Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WORTH A TRIP
DHANUSHKODI
The promontory stretching 22km southeast from Rameswaram narrows to a thin strip of sand dunes about
halfway along, and near the end stands the ghost town of Dhanushkodi. Once a thriving port, Dhanushkodi was
washed away by the tidal waves of a monster cyclone in 1964. The shells of its train station, church, post office
and other ruins still stand among a scattering of fishers' shacks, and Adam's Bridge (or Rama's Bridge), the chain
of reefs, sandbanks and islets that almost connects India with Sri Lanka, stretches away to the east.
Autorickshaws charge about ?400 round trip (including waiting time) to Moonram Chattram, a collection of
fishers' huts about 14km from town. From there to Dhanushkodi it's a hot 4km walk along the beautiful sands, or
a ?100 two-hour round trip in a truck or minibus which will go when it fills up with 12 to 20 customers. It's
tempting to swim, but beware of strong rips.
Sleeping & Eating
Many hotels are geared towards pilgrims, and some cheapies (which are mostly pretty
dire) refuse to take in single travellers, but there's a string of reasonable midrange hotels.
Book ahead before festivals. Budget travellers can try heading to the
rooms booking office
(East
Car St; 24hr)
, which can score doubles for as low as ?500 a night.
A number of inexpensive vegetarian restaurants such as
Vasantha Bhavan
(East Car St; dishes
?28-50; 6am-10.30pm)
and
Ananda Bhavan
(West Car St)
serve vegetarian thali lunches for
around ?40, and evening dosai and
uttapams
for around ?30. You might find fish in some
restaurants, but other flesh is hard to come by.
Hotel Venkatesh
( 221296; SV Koil St; r ?420-550, with AC ?770; )
The lemon-walled rooms here are reasonably
clean and not bad value for the price, and it accepts single travellers. It's on the westward
continuation of South Car St.
HOTEL
$
Hotel Royal Park
( 221680;
www.hotelroyalpark.in
;
Ramnad Hwy; s ?1919-2638, d ?2398-3358; )
Away from the
temple action, this place on the main road 400m west of the bus stand is one of the most
peaceful in town. Rooms are good and clean with some nice artwork, and the AC veg res-
taurant is good value (mainly South Indian, but the cheese and tomato toastie is perfect
too).
HOTEL
$$
Hotel Sri Saravana
HOTEL
$$
