Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
stand. It's a bit worn but comfortable enough, and a welcome respite from the frenzy of
the town centre. Breakfast is a good buffet, there's free wi-fi in the lobby, and the hotel
has three restaurants - two vegetarian places plus the good multicuisine, AC
Anupallavi
(mains ?145-280;
7-10am, noon-3pm, 6-10.30pm)
.
Hotel Akshaya
( 220192;
www.hotel-akshaya.com
;
17-18 East Car St; r incl breakfast ?1090, with AC ?2050-2400; )
Close
to the temple, this hotel has a wide range of rooms in various states of preservation. Some
non-AC rooms are in better condition than some AC ones. The
Annapoorani Restaurant
(mains
?65-90; 7-10am, 11am-3pm, 6-9.30pm)
here does an excellent ?75 South Indian lunch and other
good vegetarian fare. Next door,
Dravidian Handicrafts
(
www.dravidiansculptures.com
; 9 East Sannathi)
sells quality reproduction bronzes.
HOTEL
$$
Information
ICICI Bank ATM
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
(Hotel Saradharam, VGP St)
Getting There & Away
Buses head to Chennai (?140, six hours) every half-hour, most going via Puducherry (?42,
2½ hours). Other destinations include Kumbakonam (?48, 2½ hours, every 20 minutes),
Thanjavur (?90, four hours, every 30 minutes) and Tranquebar (Tharangambadi; ?23, two
hours, hourly). Universal Travels, opposite the bus stand, has three daily comfortable
Volvo AC departures to Chennai (?450).
Three or more daily trains head to Trichy (2nd-class/3AC/2AC ?61/277/610, 3½ hours)
via Kumbakonam and Thanjavur, and five to Chennai (?78/362/610, 5½ hours).
TOP OF CHAPTER
Kumbakonam
0435 / POP 140,113
At first glance Kumbakonam is another Indian junction town, but then you notice the
dozens of colourful
gopurams
pointing skyward from Kumbakonam's 18 temples, a re-
minder that this was once a seat of medieval South Indian power. With two World Herit-
age-listed Chola temples nearby, it's worth staying at least one night.
