It’s the time of year when almost everyone pencils in holiday plans. There will be toss-ups between distant destinations. And also between the not-so-distant ones.
And then, there will be quick back-of-the-envelope plans by rare tourists who look for destinations within their own habitat. A resident of Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR ), also known as IT Corridor, I have had little difficulty finding such places in my neck of the woods. The Corridor’s proximity to East Coast Road (ECR) has been an advantage to me.
Though a weekend stomping ground for residents of Chennai, ECR remains largely unexplored, especially its “landward side”, sandwiched between ECR and OMR. This section derives its charm from the presence of a salt lake, running parallel to both the arterial roads. I made this discovery about ECR while searching for less-trodden places for a column called Hidden Trails in The Hindu Downtown.
Here is a short-list of three spots on the landward side of ECR that can be combined with an evening drive to a restaurant there.
Nemmeli-Thiruporur bridge
At the crepuscular hour, with a crimson sun forming the backdrop, this over-bridge seems made just for Instagram. People park their vehicles on a twisted road leading to the overbridge and let the breeze sweep over them. This overbridge is built over a key section of the salt lake, where salterns were set up decades ago.
Therkupattu
At dusk, on the landward side of Therkupattu, there are agricultural fields that quiver with the calls of birds. The greatest charm of Therkupattu is however visual: on its western side runs the salt lake where flocks of flamingos forage for brine shrimps.
Elanthoppu
Just before Tiger’s Cave, on the way to Mahabalipuram, there is this village with a name that conjures up the picture of a coconut grove. It is said all the 60 households in the village grow coconut trees in their land. If you fancy social anthropology, this village may be worth a visit.
