TN on NYT’s list of places to visit

From pristine beauty of Western Ghats to Kumbakonam degree coffee, State has enough to offer

Ranked No. 24, the entry for Tamil Nadu says the State has undiscovered history and the most aromatic and spiciest cuisine.

If you’re planning to travel this year, there may be no better place than our very own Tamil Nadu. The State is the only Indian destination to have made it to the New York Time’s list of 52 places to go in 2016.

At no. 24 on the list, the entry for Tamil Nadu reads in parts: “…Tamil Nadu in the south has an equally rich and undiscovered history…temples aren’t the only cultural hit…it also boasts cuisine that is among the spiciest and most aromatic in the country.” The entry mentions new hotels in Chettinad, Madurai and Thanjavur.

For travel blogger Lakshmi Sharath, the State’s entry on the list is validating what she keeps saying and writing about: “Tamil Nadu is the original God’s own country. We have everything here — from the pristine beauty of the Western Ghats to beaches, Kumbakonam degree coffee and food. For instance, the Coromandel coast is one of the most interesting to explore – it is littered with old forgotten relics of the colonies. We have architecture from at least three major dynasties. And there is so much more. It just happens to be an unexplored destination,” she said.

Outside of Chennai there is great potential and lot of scope for tourism development said T. Nataraajan, secretary, South India Hotels and Restaurants Association. “The small towns are doing really well. They have the required capacity of rooms, they get both domestic and international travellers and people are exploring these areas for culture and heritage. Unfortunately, the government focus on these areas is not as much as it should be,” he said. Mr. Natarajan added that roads to other parts of the State have been damaged in the recent rains and repairing them would aid travellers.

Authentic food

When it comes to food, Tamil Nadu’s charm is its authenticity, said Doc Waz of popular food blog Chennai Foodie. “A lot of international foods have come in now, but we do not have too many modern twists to south Indian food, which makes it authentic. A lot of the chefs still use the old recipes and while the food may evolve in the future, at the moment, we are showing the world authentic tastes before modern interpretations,” he said.

Chennai too has featured on lists – it was on the New York Time’s 2014 list and on the Lonely Planet’s 10 best cities to visit in 2015.