When it comes to training or relaxing, Chitresh Tatha, a professional kite surfer who has represented India at the Asian Games, heads to Pattinamaruthur in Thoothukudi, where, far from the madding crowd, is a slice of heaven when the sun meets the sea.
Aqua Outback, established by Arjun Motha and his mother Rohini, is a resort where people come to pursue water sports, and simply reconnect with nature, “I use it as a training base as they have all the facilities and trained personnel. Sometimes, when I train on water and am far from the land, the wind may drop and I may need a rescue. They have someone always checking on me and a safety boat to come for the rescue,” says Tatha, adding he also frequents the place as it’s both beautiful and remote. “I avoid tourist places that are ‘supercrowded’. This resort is a little remote and, even when I am not training, I enjoy the pristine beauty of the place.” Tamil Nadu, a culturally rich and diverse state, has always been a popular tourist destination.
In 2021, TN attracted 17.02% of all domestic tourist visits, with over 115 million visitors to the state. The state also claimed the top spot for attracting the highest number of international tourists post-pandemic. In 2022, the state won the second position in domestic tourism, with a staggering 218.6 million visitors.
TN has always been known for its temple tourism. The group of monuments at Mamallapuram, one of Tamil Nadu's six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is the most visited heritage monument among foreign tourists. The Brihadeeswarar temple in Thanjavur, which is one of the Great Living Chola Temples, Gangaikonda Cholapuram in Ariyalur and the Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram are also popular destinations. However, now trends are changing, with travellers looking for experiences to cherish.
And with all that TN has to offer, farmstays and nature treks, adventure tours and culinary experiences are being carefully curated to cater to the demand. Many of these are run by individuals with a strong connect to the land. They are proud to showcase the local culture, cuisine, heritage and natural beauty to people thirsty for these experiences. Anaina K Motha, who “traded her stilettos for Birkenstocks” and moved to Aqua Outback two years ago after she met and married Arjun, says, “The resort was established about 10 years ago by my husband and his mother on the land that had been in my husband’s family for four generations. Arjun wanted to create a place where people could come and connect with nature. Later, as many Japanese anglers came in, the adventure sports sector grew into kitesurfing, scuba diving, snorkelling, wakeboarding, stand up paddling, etc.”
Located near the Gulf of Mannar, the resort, which has about a dozen rooms and two dorms that can accommodate about 15 people in each, attracts four kinds of travellers — the adventure and thrill seekers who want to enjoy scuba diving, kite surfing etc; people who come on family outings to enjoy a boat ride or watch the migratory birds, sometimes after a day spent visiting temples in Tiruchendur and Rameshwaram; those who come on couple getaways; and the foodies. “We offer south Indian meals, Kerala cuisine, as well as Chinese, Japanese and continental fare,” says Anaina, adding they also provide alternate livelihood options for the local fishermen by training them to be lifeguards and to work in the hospitality industry.
“Some have even become kite surfing, kayaking, snorkelling and scuba diving instructors.” According to her, the young Indian wants a unique travel experience. “Instead of being confined to a hotel room, they want to live in a place where they can be one with nature, see wildlife, etc,” she says, adding, apart from domestic tourists, they have also hosted people from Tel Aviv, Australia and Sudan.
It’s this desire to roll up their sleeves and connect with the earth that makes Vaksana Farmstay in Tindivanam popular with the tourists. Located in Rettanai Village, the 13-acre organic farm has 17 different varieties of fruit. “We have coconut and mango orchards, and grow our own rice and millets, which are served to our guests,” says Kiruba Shankar, co-owner.
The farmstay was the brainchild of his mother 72-year-old Kasthuri Ammal and grandmother 91-year-old Lakshmi Paati. “My grandmother passed away just a few weeks ago. But it was her dream to run her own business, earn money of her own and buy gifts for her great grandchildren,” says Shankar, adding that his grandmother had studied only till class 3 while his mother had studied till class 7. “But they were good at two things – cooking, Lakshmi paati had very old heirloom recipes that she had learned from her grandmother that we are now compiling into a book; and hospitality.”
The three farmhouses, which can each accommodate about a dozen people, are popular with domestic and international tourists who want to experience life on a farm. “We tell them clearly that it is not a resort or hotel but a family farm. And the best experience they can have is to participate in farming activities – ploughing the land using oxen, harvesting fruit, feeding farm animals. They can also see how clean food is being grown as we don’t use pesticides, or artificial fertilizers. We keep cows for the dung, which is used to create organic manure for crops and fruit trees. People see where the rice they eat is grown and where the vegetables are plucked from.”
Changing perspective: Looking for nature-connect
While there was a wave of revenge tourism after the pandemic, what they are witnessing now is people hungry for very different experiences, says Shankar. “They are seeking authenticity, an experience where they can dirty their hands and do things rather than just be an observer. Our farm has three large ponds that also serve as rainwater storage tanks. They are rustic, and have lotuses and lilies growing on the sides but people love diving into these waters and going for a swim to a chlorine-laded swimming pool in a resort.”
The desire to connect with nature is what drives Chennai-based auditor R Sundararajan to frequent spots in and around Tamil Nadu. “I have taken my office team on treks in places like Masinagudi, and my family to Yelagiri. Being in touch with nature is a priority as it helps you relax,” he says. That’s why eco-tours have received a boost in TN. Nature Trails N Treks, an eco-tourism company, has a lot of takers for the tours they conduct in Mudumalai, Annamalai, Sathyamangalam, the Nilgiris and forest areas surrounding Coimbatore, like Mulli forest range.
“We conduct programmes throughout the year in association with the forest department. We have corporates, schools, colleges and families interested in seeing wildlife places of ecological importance,” says Anand Kumar, one of the partners. The programmes also help support the local communities, he says. “They act as guides and also sell agricultural products, honey and spices to the tourists,” says Anand Kumar. “And we educate the guests on the importance of conserving flora and fauna, waterways and the importance of ecologically fragile zones.”
Star hotels are also catering to the new-age tourists’ demand for experiential travel. “They want to come and explore the destination, immerse themselves in local culture, and not just visit the usual tourist spots,” says Vikram Cotah, CEO, GRT Hotels and Resorts. “Our resort in Kodai offers treks to offbeat and unexplored places. People can get up at 5am, trek and we set up breakfast also in these spots so they can relax and come back.” In Yercaud, GRT has tied up with local farms where guests can go strawberry-plucking. “We are creating a resort in Pachalur, 40km from Kodai, where guests can enjoy the hills, and coffee plantations,” says Cotah.
“They can pluck coffee beans, see how it is being processed, and learn local cuisine.” Going hyperlocal has been the focus. “We have a page for local cuisine in all our menus. In Kakinada, we employ housewives who come in and showcase their dishes in the buffet and also interact with the guests. Guests get to enjoy our kitchen gardens in our properties in Thanjavur, Kodaikanal and even Temple Bay in Mammallapuram.”
While nature and local culture are a big draw, many travellers still seek to visit heritage sites and famous temples. That’s why Krithika Subrahmaniam, founder and managing director of Sreshta Leisure Pvt Ltd, established Svatma in Thanjavur
“Svatma is a Heritage in Residence, a unique property built to conserve the artistic sensibilities of the location and to provide travellers to the area to get insights and immersive experiences of the region,” says Krithika. “I felt there was a need for a property where luxury travellers could stay on extended visits to enjoy the Brihadiswara temple, which is a Great Living Chola temple.”
Tourists now are coming in better informed and more curious to catch nuanced history, art architecture and spiritual wealth of the Tamil heartland, she feels. “Quality, authenticity, sustainable travel and high art are now the main ask. The pandemic has made travellers more sensitive to the historic world and its evolving relevance to life today,” says Krithika. It was his love for heritage that inspired historian and author Pradeep Chakravarthy to establish Anantya In The Village, a heritage hotel, in Alwarthirunagari, a small village in Thoothukudi district famous for being the birthplace of poet-saint Nammalwar, a year ago. “My love for heritage, temple tours, and everything connected with history came from the summer vacations I spend with my maternal grandparents in Tirunelveli,” says Chakravarthy.
“I wanted to do more for Tirunelveli and southern TN.” E verything in the eight-bedroom facility has a QR code that can be scanned so guests can get to know more about the region. “The lampshades, for instance, are made of Chedi Butta saree that’s woven only in TN. We have many poems from Sangam literature written on the walls. Scan the QR code and you have got Carnatic vocalist Sikkil Gurucharan singing those poems and Bharatanatyam dancer Priyadarshini Govind dancing and explaining it.”
The property also conducts tours for children to archaeological sites like Adichanallur, has them interact with local children, does temple tours and have guests sample local dishes like sodhi, a vegetable stew. “We also showcase the crafts in the region — basket weaving and conduct nature walks and tours to the five different eco zones in Tirunelveli,” says Chakravarthy.
The Tamil Nadu tourism department aims to promote TN as a premier adventure hub-- from parasailing and hot air ballooning in Chennai and Pollachi to surfing and scuba diving along the coastline, says a source. The government also plans to develop Manimutharu Dam and Udhagamandalam Lake waterfront as eco-tourism destinations with adventure tourism activities, bio-diversity parks, and other amenities.
“Water-based sound and light show with 3D projection mapping technology will be set up in Emerald lake, Yercaud. These developments are expected to further boost tourism in TN and provide visitors with unique and memorable experiences,” says the source.
The writer is an award-winning independent journalist and senior journalism advisor (South Asia) at the Journalism Centre on Global Trafficking
Priya M Menon