India

Chennai & Mahabalipuram

Marina Beach’s promenade, filter coffee, and Carnatic music meet Pallava shore temples carved from granite along the Coromandel Coast.

December–February tempers heat and hosts the music season; May–June pre-monsoon is intense. Mahabalipuram’s Five Rathas and Krishna Mandapam deserve half a day; combine with Pondicherry’s French grid. Use metro where possible; beach swimming is often unsafe—follow lifeguard flags. Try meals on banana leaves and coastal Chettinad spice levels mindfully.