Lonely Planet - EARTH

Chidambaram is a small town located at distance of 240 kms south of Chennai. This town is very close to the eastern coast. Chidambaram is famous for the nataraja temple and the natyanjali function conducted there every year.

Transport  ::

Buses and trains are available from/to Chennai, Pondicherry, kumbakonam, trichy and tanjore.

Nataraja Temple

Touring Spots ::

Chidambaram does not have much touring spot except for the Nataraja temple.

Nataraja Temple : This temple was built in the 13th century by Cholas who were ruling chidambaram at that time. This temple is spread over 22 hectares of land and has high walls on all sides. The Nataraja temple is known for its artistic work with scultures depicting the Hindu Mythology. This temple is dedicated to God Shiva who is known as Natarajar(”King of Dance”) at this place. There is a big hall with thousand pillars which is open only on festival days.

Ooty is known as the queen of mountains . It is located among the four hills doddabetta,snowdon,elk and club. It is spread over an area of about 30.67 Square kms. It is located at a height of about 2286 metres above sea level.The best time to tour ooty is from February to May and from September to November. It has good climatic conditions for touring throughout the year. It is one of the main tourist attractions in Tamilnadu. Languages spoken are English and Tamil.

toy train, ooty

Transport ::

Road :: Ooty is well connected by roads to some of the main cities like coimbatore and mysore. Nearest city is Coimbatore (88 kms)
Railways ::  Mettupalayam(46 kms) is the nearest railway station before climbing the mountain. Toy train is available for travel and its an enjoyable trip up the hill. Coonoor,half way up the hill is also a hill resort and has a railway station.
Airport ::  The nearest airport is at Coimbatore which has flights connecting Chennai,Bangalore and Cochin.

Touring Spots ::
1)  Botanical Gardens :: It is sprawled over an area of 50 acres. It lies on the slopes of the doddabetta peak. It is created in the year 1847 and houses over 650 species of plants.It is open throughout the year for tourists.
2)Ooty Lake :: It is one of the most spectacular places in ooty. It has facilities for boating,fishing and picnic. Both rowing boats and paddle boats are available.
3)Government Musuem :: This famous museum was built in the year 1989. It has tribal objects,sculptures,arts and crafts  and the ecological details about the district.
4)Doddabetta peak :: This is the tallest peak in Tamilnadu with an altitude of 2623metres. A road leads to the top of the peak from where you can have a spectacular view of all the other peaks around it. Its just 10 kms from Ooty.
5)Lamb’s Rock ::  It is located at a distance of 9kms from Coonoor and is a good picnic spot. It is surround by tea estates and plains of coimbatore.
6)Kothagiri :: It is small village which is located at 28 kms from Ooty. It is one of the three famous hill stations in nilgiris.
7)Kalhatty Waterfalls ::The beautiful Kolhatty waterfalls are about 100 feet in height and are located on the kalhatty slopes. The falls are about 13kms from the city, so anyone on a tour of Ooty can easily check out the falls and the beautiful area surrounding it.
8)Avalanche :: Avalanche lies 28 km from Ooty. This place is a nature lover’s paradise. It is a lake, which is ideal for fishing, though one has to obtain permission before hand. It is also the perfect place to enjoy bird watching and a quiet afternoon.
9)Coonoor :: Coonoor is a famous hill station that is 17 kms from ooty. It is probably the second most popular hill station in the Nilgiris. The hill station stands at a height of 1839 meters and is known for its great picnic spots and picturesque surroundings.

NOTE ::

Summer :: Light woollen clothes
Winter :: Heavy woollen clothes
Area Code :: 0423

Kodaikanal is known as the Princess of Hill Stations.It is situated at a height of 2133 mts above sea level. It is located among the Palani Hills. It was turned into a hill resort by the American missionaries in 1845. It is spread  over an area of 21.45 square kms.The best time to tour kodaikanal is from April-June and september-october. The monsoon showers occur between october and december.The best way to reach kodaikanal is by road. Languages spoken are English and Tamil.

Transport :
Road :: 520 kms from Chennai, 120 kms from Madurai.
Train :: Nearest railway station is Kodai Road(80 kms) and Palani Railway station(64 kms).
Air-Route :: Nearest airport is at madurai(120 kms).

kodaikanal

Touring Spots :
1) The Lake :: It is spread across an area of 24 hectares. It was created in 1863 and has a skirting road for 5kms.

2)Bryank Park :: This park is situated on the eastern side of the lake. It is noted for its flowers, both hybrids and grafts. Cutflowers are exported from here. A glass house which shelters fine varieties of flowers can be seen here. The Flower Showconducted every year during May, as part of the Summer Festivals, should be seen by everyone.

3)Solar Physical Observatory :: It is situated 32 kms. from the lake. This observatory was founded in 1989, and it is located at an elevation of 2343 mtrs. This observatory is the highest point in Kodai.

4)Coaker’s Walk :: It is at a distance of 1 km from the lake. It runs along a steep slope on the southern side of Kodai. It offers some of the best views of the plains Entry fee is collected here.
5)Suicide Point :: It is situated at a distance of 5.5 Kms from the lake and nearby the golf club.

6)The Pillar Rocks Three boulders stand here, shoulder-to-shoulder, vertically measuring 122 mtrs, providing a majestic sight.Pillar rocks are located 7.4 kms from the lake. It has a garden with lovely flowers.

7)Shenbaganur Museum  The Sacred Heart College maintains this museum. It is a Theological Seminary founded in 1895 and devoted to preserving certain archaeological remains and the flora and fauna of the hills. It houses one of the best Orchidariamsin the country.
8 ) Falls :: Water falls in the vicinity are Bear Shola Falls, Silver Cascade, Fairy Falls and Glen Falls.

NOTE::

Summer :: Light woollen clothes
Winter :: Heavy woollen clothes
Area Code :: 04542

Chennai is the fourth largest metropolitan city with a population of 7million. It lies at the southern part of India along the coast of bay of bengal.Chennai covers an area of 70 square kms. The best way to reach chennai depends on from where you are coming. Chennai has India’s 3rd largest and busiest airport and its just 7 kms from the main city. Chennai is also well linked by railways and roadways to all other cities in the country. The best time to tour chennai is between november and february as it is winter season and the
temperature will be between 20 degree celsius and 28 degree celsius.There will be mild showers during this time, so it is better to have an umbrella handy. Languages spoken are English,Tamil,Telugu,Hindi,Malayalam.There are various 5-star hotels nearby the airport. some of them are
Radisson - 3kms , Trident Hilton - 3kms, Le Royal Meridian - 5kms,Taj connemara - 17kms,etc.

Touring spots::
1)   Chennai has many places of cultural importance:: Fort St.George, Government musuem, Gandhi mandapam, War memorial, Vivekananda House, Senate house,Valluvar kottam,Freemasons hall,Mahabalipuram,etc .
2)   Chennai has some amuseparks which are located in and around the city.:: MGM DIZZEE world(East Coast Road), VGP Golden Beach(ECR), Kishkintha, Queensland,Dolphin City.
3)    Zoo - Vandalur zoo, Children’s park,vedanthangal(bird sanctuary).
4)    Beaches - Marina beach, Elliot’s beach, Covelong beach.
5)   Cinema Halls - Satyam cineplex, INOX, Mayajaal.

Vivekananda House Near Marina

Transport::
Railway stations :: Egmore( for destinations within tamilnadu ), Chennai Central ( For destinations outside tamilnadu)

Food:: Idly, Vadai, Dosai, Pongal, Idiyappam,Rice,Biryani,etc
The best way of transport within the city is to use the local buses. It is not advisable to take autorickshaws as they may charge you more than the nominal fee. Another way is to book a taxi or cab from the hotel in which you are staying.

Some number which you have to remember:
POLICE  :: 100
AMBULANCE :: 1066
AREA CODE :: 044