As a Family we have traveled extensively through the length and breadth of this unique quarter of South India.

The repertoire of the South, historically and to this day, has been its Culture, Traditions and Temples. However, our travels through this region of the Subcontinent have revealed sights and experiences that involve so much more.

From the varied flora, fauna and birdlife of the Nilgiri Hills, to the breathtaking vistas of the Western Ghats dotted with thundering waterfalls and verdant forests; South India is renowned for its Wildlife conservation initiatives and Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are home to some of the most successful initiatives like the Project Tiger and the Project Elephant.

The Ancient State of Tamil Nadu has been the cradle of Dravidian culture dating back to 1200BC. The Dravidians, widely believed to have their origins from the Indus Valley Civilization, distinguished their early form of civilization through huge rock sculptures throughout the South of India.

However it was the dynasties of the Cholas, Pandyas and Cheras that ushered in the era of Tamil Literature, Culture and the great South Indian Tradition of Temple Architecture. These Kingdoms ruled Tamil Nadu from 300BC through the 15th century AD, beyond which their strength began to weaken. The history of the rule of Tamil Nadu was peppered from this point on by a series of rulers notably the Vijayanagars and their Nayak Kings, the Danish, the French; with almost total domination by the British from the late 17th century onwards.

Tamil Nadu as a result today, offers the Traveller a diverse experience with a fusion of history, architecture, culture and religion as it has been practiced for centuries in the past. With the temple architecture of the Pallavas at Mamallapuram, Kanchipuram and Madurai to the ingenuity of the Cholas at Thanjavur and Gangaicondacholapuram; the faded Colonial glory of the French at Pondicherry or the Danish at Tranquebar to the history of domination of the British at Madraspatnam or Chennai as it is known today, this State is a veritable treasure trove of learning, history, unique experiences and South Indian filter coffee.

The South Indian state of Karnataka on the other hand contrasts itself in more ways than one. The geography of the State could not find more diversity with a long coastal strip to the west, bordered with the confluence of the forested Western and Eastern Ghats at the Nilgiris to the drier, more semi-arid Deccan Plateau found more inland and to the north of the State.

Karnataka’s rule has historically been as diverse as its geography. The Hindu and Jain Hoysala Kings ruled the region from the turn of the millennium through to the 14th century by when the Vijayanagar Kings rose to power to defend the region against the invasion of the Bahamani Sultans. However the defeat to these Sultans led to the demise of this Empire and a new era of Islamic architecture, Urdu and Persian literature and lifestyles in the Northern Carnatic regions of Bijapur, Gulbarga and Bidar.

Their rule however came to an end with defeat from Mughals like Aurangzeb in the North only to be later replaced by the Wodeyars from the then State of Mysore. The era from the 15th century to the 20th century was tumultuous as power transferred from the Wodeyars to Hyder Ali and his famous son Tipu Sultan to the British and finally back to the Wodeyars who officially ruled the State till India attained her Independence in 1947.

Karnataka as a result today, offers the Traveller an indulgence into this mind boggling diversity of architectural wealth in the form of Temples, Forts, Palaces and Ruins, to its natural diversity in Wildlife and to its myriad traditions, religions and lifestyles that centuries of diverse Empires and Kingdoms have created within this unique State of South India.

Finally its also the people that make up a region and in a Country like India its hard to overlook that fact. People of the South have historically been associated with prosperity and progressiveness. A journey through South India allows a Traveller an opportunity to sample the myriad lifestyles of these people; which serves up a heady mix of traditional village living to 21st century infrastructure and development.