4 days, 3 nights
Chettinad and Madurai
Merchant mansions, handmade tiles, and the Meenakshi temple.
All journeys
The Chettiar merchant families made their fortunes in trade and banking across South-East Asia and brought them home to their villages in Chettinad.
The mansions they built there, around courtyards and filled with teak, marble and mirrors brought from overseas, are unlike anything else in India, and many now stand half empty. Madurai and the Meenakshi temple, busy every day of the year, are a short drive away.
- How long
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Where
- Tamil Nadu
- Kind of journey
- A short escape
The route
5 stops
- Madurai
- Meenakshi temple
- Karaikudi
- Kanadukathan
- Athangudi
Highlights
Along the way
- 01The Meenakshi temple and its painted gopurams
- 02The Chettiar mansions at Kanadukathan, seen from the inside
- 03Athangudi tiles, still made by hand one at a time
- 04Chettinad cooking, a cuisine of its own
- 05The antique shops of Karaikudi
- 06A night in one of the mansions
Day by day
The plan
- Day 1Arrive in Madurai, with the Meenakshi temple in the evening, when the city fills it.
- Day 2The temple again at first light, then east to Chettinad for a night in a mansion.
- Day 3Kanadukathan and its houses, the tile works at Athangudi in the afternoon, and the antique shops of Karaikudi.
- Day 4A last village or two, then back to Madurai or on to Thanjavur.
Tell us about your journey
Since 1997
Our team has been in tourism since 1997. Scenic Escapes India Private Limited is a private company registered in Kerala and based in Karunagappally, Kollam. Its registration details are published for anyone to check.
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