Treasures of Tamil Nadu 5D/4N

• Gandhi Memorial, Fort St. George, Kapaleshwar Temple, Parthasarthy Temple, Mylapore Temple Old Light house and Marina Beach in Chennai
• Kailash Nath Temple, Ekambareshwaram Temple and Sri Kamakshi Temple in Kanchipuram
• Arjuna's Penance, Krishna Mandap, The Rathas and Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram
• Aurobindo Ashram, International City of Auroville,Vedapureswarar Temple & Manakula Vinayagar Temple and Town Hall in Pondicherry

Chennai International Airport is 07 kilometres away from the Chennai city. This is the 3rd busiest airport in India. Frequent domestic as well as international flights arrive here.

Chennai Central and Chennai Egmore are the main railway stations in the city receiving regular trains from various major cities of India

The city is well connected with other cities in India with a decent road network. Various national highways from Chennai connect with Bengaluru (330km), Trichy (326km), Puducherry (162km) and Tiruvallur (47km). One can use car rental services or state transport buses to solve the purpose of how to reach Chennai.

• Cancellation Received on or before 30 days, a 10% processing fee of the total package cost will be charged.
• Cancellation before 10 days including the 10th Day - 50% of Refund.
• Cancellation less than 10 days of arrival OR no show - No Refund.

• GST @ 5% will be applicable on the total bill.
• Prices quoted are in Indian Rupees (INR) unless otherwise stated.
• Check Ins at all hotels are – between 12noon & 2Pm & Check Out time is – between 10am & 12noon
• As per Govt norm you are required to present your photo ID Proof such as Aadhar Card, Passport, Voter ID or Driving License at the time of Check in at the hotel. Pan Card is not accepted as proof of Identity in Hotels. Children must also carry an Identity card for Check Ins formality.
• Our offer is based on usage of base category rooms at the mentioned hotels (unless specified otherwise) and if this category of rooms is not available we shall try to confirm accommodation in next available higher category of rooms and shall advise supplementary cost involved while conveying the status.
• Vehicle and Transportation will be as per itinerary only and not at disposal.
• Refund on cancellation depends upon adherence to the given cancellation policy & terms.
• Supplementary charges will apply for booking falling during Long weekends, Public Holidays and Festival time such as Diwali, Christmas & New Year period.
• The Seller Reserves the right to change/modify or terminate the offer any time at its own discretion and without any prior notice.

Imp Note

Holidaymine and its suppliers will assist you to the best of their ability with any Query, clarification, changes or customizations – prior to conforming the booking. Your confirmation of this package and included hotels indicate that you have read and understood the following

• Itinerary and holiday plan
• Holiday Inclusions & Exclusions
• Cancellation policy and Terms & Conditions
• Agree to the hotels offered and accepted their service quality. • In event of any changes done in Hotels or Room Categories or any Deviation is taken from the confirmed itinerary‚ By the Clients‛; Any expenses incurred from such changes will have to be paid in full by clients directly to local operators / Hotels / activity providers.

Limitations and Liability-

• We keep the guest comfort as our prime priority and work in all possible manner and resources towards that, there are at times things beyond our control; hence
• Holidaymine & Its representatives shall not be responsible for any change in the itinerary due to landslides, flight cancellations, weather conditions or any unforeseen circumstances. The additional cost incurred will have to be paid in full by clients directly & will be in addition to the confirmed package cost.
• Any additional charges arising due to Local strike, Medical Emergency or Govt regulation will be billed additionally and will have to be paid in full by clients directly.
• If there are any Hike in entrance fees of monuments / museums, Taxes, fuel cost or guide charges – by Govt of India, the same would be charged as extra.

Chennai - Chennai , formerly known as Madras is a 369-year-old city and the capital of the Southern State of Tamilnadu. It serves as one of the main gateways to South India and has a thriving local culture and art scene and is one of the major destinations for medical tourism. It is considered as one of the world's fastest growing cities.

Kanchipuram - Kanchipuram is a Spectacular Temple city known as city of thousand temples which reflects the Glorious Traditions of South India with its noted temples. Today, apart from its temples, this small town is also known for its thriving handloom industry. Kanchipuram town is also known as Silk City since the main profession of the people is weaving silk sarees.

Mahabalipuram - Mahabalipuram, also known as Mamallapuram is a town in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. It has a group of sanctuaries, which was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and 8th centuries : rathas (temples in the form of chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the famous 'Descent of the Ganges', and the Shore Temple, with thousands of sculptures to the glory of Shiva. The group of monuments at Mahabalipuram has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pondicherry - Away from the hustle and bustle of big cities, Puducherry is a quiet little town on the southern coast of India. The unmistakable French connection, the tree lined boulevards, the quaint colonial heritage buildings, the spiritual sceneries, the endless stretches of unspoilt virgin beaches and backwaters and a surprising choice of restaurants serving a melange of cuisines provide a heady mix of experience that draws travellers from near and far to the city. It is the perfect place to come if you want to take the pace of life down a few notches.

Shopping in Tamil Nadu can be quite fruitful with so much to shop in almost every big town and city. The important shopping hubs in Tamil Nadu are as follows:** **

Chennai - The capital city of Chennai, which lies in the coastal region, has stalls lined on the footpaths around Parry's Corner. The market is also known to people as the Burma Bazaar; it is filled with items such as inexpensive electronic devices, watches and clothing. There are several hyper markets and malls as well. Visitors who wish to buy souvenirs can do so in the popular emporiums. Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan, Purbashree Emporium, Poompuhar Tamil Nadu Government Emporium and Central Cottage Industries Emporium are some of the popular emporiums. Nalli, one of the renowned sari brand stores with floors of ethnic and traditional garments has different branches spread across the city.

Madurai - When in Madurai, visitors can buy cotton fabrics with Batik work and Sungundi Saris, which are available in stores near the Meenakshi Temple. In Chidambaram, around the temple area there is the Khadi Craft Store that has a lot of curios for you to take home!

Mahabalipuram - Mahabalipuram is shopper's paradise for buying wonderful images of Hindu deities carved on soft stone or wood and decorative shells items. A few Kashmiri shops sell Hammocks and other handicraft items.

Kanchipuram - In Kanchipuram you can shop for some of the finest silk in the country. Weaving in Kanchipuram goes back almost 400 years. The silk in Kanchipuram is woven from silk worms bred purely on mulberry. Gandhi Road is a good place to pick up silk sarees. Nadu Street and TN Nambi Street also have some good shops that sell silk sarees. Other things of interest to shop in Kanchipuram include idols of gods and goddesses, jewellery boxes and other artifacts.

**Kanyakumari **- Shopping in Kanyakumari can be a great experience, as there are handicraft products, sea-shell items, decorative pieces and dress materials that make for some great souvenirs to take back home. You may also like to buy beautiful palm leaf paintings or you may buy dress materials and traditional saris from the local shops. Visit the emporiums such as, The Tamil Nadu Co-optex Sales Emporium, Tamil Nadu Crafts and Poompuhar where you can buy various handicraft items and other materials.

Ooty - Shopping in Ooty can be fun and exciting. The hill station is well-known for its aromatic tea leaves, honey, natural oil and fruits. Some of the interesting items that you may buy from Ooty includes embroidered Toda shawls, Toda silver jewellery and other locally made handicraft items that make for some great souvenirs to take back home. The main shopping areas of Ooty include The Municipal Market, Co-operative Super Market, Upper and Lower Bazaar Roads. Main bazaar is the primary shopping location from where you may buy different varieties of tea.

Pondicherry - Shopping in Pondichery can be an experience in itself. You can buy the most exquisite gift items ranging from Southern silks and fabrics to hand-made clay and metal pendants to leather key rings and a whole range of incense sticks and aroma candles. While the gift shops and the ashram stores feature great home decor items and junk jewellery, the Auroville shops and boutiques are complete with artistic and intricate work handicrafts made by the people who live and work in the Aurobindo Ashram. The main Puducherry beach is a host to big and small stores for buying curios and other gift items.

Money- The currency of India is Indian Rupees (INR). The currency exchange departments are present in almost every Indian city. You can also exchange your currency in 5 star and 4 star hotels, no other currency is valid except for Indian currency (INR).

Best time to Visit- The weather in Tamil Nadu is pleasant between the months July-September and January-March.

Travel Kit- Comfortable loose clothing and light cotton clothes are ideal for the climate of Tamil Nadu

Language- Tamil is the official language of Tamil Nadu state. Tamil is spoken by most of the people while around ten percent of the people residing in Tamil Nadu speak Telugu. Other languages popular in the state are Kannada, Urdu and Malayalam (though they are spoken by much smaller percentage).

Drugs- Heavy penalties including imprisonment for possession of narcotic drugs.

Temple Codes- It is advisable to dress conservatively in temples.

Smoking- Smoking is banned in public places.

Festivals and Fairs- January and February are packed with cultural festivals in Tamil Nadu. Some of the popular festivals are as follows:
• The temple town of Chidambaram hosts the annual Natyanjali Dance Festival in February.
• The Mammalapuram Dance festival extends over a month from mid-January to mid-February. Besides these, both Trichy and Kanchipuram come alive with enthusiasm during their Car processions. Bedecked chariots carrying revered idols tour the city to the accompaniment of much fanfare.
• Madurai hosts the annual Float Festival in January. The Shiva Meenakshi idols are taken out of the temples and float in the Mariamman Teppakulum tank on decorated rafts for several days.
• Mid January is also the time of harvest and its celebration with the festival of Pongal.