even tiger, as well as a myriad of birds. The tropical hills are ideal for the productionof tea and coffee; plantations are dotted withcolonial bungalows and towns establishedduring the Raj. While the legendarywarrior king Tipu Sultan made inroadsinto the region, neither he nor the Mughalsextended their empires deep into the south.Three powerful Hindu dynasties dominatedthis area for over 1,000 years and theirlegacy is a rich cultural heritage with awealth of Hindu art, architecture andancient temples that draws a constantstream of pilgrims. The well planned streetsand technology parks of Bangalore seem amillion miles away from the rest of Indiabut even here the inhabitants are proud oftheir heritage.This vast area of South India is blessedwith an astonishingly diverselandscape, ranging from the jungle-coveredhills of the Western Ghats to sweepingplains scattered with temples and thebeautiful Coromandel Coast fringed by theIndian Ocean. The Ghats have long been ahaven for wildlife and sanctuaries offer theopportunity to view elephant, gaur and50Tamil Nadu & Karnataka

Audley in Tamil Nadu & KarnatakaIn this section you will find places of interestin Tamil Nadu and the southern half ofKarnataka which can both be comfortablycombined with a tour of Kerala or be visitedon their own. Karnataka's main attractionsare located almost at opposite ends of thislarge state and information about those inthe northwest can be found on pages 42-49.To help you get the most out of your time inSouth India we plan your trip to match yourinterests and combine the well-knownhighlights of the region with more unusualexperiences. For the majority of trips, wesuggest a private car and driver leaving yourelaxed and ready to enjoy sightseeing. Insome places, we recommend that we bookan English-speaking guide for your excursionsin advance, many of whom are experts inlocal history, architecture or wildlife while at others we give you the option ofexploring independently.AccommodationAccommodation varies quite considerablythroughout the region. In the metropolitancities you will find a good range of hotels, butthose at the luxury end are often aimedmore at the business traveller. Small boutiquehotels are hard to come by in parts of TamilNadu and functional three star hotels caterfor visitors to many of the temple towns.Following the example of neighbouringKerala, some families in the border areashave opened their homes to guests andprovide an interesting insight into localculture. On the Coramandel Coast, anincreasing number of resorts are available onthe beaches while in the former colonial hillstations, tea plantations and heritagebungalows provide characterful, butsometimes simple, accommodation.Find out more For suggested itineraries and practicalinformation about travel in Tamil Nadu andKarnataka, please see page 61.www.audleytravel.comInteractive maps and features, further suggested itineraries,accommodation, climate informationand articles written by our specialists.Discuss your plans with our South Indiaspecialists 01993 838 355?MysoreVisit the City Palace on aSaturday or Sunday evening fora magical view of this beautifuledifice illuminated by thousandsof lights.Belur and HalebidExplore the temples of Belurand Halebid famous for Hoysalaart and decorated with exquisitecarvings of Hindu gods.21Blue Mountain RailwayTake a journey over the hills on a steam train.MaduraiFollow the ceremonies in Sri Meenakshi temple, a citywithin a city, filled withhundreds of pilgrims and thescent of incense.ChettinadStay in a village of 19th centurymerchants' homes.PondicherryEnjoy a piece of France in Indiain this atmospheric formercolonial enclave.3645MahabalipuramSoak up the atmosphere andviews of the Shore Temple at sunset.Andaman IslandsSnorkel and dive amidst someof the best marine life off thecoast of India.78Tamil Nadu & Karnataka5112345678Fisherman in a coracleFlowers for sale, BangaloreChildren, ChettinadBlue Mountain Railway, Nilgiri