India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (192 page)
Royal Court
This unpretentious, professionally run hotel offers very good value—certainly the standard rooms are the best in this price category—and is certainly the best option if you want to be right in the heart of this bustling temple town (though, if you’re on an even tighter budget, the nearby Hotel Park Plaza as mentioned above will do very well). It’s literally a stone’s throw from (virtually opposite) the station and a 10-minute walk from the Meenakshi Temple (20 min. from the airport). It’s not luxurious but very comfortable, with basic hotel rooms aimed at business travelers who require certain standards, including double-glazed windows to ensure that you’re cocooned from the chaos below. Another good reason to stay here is the food; the rooftop terrace,
Mogul,
serves great meals and enjoys the same views as the more famous Supreme (you can wave to the Supreme guests across the rooftops), but the surroundings, with plenty of lush plants to soften the edges, are more salubrious. Note that in strict accordance to the beliefs of the owners, no alcohol is served in the hotel. There’s also no pool to cool off in.
4 West Veli St., Madurai 625 004.
0452/435-6666.
Fax 0452/437-3333.
www.royalcourtindia.com
. 69 units. Rs 3,100 standard double, Rs 4,000 executive double; Rs 6,000 suite. Rs 600 extra bed. Taxes extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; airport transfer (free); gym; Internet; room service. In room: A/C, TV, Wi-Fi (Rs 100/hr.).
The (Taj) Gateway Hotel, Pasumalai Madurai
Situated on a hillock known as Pasumalai, and blessed with 25 hectares (62 acres) of tree-filled grounds, this colonial-style hotel—offers panoramic views of the sprawling town, including the tall
goparums
of its most famous temple. The main building, built in 1891, is decorated with hunting trophies and includes a well-stocked colonial-style bar with deep verandas, wicker chairs, and whirring overhead fans. Accommodations are spread over 5 different blocks (let them know if you’re not mobile); the best are the very spacious executive rooms, offering fantastic views of the city and temple from wide bay windows (book room no. 21 or 22) and balconies. Superior rooms are also very comfortable, offering either pool or garden views. It’s not nearly as glamorous as Heritance, but the old-style accommodations and warm, attentive service (though it can be slow!) make this still our favorite pick.
40 T.P.K. Rd., Pasumalai, Madurai 625 004.0452/237-1601.
Fax 0452/237-1636.
www.tajhotels.com
. 63 units. Rs 6,500 standard double; Rs 7,600 superior double; Rs 8,200 executive double. Extra bed Rs 1,000. Rates include breakfast. Taxes extra. AE, DC, MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; bar; airport transfers (Rs 529); Ayurvedic center; babysitting; badminton court; Internet access; pool; room service; tennis court. In room: A/C, TV, hair dryer, minibar.
Tracking Elephants in the Forested Ghats of Tamil Nadu
The Eastern and Western Ghats (mountain ranges) of South India meet in Tamil Nadu and it is here, deep in the cool highlands, that some of India’s most popular hill stations are located. As elsewhere, these “stations” were traditionally where the British retreated to during the hottest months, and they are still immensely popular summer destinations, though now predominantly with domestic visitors, who fill the streets of Ooty and Coonor (located in the Nilgiri Hills) and Kodaikanal (in the Palani Hills) to capacity. For the most part these hill stations are truly not worth the time and effort it takes to get to them, with plenty of unchecked development stripping them of their original charm, and huge visitor numbers (500,000 descended on Ooty in Apr 2009 alone). The real gems of the Ghats lie off the beaten path, surrounded by indigenous forests that hide its rich and varied wildlife, including some of India’s rarest birds. One such gem is the charmingly rustic
Elephant Valley Farm Hotel,
located some 25km (16 miles) from Kodaikanal (
www.elephantvalleyhotel.com
; Rs 3,300–Rs 4,700 double including breakfast, additional meals Rs 500 per person) Part of a working organic farm and coffee estate, and seamlessly adjoining a nature reserve, it’s a wonderful laid-back nonhotel, with just 12 rustic bungalows—some of them totally secluded and set deep in the forest; warm attentive staff, and the most delicious, nutritious food: just the place to catch your breath before descending into the heat and chaos of Madurai. It is possible to drive to Elephant Valley from Munnar, in Kerala, overnighting for 2 nights (management will e-mail you a driving tour); 2 nights may seem like a long time but you will need at least this to enjoy the pace and peace of life here. It’s by no means luxurious accommodations, but then again, luxury is a relative concept. Here a huge bonfire every night takes the place of TV and one of the most memorable moments in India may await: As your steed picks its way through the forest at dawn (the stable has fabulous horses) you hear a loud crack; silhouetted just below the canopy is your first glimpse of that rarest of sights: an Indian elephant in the wilds.
Chapter 9: Karnataka & Hyderabad: Kingdoms of the South
Sixteenth-century visitors to the royal courts of present-day Karnataka returned to Europe with stupendous tales of wealth—cities overflowing with jewels, and streets littered with diamonds. Over the centuries, the lush green state that occupies a vast chunk of India’s southwestern seaboard and much of the Deccan plateau saw numerous kingdoms rise and fall, powerful dynasties that left legacies of impressive palaces and monumental cities scattered throughout the interior, some of them well off the beaten track, but worth the effort and time it takes to seek them out.
The postindependence state of Karnataka, unified in 1950 on the basis of common language, is predominantly made up of the once-princely state of Mysore and the Berar territories, which used to be part of the Nizam of Hyderabad’s kingdom. Once one of the richest cities in India, Hyderabad is now the vibrant capital of neighboring Andhra Pradesh, and a possible excursion from Bangalore, state capital of Karnataka.
Bangalore
may have been renamed
Bengaluru
in yet another attempt to strip away the legacy of the Raj and assert its Indian identity, but it remains in many ways the country’s most “Western” city, famous for its energetic nightlife, sophisticated design sense, and highly evolved computer and technology industries. Although it offers little by way of sightseeing attractions, it’s a great place to relax; you can shop by day and explore the bars and clubs at night before taking an overnight train to explore the ancient city of
Hampi.
The great medieval Hindu capital of the south is said to have once rivaled Rome in wealth and, with the ruins of the 14th-century Vijayanagar kingdom set in a boulder-strewn landscape that proves fascinating in its own right, this is deservedly Karnataka’s most famous attraction.
Karnataka’s other primary destination is
Mysore,
the famous “City of Incense,” where vibrant markets are perfumed with the scents of jasmine, musk, sandalwood, and frangipani. Ruled by India’s most enlightened maharajas, Mysore is home to some 17 palaces, of which
Amba Vilas
is arguably India’s most opulent. Just a few hours south of Mysore is
Rajiv Gandhi National Park,
home to herds of wild elephant and the elusive Bengal tiger. Northward lie the
“Jewel Box” temples
built by the mighty Hoysala warriors in the cities of Belur and Halebid, best reached via Sravanabelgola, home to one of the oldest and most important Jain pilgrimage sites in India: an 18m (60-ft.) statue of the naked
Lord Gomateswara,
said to be the tallest monolithic statue on earth and one of the most spiritually satisfying destinations in India.