consists of a number of small camps/agricultural settlements close to each other, and has a number of monasteries, nunneries, and temples in all the form of the major Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Most notable among them are the large educational monastic institution Sera, the smaller Tashilunpo monastery (both in the Gelukpa tradition), and the Namdroling monastery (in the Nyingma tradition). Particularly well known among the temples is the Golden Temple which is also a major tourist spot in the area.
Nanjanagudu
Nanjangud is a temple town located on the banks of River Kapila (also known as Kabini) in Mysore district. Nanjangud is located at a distance of 25 km from Mysore city. Nanjangud is also popularly known as "Dakshina Kashi" (southern Kashi). Nanjangud has been one of the important Shaiva centre since times immemorial. The temple at Nanjangud is dedicated to Lord Nanjundeshwara (Lord Shiva). Nanjangud literally means the place where Lord Nanjundeshwara resides. Nanjundeshwara means the God who drank poison for welfare of the world (Lokakalyana).
Sri Nanjundeshwara Temple at Nanjangud is one of the ancient temples of Karnataka. The original Nanjundeshwara temple is said to be of Ganga period (325 - 1000 CE). Later, this temple has then been renovated by the Hoysala kings. Both Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan had close associations with thi
Other popular attractions include the Hoysala temples of Belur and Halebid, the Gol Gumbaz dome at Bijapur and the Tibetan settlement at Bylakuppe.
Chennai
Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu. A busy modern city (the 5th largest in India) it was also the site of the first major English settlement in India at Fort St George and boasts the 2nd longest urban beach in the world.
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Mahabalipuram
Mahabalipuram or Mamalapuram is a small settlement just south of Chennai along the beautiful Coromandel coast. Famed for its Shore Temple and exquisite rock carvings the town is dotted with small workshops where craftsmen carry on the ancient traditions of sculpture.
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Thanjavur
Thanjavur or Tanjore - the City of Temples. Most notably the Brahadeshwara or Big Temple constucted in the reign of the great Chola emperor Rajaraja. Recognised as an architectural marvel it's now a World Heritage site and a place where an ancient culture is still very much alive.
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Madurai
Madurai a vibrant city on the banks of the Vaigai river, its skyline dominated by the 14 colourful gopurams or gateway towers of the Meenakshi Amman temple it remains a major centre of pilgimage to this day.
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Ooty
Ooty, also known as Udhagamandalam, is a hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu, in southern India. Surrounded by trees, central Ooty Lake is a huge artificial expanse of water with pleasure boats. On the slopes of nearby Elk Hill, the Rose Garden is home to over 2,000 varieties of roses. The Government Botanical Garden, created in the 19th century, features ferns, orchids and a prehistoric, fossilized tree.
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Yercaud
Yercaud is a hill station town in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It lies in the Shevaroy Hills, known for their orange groves, and coffee, fruit and spice plantations. Yercaud Lake has a boathouse, and is surrounded by gardens and woods. On the lake's eastern shore, Anna Park has local plants and a Japanese garden with bonsai. To the southwest, Lady's Seat vantage point has a watchtower with a telescope
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In an area steeped in history other centres of note include Kanchipuram, famed for its gorgeous silks, Chidambaram boasting a major Shiva temple and an ancient tradition of palm leaf reading, and Trichy (Tiruchirapalli) with it's impressive Rockfort Temple dominating the surrounding plains.
Now Puducherry, known as Pondy. If you're looking for a little bit of French charm in India this small Union Territory bounded by Tamil Nadu was a part of France until1954 and the influences are still visible in the old French quarter with its tree lined streets, colonial style houses and boutique shops.
It's also home to the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram and its offshoot, the experimental 'utopian' city of Auroville.Read more..
Munnar
Munnar is a town in the Western Ghats mountain range in India's Kerala state. A hill station and former resort for the British Raj elite, it's surrounded by rolling hills dotted with tea plantations established in the late 19th century. Eravikulam National Park, a habitat for the endangered mountain goat Nilgiri tahr, is home to the Lakkam Waterfalls, hiking trails and 2,695m-tall Anamudi Peak.
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Idukki
Mist laden hills, enchanting valleys, gushing streams, cascades, rolling grasslands, sprawling plantations, colonial bungalows, wildlife and many more makes Idukki, a landlocked district in Central Kerala a unique destination for travellers. The hilly terrain, which has the highest point in South India- Anaimudi offers ample scope for trekking, other adventures sports. It is one of the districts in Kerala with a predominant tribal population. With the famous hill station Munnar as its crowning glory, Idukki also has numerous other places of interest that adds to the destination value of the district.
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Cochin
Kochi (also known as Cochin) is a city in southwest India's coastal Kerala state. It has been a port since 1341, when a flood carved out its harbor and opened it to Arab, Chinese and European merchants. Sites reflecting those influences include Fort Kochi, a settlement with tiled colonial bungalows and diverse houses of worship. Cantilevered Chinese fishing nets, typical of Kochi, have been in use for centuries.
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Kerala backwaters
The Kerala backwaters are a chain of brackish lagoons and lakes lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast (known as the Malabar Coast) of Kerala state in southern India. The network includes five large lakes linked by canals, both man made and natural, fed by 38 rivers, and extending virtually half the length of Kerala state. The backwaters were formed by the action of waves and shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
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Festivals
India has many colourful religious and cultural festivals throughout the year - some held on the same day each year, others varying in accordance with things like the lunar calendar. Some are celebrated nationally like Deepavali (festival of light) and the riotous Holi where you are liable to be doused with coloured powder or water. Others are specific to particular regions.
Dussehra
In the south Mysore is famed for its Dussehra festival celebrated every autumn with parades of richly caparisoned elephants.
Pongal
Pongal is the Tamil harvest or thanksgiving festival held over three days in January.
Onam
While in Kerala, the harvest festival of Onam falls in the months of August/September and includes the spectacular snake boat races.
Generally lighter and less rich than the food served in the North the cuisine of south India is as varied and enticing as the landscapes. All the coastal regions of course have excellent fresh seafood, Kerala with its coconut based sauces and delicious nutty red rice, the coromandel coast with fragrant fish curries sharpened with tomato or a hint of tamarind.
Vegetarians will be in their element with the thalis or 'meals' found throughout the region, sometimes presented on a banana leaf, sometimes on a large steel plate surrounded by an array of smaller dishes containing a mouth watering selection of vegetables and pulses to accompany the staple rice. Chettinad in Tamil Nadu is renowned for some of the spiciest dishes - try if you dare!
Popular breakfast options are idli (little steamed dumplings made from rice and gram flour) and dosai - thin, crispy pancakes made from the same fermented batter - both served with fresh coconut chutney and sambar (a lentil and vegetable sauce). Most hotels will also serve toast (usually white bread), eggs and cereals. While in Mysore you can sample the famous Mysore Pak sweets (just don't tell your dentist) and the delicious, if cholesterol-laden Kesari Bhath - a sweet concoction of semolina, ghi and dried fruit. Enjoy!