By The first thing that comes to mind while talking about a good tourist spot is the beaches. South India’s thousands of kilometer long territory borders with sea water certainly fulfill this desires of visiting beaches of the tourists. This geographical setup offers an extensive range of the beautiful beaches which can be found in most of the South Indian states.
Beaches
The Kovalam beach in Kerala state is India’s only international beach. Then there is a 300-km long Coastal Karnataka which includes the unique St. Mary Island. Moreover, there are several exotic beaches in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Goa.
Landscapes
After enjoying a sunbath at the beaches, we can move to enthralling landscapes and hill stations. Refresh your mind in the lush green Aruka valley, hills of Horsleykonda and tea plantations in Kerala. If that isn’t enough, there are also captivating waterfalls like the Meenmutty Falls and the Athirapilly Falls in Kerala or the Hogenakkal Falls in Tamil Nadu.
Natural Caves
Why not make a stop and explore the natural caves formed as a result of South Indian hilly landscape. Feel the spiritual and artistic touch while going through the temple complex of Badami and the Belum and the Borra Caves in Andhra Pradesh.
Safari
Okay, now it’s time for a wild safari. South India is home to a large number of endangered animal species and exotic birds. Feel the nature with Indian tigers, elephants, leopards and flying squirrels in Tamil Nadu or visit Guindy National Park to closely observe blackbucks and spotted dears. Or if you are in Karnataka, you can go to Bandipur National Park to watch Indian pythons, antelopes, and sloth bears.
Heritage Sites
There is a long list of heritage sites for you to explore. The Great Living Chola Temples, the Temples of Thanjavur, the village of Hampi and the village of Pattadakal are some of the prominent heritage sites worth visiting. Other than that, make sure to come across the City of Mysore known as the City of Palaces and the Bangalore Palace, The Jaganmohan Palace and the Nalknad Palace.
Traditions
If that is not enough, blend yourself in the rich culture and tradition of South India. Walk the streets of the Union Territory of Puducherry to learn about French India. There is so much more that reflects the beauty of South India. I hope the article was helpful to let you know about the best tourist places in south India.
Food is one of the most delightful treats and everyone loves to taste something new every now and then. The best time to enjoy foods is experienced during the vacations in some a place, of course, other than your own city or country. Here I will talk about the South India were you will taste the exotic foods and will come back with their deliciousness still in the mouth. All the tourist places in South India offer their own specialized exotic cuisine to tantalize your taste buds.
If there is anything that characterizes the cuisine of southern India, it is rice, the main ingredient in breakfast, lunch, tea time and dinner, but never in the same form, and while the names of the dishes can be the same, each state offers a distinctive flavor.
Kerala’s cuisine is famous for its seafood and a range of delicately flavored dishes with coconut. Try the ‘appam’, for example. It is a pan cake, rice and coconut wine fermented and then baked in a clay pot, or take a bite of freshly caught shrimp in Cochin, flavored with exotic spices such as turmeric, coriander, black pepper, all ground and mixed laboriously. And there is the rice Limin a meal in its own right. White rice can also be a pleasure, because the southerners add a few drops of ghee. It is eaten with ‘sambar’ and ‘rasam’ in Tamil Nadu.
And wherever you are, whether a palace in Karnataka or in Kerala, food is served on a banana leaf. Once finished, you just fold it up and throw it away. For dessert, there is ‘payasam’, a sweet dish made of milk and cereals. You can finish it with cold milk or tender coconut; if you are in Tarmil Nadu, savor the aroma of ground coffee by hand.
Andhra Pradesh, the most northerly southern state shows its northern influence in the kitchen in form of the dishes known as ‘kababs’, ‘pulao’ and ‘Biryani’. You should also they ‘Haleem’, a preparation of crushed wheat cooked with tender pieces of meat and garnished with crispy fried onion rings. You should also consider taking a bite of ‘Nahari’ which is stewed consisting of preferably meat of lamb and spices overnight on a slow charcoal fire and tasted with hot rolls called ‘kulchas’.
Wherever you are in the south, you always find the succulent tropical fruits to top the meals such as grapes, guava, jackfruit, mangos at least a dozen of varieties. Southern India certainly knows the way to a man’s heart.
