India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (188 page)

Chettinad Region

We love the peace and tranquility of Kanadukathan
, and with CGH Earth bringing some slick hotel-style standards to this hitherto rough tourism gem it’s even more worth a detour—even if only for lunch. The Visalam’s (see below)
Chettinad Kitchen
is where lunch is prepared in an open kitchen under the auspices of one of the village dowagers—served on a banana leaf it is always utterly delicious, as are the Indian breakfasts. A less atmospheric venue, but enjoying a legendary reputation for Chettiar cuisine is
The Bangala
in nearby Karaikudi, the bustling center of the entire Chettiar region. If you want to ship home some large antique pieces such as Chettiar pillars and door frames, Karaikudi is the place to forage.
The Bangala
is an extremely friendly and efficiently run guesthouse (hands-on owner Mrs. Meenakshi Meyyappan is a real character; her staff clearly in awe of her) and currently being extended into a 25-room joint, with a new pool being excavated. Accommodations are nowhere near as delightful as that at Visalam (room nos. 3 and no 4 are best; avoid rooms 9 to 12) or authentic as Chettinadu Mansion. If you wish to lunch here as a nonovernight guest (worth it if you have time), contact Mrs. Meyyappan at least a day before (
04565/220-221;
www.thebangala.com
).

Anandham Swamimalai, Kumbakonam
Even though it’s not exactly typical of Chettiar in any way, or conveniently located (Thanjavur lies southwest an hour away; Trichy yet another hour farther west), this award-winning eco-heritage resort-retreat, located near the village of Swamimalai—the center for the state’s bronze casting—is ideal should you wish to procure or meet the artisans who produce the bronzework Tamil Nadu is famous for. Designed to mimic a typical Indian village, the resort sprawls over 2.4 hectares (6 acres) adjoining the Cauvery River and has tried to create a “nonhotel” atmosphere (deer wandering around; a pool designed like a well; serene, unmanicured gardens) which it pretty much achieves. So-called “deluxe” rooms are pretty spartan, and furnished with a mix of reproduction or authentic Chettinad antiques. The old block has the more atmospheric rooms, while the new block rooms are bigger (if you can, book no. 125, off a delightful courtyard). Vegetarian cuisine is good if overpriced by Indian standards.

Tip:
If you plan to include Mysore in your South India itinerary, you could head over from here, scaling the Eastern Ghats to overnight at sister property: the atmospheric
Lake Forest Hotel,
located on Yercaud Lake, a hill station near Salem, before continuing on to Mysore.

6/30B Timmakudi Agiraharam, Baburajapuram PO, Swamimalai (4km/2 1⁄2 miles from Kumbakonam) 612 302.
04352/480-044.
www.indecohotels.com
. 27 units. Rs 4,800 deluxe double; Rs 6,700—Rs 7,530 suite double. Excludes taxes. MC, V.
Amenities:
Restaurant; Ayurvedic center; pool; pottery; yoga. In room: A/C, TV, minibar (soft drinks only).

Chettinadu Mansion
This is the closest you get in southern India to experiencing a night in a Rajasthani heritage hotel, with a semiaristocratic (in nature if not title) host at the helm, and a palace as neighbor. This is the family home of larger-than-life Mr. Chandramouli (cousin of Raja Sir Annamalai Chettiar, owner of the neighboring Palace) and with luck he’ll be holding court on the deep
thinnai
beside the arched entrance. The house is a classic Chettinad beauty: black-and-white marble tiles and massive granite pillars from Italy, brilliant blue cast-iron pillars imported from Birmingham, and so on. Upstairs you’ll find the most delightful rooms (insist on one of these seven rooms), each painted with
trompe l’oeil
Art Nouveau–style tile patterns and furnished with antique beds and reproduction fittings and furnishings. Bathroom fittings are cheap and showing their age. There’s an outdoor terrace from which to enjoy the rooftops of the heritage village as the sun starts to dip, as you sip the best
chai
in Tamil Nadu.

SARM House, behind Raja’s Palace, Kanadukathan, Sivaganga Dist, Tamil Nadu 630 103.
04565/273-080.
www.chettinadumansion.com
. [email protected]. 11 units. Rs 4,400—Rs 5,500 double. Meals Rs 600. MC, V.
Amenities:
Dining hall; room service; station transfers.

Visalam
We wouldn’t dream of coming to Tamil Nadu without spending at least one night in this beautifully restored Art Deco home, built by one of the wealthy Chettiars for his eldest daughter Visalakshi. Now owned by Visalakshi’s granddaughter, it was restored and skillfully renovated in 2007 by the excellent Kerala-based company CGH Earth. Bedrooms are gorgeous and huge (ask for the room on the top floor) and service is sterling: staff (sourced from the village) are genuinely warm and thoughtful, while CGH manager Johny runs what is the best boutique hotel in the Chola heartland with military precision. The large walled pool garden and generally immaculately maintained grounds are a further boon. Johny will plan plenty of activities to fill your days; we opt to do nothing but relax and wander around the village, and it remains the highlight of every Tamil trip.

Kanadukathan, Sivaganga Dist, Tamil Nadu 630 103.
04565/273301.
www.cghearth.com
. [email protected]. 15 units. Rs 5,625 double, breakfast included. (Rs 9,005 double, full board.) Extra person Rs 2,000. MC, V.
Amenities:
2 restaurants; room service; station transfers.