Mamallpurum - anywhere but Chennai

Trip Start Oct 07, 2007

Trip End ??? ??, 2008

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Flag of India Mamallapuram, India
Thursday, December 20, 2007

On paper Mamallpuram looks like a top spot - it's located right on a beach and it's a World Heritage town to boot. The reality though is a little less impressive - firstly the beach is so filth people don't even attempt to sunbathe there not to mind swim, secondly, the town is over-run with below-par restaurants, touts and shopkeepers desperate to make a sale.

Mamallpuram is famous for it rock carvers and the rock carving which are scattered throught the town although most are located in a big park at the centre, which is actually surprisingly beautiful. It's gas to see the Indians attitude to their heritage though - we saw plenty of them scrambling all over the protected monuments just to get a good holiday snap! There are two monuments in the town you have to pay to see but you can get great views of both from the wire fences surrounding them, so we didn't bother forking out the cash!

Did splash some cash in the town itself and bought and embroidered cloth. The shopkeeper, having got the whiff of one sale, spent another ten minutes trying to sell Jonathan a right knuckle duster - think he misjudged his client somewhat because don't think Jonathan would have worn the ring if you paid him!

Anyway, finally made our way from Mamallpuram to our next stop Pondicherry. Bit of a feat - absolutely no buses were stopping in the town so eventually had to grab a taxi - tourist trap indeed!