Lonely_Planet_India_-_October_2019

WhiletheunionterritoryofPuducherryisapopularweekend
destinationfromChennaiinTamilNadu,thejourneyitselfoffersa
fascinatingglimpseintothehistory,cultureandwildlifeoftheregion.
The East Coast Road hugs the Bay of Bengal all the way down to
Puducherry, and, if you’re lucky enough to make the trip on a weekday,
the traffic is sparse too. Aside from the sea on one side throwing up
marvellous scenery, and making you feel like you’re driving down locales
far removed from our dusty, hot climes, the stops en route are very
interesting. Although it’s only about 165km to Puducherry and it won’t take
you more than three-four hours to get there, we’d advise you to take your
time, make plenty of stops and perhaps keep an extra day just for the road.
Stop at the Cholamandal Artist Village for an insight into the
contemporary art scene in India. Detour a little onto Kovalam Beach for a
scenic break, pick up some fresh catch from one of the local fish markets by
the Great Salt Lake (call ahead to your accommodation and let them know
you’re bringing your dinner!), and then carry on to the Madras Crocodile
Bank for close encounters with gharials, varieties of Indian turtles and a
whole plethora of birds and snakes. Down the road, Mahabalipuram (or
Mamallapuram) is a destination in its own right; set aside a couple of hours
to explore the temple town and even do a bit of shopping. This would also be
a good spot to grab a late lunch at one of the seaside restaurants or, if you’re
there later in the day, enjoy a coffee on the waterfront. And, at the end of the
day, the erstwhile French colony awaits.

CHENNAI TO

PUDUCHERRY

Asidefromthesmoothroadthattwistsandturnsitswaypasthilly

terrain, the biggest draw on the Visakhapatnam-to-Araku-Valley

route in Andhra Pradesh would be the Borra Caves set in the

Anantgiri mountain range (90km from Visakhapatnam; 10am

• 5.30pm, 60 adult, 45 child). The road itself is beautiful
  and, given the 115-odd-km journey, doesn’t take much
  time to traverse. The caves are a million years old and
  are known for their fascinating stalactite and
  stalagmite formations. Make sure you set plenty
  of time aside for a tour of this fantastic natural
  formation. Just don’t gape inside the caves too
  much, there are colonies of bats that live
  here and, with bats, comes a lot of guano.
  You could actually take as much time
  as you like here, as Araku itself is
  just about 36km away and that
  distance won’t take more than
  an hour to cover.

VISAKHAPATNAM

TO ARAKU VALLEY

114

km

165

km

With the sea on one side, unblemished tar

below, the East Coast Road is a revelation

Twisties through hills and millenia-old

caves make this a colourful route

114 October 2019