Travel Guide To Visit Mahabalipuram

Posted on August 25, 2020 by Ghoomophiro

Since ages, Mahabalipuram has served as the seaport of India. Apart from being important from a commerce point of view, the place is equally vital from the tourism viewpoint. The historical touch associated with the place along with a plethora of tourist activities to do there, just like anyone else, we (Ghoomophiro sisters) too got fascinated to plan a trip to Mahabalipuram and believe us when we say that the trip was one of the most amazing times of our lives. Having gained a lot of experience, we are nowhere to offer you splendid guidance to prepare your visit to Mahabalipuram so that you do not miss out on important things and most importantly so that you can plan excursions accordingly to the time available with you.

How to reach Mahabalipuram

Around 58 km from Chennai, Mahabalipuram is easy to access via road, rail, and air. Chengalpattu is the closest railway station and the Chennai railhead is the nearest major railway station to which you can take trains from major cities including Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata. From the railway station, you can take a cab to reach Mahabalipuram. However, we (Ghoomophiro sisters) resorted to taking a bus the ticket of which cost us INR 80 each. Choosing to self-drive via your own car or ZOOM Car will give you an opportunity to halt at numerous places to enjoy the beauty. Ola Outstation is another option if you want to hire a taxi.

Best time to visit Mahabalipuram

The place remains worth exploring throughout the year in case you have no option to be choosy with the months. However, we recommend visiting the place in the months that mark the end of summers and the onset of winters and again before the onset of summers. To be specific, you should be planning a trip between the months of October to March. During these months the climate remains awesome with warm days in addition to cold nights. The weather during these months is ideal for performing all the outdoor activities as well as for exploring the beautiful town.

Where to stay at Mahabalipuram

Comfortable stay is an important aspect of our entire trip. Only if we are able to have a peaceful sleep at night, are we able to explore the place wholeheartedly the next day? So, be very careful about choosing the place to stay. From as expensive as Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay Mamallapuram, to as pocket friendly as Vinodhara Guest House, there are plenty of options for you to stay. To list a few names that will not disappoint you are Mamalla Beach Resort, Hotel Mahabs, Vinodhara Guest House, and many more. However, we resorted to staying at Bay Inn as it was within our budget and close to the major attractions.

Things to Do In Mahabalipuram

Believe us, there are literally a lot of activities and sightseeing to do in Mahabalipuram. Not only will you find visitors from across different states of India but also from across the globe. This is one of the most happening places that stand quite against our belief of this place being more spiritual and historic.

Religious touch at temples

The Panch Ratha (five chariots) is the first thing that we (Ghoomophiro sisters) explored in Mahabalipuram. It is a monolithic temple where five rathas are carved, amazingly with a single stone. Having clicked few pictures there are appreciating the architecture we (Ghoomophiro sisters) headed towards shore temple which contrarily is a masonry temple having a diverse construction. We suggest visiting the temple early at 6 am when it is blessed with the resplendent morning glow. To enter both the premises we paid INR 30 each. The two temples are at a distance of 1.8km which makes covering both sides convenient. Arjuna’s penance and Butterball are again a must-have sight if you have ample time to spare.

Lighthouse and Mahishamardini cave

Lighthouse is an important sightseeing point. However, we were lucky enough to find a way to Mahishamardini cave close to Light House, free of cost and facilitating a view of beautiful sculptures, namely, reclining Shiva and reclining Vishnu. Not many people are aware of Mahishamardini cave and honestly, we weren’t either. We (Ghoomophiro sisters) halted for snacks at a place where the owner of the stall suggested us to go to the cave and believe us it is worth seeing. The entry to the cave is free of cost. Side by side, be aware that you are strolling across the hill area that is again one of the must-do things at Mahabalipuram.

Sculpture museum

Having a lack of time, we (Ghoomophiro sisters) were not able to explore the sculpture museum in depths but it is a really good place for those who are extremely fond of sculptures. Also, you can buy marvelous sculptures from the shops that offer them forsake.

Ayurvedic Message

We (Ghoomophiro sisters) are a diehard fan of Ayurvedic therapies so missed getting one at Mahabalipuram neither. There are some of the most stunning Ayurveda centers in the city, highly professional implying that you need to ask them to give you a piece of cloth to cover some portions of your body in case you do not mind it otherwise. Mostly, the centers charge you around a grand for a massage of an hour.

Sea surfing

Last but not least, we (Ghoomophiro sisters) also tried our hands at sea surfing at a Surf Club situated on the East Coast Road connecting Chennai to Pondicherry. It is undoubtedly one of the must-have experiences. There are experts available there to give you detailed guidance on how to go about doing the activity. To those who simply want to enjoy the lukewarm water can have a dip at the sea.

 

Things to eat in Mahabalipuram

There are plenty of French cafes as well as restaurants in Mahabalipuram serving not only amazing French cuisine but also stunning French wine. Apart from this, you will also find good Italian, Chinese, Punjabi, and South cuisines. There are plenty of stalls also set up around the places that offer street food at very affordable prices. We (Ghoomophiro sisters) tried French Cuisine at Le Yogi Restaurant, Chinese at Sea Shore Garden Beach restaurant, and Indian cuisine at Hotel Mamalla Bhavan during our entire stay. You can also explore Moonrakers Restaurant, Bambino Beach Restaurant, and Searock Restaurant also among many that offer lovely food and drinks.

Shopping places at Mahabalipuram

It is obvious that we (Ghoomophiro sisters) could have not returned home without buying beautiful things and obviously the souvenirs from this mesmerizing location. So, we (Ghoomophiro sisters) went for some Street Shopping Close to the Shore Temple ad bought some really nice stuff for ourselves ta a very reasonable price. Local people also guided us to explore Babu Stores that are popular among them. Other places that we explored were Sri Krishna Shopping Centre and sri shakthi Handicraft.

This is our story of travel to Mahabalipuram. We (Ghoomophiro sisters) have tried listing each and everything that a tourist usually needs to know. However, in case you feel we have skipped something you can surely add your reviews in the comment section below and we will surely add the same to our article. Also, if you have some questions to ask regarding the trip to Mahabalipuram or Do’s and Don’ts then feel free to use that little comment box below, we will revert to your queries as soon as possible