A Chettinad Sojourn with a 6 month old!!

Hey all!! Back with yet another travel blog about one of the most unforgettable trips of my life!! is it because of the destination or what I experienced there? well that was amazing too but no this trip was unforgettable because of my new travel companion all of 6 months and ready to join me in every future trip of mine.

The last proper vacation I had taken was back in Jan 2020 before the entire world reeled under the pandemic and shut down. While all of us were stuck indoors for the entire first half of 2020 after that and I did not venture out even in the second half as I was pregnant, I had planned to head out on a road trip somewhere from Chennai for my first birthday after the baby in October 2021. A month before my birthday my husband comes home and says he may have to head out to Seychelles on an official trip anytime the following week and the return tickets are not booked!! The PPD me with my hormones were super upset and so we decided to plan an impromptu road trip to some place where we could have a good staycation.

Now traveling among Indians traditionally has always been about visiting the maximum number of places at as little time as possible and a laid back staycation was never really popular before the pandemic. The pandemic redefined travel and I saw these two accommodations being recommended by a lot of people all over the social media and they also had pretty high ratings in trip advisors and other websites. And so we decided to head on a road trip to the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu. Come join us on this interesting journey from Chennai - Kumbakonam (Mantra Koodam resort) - Chidambara villas in Kadiyapatti Chettinad.

This is a complete staycation blog as not all the places to see were open for the public then. This part of Tamil Nadu is mostly known for its temples and back then when everyone were very slowly opening up post the pandemic the temples of Tamil Nadu were mostly closed during the weekends as so we could not really visit much.

Our first stop was at the Mantra Koodam resort in Kumbakonam which is a stunning property owned by CGH earth. The quaint and beautiful resort is so secretly tucked away in the Veppathur village and is nestled between the mighty Cauvery river on the one side and its tributary veerachoza Aaru on the other. The per night prices for this resort start from Rs.7000 what we realized after our stay for one night there is that its absolutely worth every penny.

The resort is inspired by traditional Agraharams that exists in small towns and villages and contain mainly two types of rooms Agraharam style cottages and Pannaiyar houses. The peaceful and tranquil atmosphere here simply transports you back in time and probably even to an alternative universe where you are woken up to not cars and busses honking or vendors calling out but birds chirping and peacocks and pea hens calling out to each other. You might probably feel that you are now on the sets of an old tamil movie based out of a village.

The dining experience here makes you feel nothing less than royalty. The restaurant here presents authentic south Indian Tamil Nadu cuisine food at its best with amazing choices for vegetarians as well as non vegetarians. If you have a great appetite don't forget to check out their Maharaja Thali which is a delectable and colorful 17 dishes in one thali!! And the Kumbakonam degree coffee served in traditional brass Dabara tumblers are not to be missed at all. Like us if you are looking for a quite getaway with a whole new experience and all the amenities at the same time just 250 kms from the city of Chennai, you should definitely add this to your list.

While we did not get to see much back then, Kumbakonam is a beautiful spiritual and historical place that's not to be missed and staying in this resort while you also check out some ancient and unbelievable temples around the area is also a great idea. While some temples feed your spiritual soul others make you feel proud of the skills of our ancestors!! The kumbeshwara temple, Sarangapani temple, etc are a few of the must visit temples in Kumbakonam while the big temple of Tanjore and Gangai konda chola puram are a few of the temple which can be easily covered on a day trip.

So the second day we check out of this resort with a heavy heart but equally excited to visit and stay in the 110 years old Chettinad house in Kadiyapatti region of Chettinad in Tamil Nadu. This old and authentic Chettinad villa literally takes you back a century with all the comforts of today. There are some carefully curated packages which you can take to experience the best of this region. Do not miss the tour of the villa given by the hotel staff in which they talk about some really interesting and juicy facts about the villa and the family that owns it. Seeing and experiencing the villa to ourself its absolutely unbelievable when you realize the engineering marvel that your home for the next few days is.

I am sure you would have seen this house in a number of movies including the very famous Vikram where this house served as the residence of Sandhanam (Vijay Sethupathi) entire family. Another thing I would urge you to take is a heritage village walk which gives you a picture of the king size life that the people of this village have always been living. If you are into cooking the Villa also organizes a cookery class for one hour everyday where they teach you to cook something in authentic Chettinad cuisine and this makes your vacation a truly experiential one. This is what travel is, all about learning new things and experiencing something unheard of or something you have never been through earlier.

There are also so many places to see in this part of Tamil Nadu, do not miss the antique market in Karaikudi which is sure to pique your interest and you can shop for some amazing souvenirs and gifts for your loved ones back home. Check out the Vishnu temple and the Thirumaiyam fort nearby which is declared a UNESCO world heritage site built way back in the 17th Century AD. While only a fraction of the original fort still stands, its still formidable to say the least.

The Chettinad region is also very well known for its food and the making of Athangudi tiles which has a very vintage vibe and feel to it. Honestly if you are building yourself a house and are looking for tiles or other articles to do up your house with then this is the place to go. On the whole this trip would give you a feeling that you have traveled back in time and the fact that such places and things exist would amaze you for sure.

We spend three days in this hotel and experienced every bit of their hospitality possible. What is amazing is the quality of the stay and the amazing hospitality that you get for the cost you spend which is again just between 7 to 8K per night.

on our way back to Chennai on a Monday morning we decided to check out the Big temple or the Brihadeeshwarar temple of Tanjore. A temple which is more than a 1000 years old and constructed by Raja Raja Chola 1 or Ponniyin Selvan!! This temple is a must visit if you are ever visiting Tamil Nadu. Located in the center of the Tanjore city this temple leaves you astounded at the sheer craftsmanship of the architects of the temple. Certain parts of the temple are impossible to make even with all the technology and infrastructure of today and how on earth did they make it happen a 1000 years ago. There are many facts about this temple that need to be shared and it really warrants a separate blog. So I am ending this blog here without making it more long or boring!!

Get in touch to plan your getaways to these destinations filled with much more activities now!!