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Background
Madras, or Chennai as it is now known, was the first major trading settlement set up by the East India Company in India. Although it was pre-dated by the settlement in Surat on the west coast, it was in Madras that the British gained a real foothold in the sub-continent. It was where Robert Clive started his career with the Company, and it is right therefore that anyone interested in the history of the British in India should consider visiting Madras. This 3-day extension has been designed as an optional addition to the main Far Pavilions Tour, and dates have been set to ensure that the main tour can be joined in Delhi immediately following the visit to Madras.
Day 0 – Thu 6 Jan
We’ll meet at London Heathrow airport terminal 4 to check in for Jet Airways flight 9W117 departing 21.05 and arriving Mumbai…
Day 1 – Fri 7 Jan
…at 11.25 where we transfer to the domestic terminal for our Jet domestic flight to Chennai, arriving 17.05. We’ll be taken to our hotel and the evening is free to relax and discuss the adventure ahead.
Day 2 – Sat 8 Jan
This morning we take a tour around the Royal Enfield motorcycle factory where this classic British motorcycle, little changed since 1955, is still manufactured. After lunch in a nearby restaurant we’ll take an orientation tour of the city, including a visit to the Government Museum with its impressive collection of Chola bronzes, statues of the gods that came from some of the Hindu temples of Tamil Nadu.
Day 3 – Sun 9 Jan
Today we journey 30 miles south into the town of Mamallapuram on the Coromandel Coast to visit the 7th century Shore Temple and the amazing rock carvings. This will give you a chance to hone your haggling skills with the local vendors.
Day 4 – Mon 10 Jan
After checking out of our hotel we visit one of the first settlements of the British in India, Fort St George, established in the mid 17th century, where Robert Clive (Clive of India) started his career in the East India Company. It now houses a museum to 300 years of British Indian history and includes within its walls St Mary’s church, the first protestant church in South India. We’ll have a relaxed lunch before heading to the airport for our flight to Delhi, arriving early evening, from where we’ll be taken to our hotel for the first of two nights.
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