1500 km road trip with my Skoda Rapid: Along India's Southern Coastline

Drove from Coimbatore to Ernakulam & spontaneously decided to extend the trip to Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram.

BHPian GeneralJazz recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Prologue

Picture this: The setting sun painting the sky with a fiery palette as it goes down in a blaze of glory into the Arabian Sea. Then, the next day, imagine the golden morning sun punching through the inky darkness of the night sky as it emerges out of the Bay of Bengal. Once again imagine, standing at the very edge of the sub-continent and watching the sun perform its double act, with your feet in the only sands in the country blessed to witness both. That, my friends, is the TLDR version of our 1500 km journey along India's southern coastline. That, and ludicrous amounts of some of the best seafood we've ever had!

I'd like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to darklord, --gKrish--, and Moderator Jaggu for their invaluable insights. A big shoutout to our travel guru, malllumowgli, who always knows the best spots to crash and the hidden gems to explore, making our journey that much smoother. Special mention to our dear friend Neethu, who identifies either as a proud Parassala resident or a devoted Kochikaari, depending on the day's vibe. Last but not least DicKy, the relentless advocate for vegetarian grub, who, despite my loud protests, insisted on stuffing my itinerary with veggie options! Dear DicKy, let me repay the favour. If you ever find yourself in the northern part of our state, looking for vegetarian options, please don't bother ringing me up because, well, there aren't any! And yes, parotta and fish curry is a perfectly acceptable breakfast combo here in the north!

Route Map

Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram had been on our travel bucket list for quite a while, but the plans never materialized. In fact, they were a last-minute addition to our existing itinerary. Initially, we were supposed to travel to Changanassery for some personal matters and had even booked train tickets. However, the plans changed suddenly, and we had to make our way to Attingal, Trivandrum instead. Consequently, we opted to drive our Rapid all the way from Coimbatore, with a stop in Ernakulam. The following days coincided with the Puja holidays. While organizing our return journey to Coimbatore, we spontaneously decided to extend the trip by a few more days, covering both these places. Thus, within the span of an hour, Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram transformed from languishing in limbo on our bucket list to becoming our next travel destination!

Assisted by fellow BHPians, we quickly crafted an itinerary and managed to get hotel reservations.

Locations

The entire trip came about because we had to travel to Trivandrum for some personal errands, making it the focal point of our journey. Due to our limited time, we explored a few popular places in the district including the following:

• Perumathura Beach
• Mangrove Village
• Jatayu Earth Center
• Varkala Cliff
• Ponmudi Hills
• Padmanabhapuram Palace

In Kanyakumari, we visited the following places:

• Gandhi Mandapam
• Other viewpoints along the beach road
• Sunrise point
• Vivekananda Rock Memorial
• Vattakottai Fort

In Rameshwaram, we visited the following places:

• House of Kalam
• Arichal Munai / Dhanushkodi

Ride

Our Rapid remained our faithful steed, accompanying us on this journey. Her heavy clutch did pose some challenges along the narrow, congested 'highways' of Kerala, but once in Tamil Nadu, she relished munching miles along the brilliant TN highways.

Food

Of course, the central theme of all our trips has been and always will be food. Throughout our journey, we indulged in a wide variety of cuisines, ranging from local seafood to Arabian, European, and even American. Whether dining in a fancy hotel or at a roadside stall with questionable hygiene, from beach sunset dinners to beach sunrise breakfasts, our adventure was as much about sightseeing as it was about savouring delicious dishes!

Continue reading about BHPian GeneralJazz's road trip for more insights and information.