|
South India Express continued...
Sunday 1 March
The day is free to explore Mysore. The star attraction is the City Maharaja’s Palace – probably the finest building in South India. We’ll organise a tour of this wonderful building, with its murals and breathtaking bronze tigers. There’s Chamundi Hill to climb, with its statue of Nandi the bull, five metres high. Photographers will love the fruit and veg market, large and incredibly colourful (always a big drain on the film stock!). There are museums, a zoo, Raj architecture, shopping. As it’s Sunday, the Palace is illuminated by 97,000 light bulbs from 7 p.m. – it’s well worth walking down to see these lights switch on – it’s magical!
Included breakfast, accommodation. Not included: other meals, local transport and admission fees
Monday 2 March
The morning is free to continue your exploration of Mysore – in addition to everything else, the government silk factory and showroom will be open. Late in the day we take the coach up to Mysore Station to settle down for the night on the Tuticorin Express …
Included: breakfast, rail & coach travel, dinner, accommodation. Not included: local transport, other admission fee, other meals.
Tuesday 3 March
… arriving at 0740 in Madurai where we’re taken to the Sangam Hotel to freshen up and have breakfast. Then it’s off to see Madurai’s main attraction - the superb Sri Meenakshi Temple, with parts dating back to the 8th century. Its 100 foot high gopurams (pyramidal gates) are covered in fine stucco deities, brightly painted, and inside is the hall of 1,000 pillars (well, it’s really only 985!). There are other temples, a palace, a thriving market and plenty of shopping in the city, too.
Included: breakfast, rail travel, temple tour, accommodation. Not included: other meals, admission fees
Wednesday 4 March
For those who wish we can arrange a short trip on one of the few remaining metre-gauge lines on the Bodinayakkanur branch. The train leaves at 0750 and you’ll be back in Madurai (by road) by 1000. We catch the train from Madurai at 11:05 to Chingleput arriving at 18:53 where we are met and driven to the Temple Bay Resort at Mamallapuram.
Included: breakfast, accommodation. Not included: other meals, local transport
Thursday 5 March
As you wake, you will appreciate the wonderful setting here – the hotel is right on the Bay of Bengal, and has all the facilities that you could wish for – good restaurants and a pool with poolside bar. And a long sandy beach. For those who enjoy a walk, the nearby village of Mamallapuram offers a variety of restaurants, unsurprisingly specialising in fresh seafood. There are also some spectacular rock carvings and shrines to see – it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Included: breakfast, accommodation. Not included: other meals, local transport, admission fees
Friday 6 March
We take the coach into Chennai (Madras) to see the Pantheon, with its famous collection of 700 South Indian bronzes, the railway museum, a short break at the Southern Railway offices to photograph their two plinthed steam locomotives, some shopping on Mount Road and a look at the beach. We get back to Mamallapuram for sunset. Of course, if you prefer, you can stay and relax at Mamallapuram all day!
Included: Breakfast, coach travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals, admission fees
Saturday 7 March
Another free morning in Mamallapuram to soak up the sun or wander round the village. For the railfans, it’s possible to grab a cab and take the 20 mile trip to Chingleput Junction to see the outer ends of the Madras suburbans, plus a busy main line of broad and metre gauge trains. We take the 17:45 flight to Bombay from Chennai, arriving at 19:30. Our coach takes us to our ‘downtown’ hotel, the West End, near Churchgate station. This hotel, built in 1948 (with some interesting seventies décor!), offers spacious rooms and is situated in the heart of Mumbai city.
Included: breakfast, coach transfers, flights, accommodation. Not included: other meals, sightseeing.
Sunday 8 March
In the morning we have a city tour of Bombay taking in many of the city’s sights. The afternoon is free to explore on your own. There’s so much to do in Bombay with railway interest, shopping in Colaba, architecture and museums, you certainly won’t get bored! For the adventurous, we will arrange a trip on a local bus for those who would like to see the DHR’s ‘C’ class pacific in the Nehru Science Centre.
Included: breakfast, rail travel, accommodation. Not included: other meals.
Monday 9 March
Our final day in Bombay. We take the Konya Express from Bombay’s famous Victoria Terminus (CST) station at 09:00 for the 90-minute journey to Neral, the foot of the line up to Bombay’s fascinating hill station of Matheran. We have a steam charter train running up to Matheran, where you have the chance to explore before we return to Neral. We return to Bombay by one of Bombay’s ubiquitous suburban electric multiple units – an experience in its own right! We have a farewell dinner at the hotel and in the late evening the coach takes us to the airport to check in at midnight for our flight…
Included: breakfast, accommodation. Not included: Other meals, local transport, admission fees
Tuesday 10 March
…at 02:20 to Heathrow arriving at 07:00.
Please note carriers, flight times and train times are indicative only and subject to change.
|
