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Let's be honest. It's mid-March. Your kids have already started counting the days until school closes. Your partner has dropped three not-so-subtle hints about "needing a break." And somewhere in the back of your mind, you know that if you don't plan this summer holiday soon, you'll end up watching movies on the couch in April while your neighbours post sunset photos from Kodaikanal.

Don't be the couch person.

South India in April and May is one of the most underrated travel experiences in the country, with misty hill stations, breezy heritage towns, ancient shorelines, and rainforests that smell like the world just got washed clean. Whether you're travelling with a toddler, your partner, or just your own good company, the right destination makes all the difference.

Here are five places in South India that are worth every bit of the excitement, and one trusted name that will take care of you in every single one of them.

Kodaikanal: Where the Clouds Come to You

Picture this. It's 9 AM. You're sipping filter coffee on a resort balcony. The mist is rolling in slowly across the valley. This is Kodaikanal in April, and it never gets old.

Sitting at over 2,100 metres, Kodaikanal is Tamil Nadu's most beloved hill station, and for excellent reason. When the plains are pushing 40°C, Kodai stays a blissful 15–20°C. Families love the star-shaped Kodai Lake for boating and cycling, the dramatic views at Coaker's Walk, and the endless supply of homemade chocolates from the town's quirky little shops. Couples find something quietly romantic in the pine-scented air and cloud-covered sunsets. Solo travellers lose themselves on trails that lead to waterfalls, viewpoints, and moments of unexpected clarity.

Kodaikanal doesn't cater to one kind of traveller. It caters to anyone who needs to breathe.

GReaT trails Kodaikanal by GRT Hotels is where the magic of the hills becomes your home, warm, thoughtfully designed, and set right in the heart of the mist. You arrive as a tourist. You leave as a storyteller.

Yercaud: The Hill Station That Hasn't Been Discovered Yet (Go Before Everyone Else Does)

There's something thrilling about being ahead of the crowd. Yercaud, tucked into the Shevaroy Hills of Salem district, is South India's best-kept hill station secret, and in 2026, it still is.

Smaller and quieter than its famous cousins, Yercaud offers everything you'd want from a summer escape without the traffic jams: the pretty Emerald Lake, rose gardens in full bloom, coffee and orange plantations you can walk through, and the kind of clean mountain air that makes children inexplicably tired by 8 PM (parents, you're welcome). It's a place where couples slow down and actually talk to each other. Where solo travellers find the silence they've been craving between the noise of the week. Where families eat big meals and play cards after dinner and wake up to birdsong instead of alarms.

Yercaud doesn't shout. It whispers, and that's exactly its charm.

GReaT trails Yercaud by GRT Hotels sits right in the heart of this hidden gem. Wake up to birdsong. Go to bed under the stars. Repeat for three days and wonder why you don't do this more often.

Wayanad: Where the Forest Has a Heartbeat

Cross into Kerala, and Wayanad opens up like a story you didn't know you needed.

One of South India's most biodiverse destinations, Wayanad is home to ancient tribal heritage, the spectacular Soochipara and Meenmutty waterfalls, the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, and a landscape so intensely green it almost feels fictional. April and May are ideal — just before the monsoon arrives, when the forest is alive, the air is electric, and spotting a wild elephant at dusk feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Families with older kids find the bamboo forest treks, spice plantation tours, and the ancient Edakkal Caves genuinely unforgettable. Couples are swept away by the mist-draped mornings and the canopy views. There is something about Wayanad that strips away everyday noise and replaces it with something slower, more intentional. And for solo travellers, this is the kind of destination that reminds you why you love to travel in the first place.

GReaT trails Wayanad by GRT Hotels is a forest sanctuary unlike anything else in South India. An infinity pool looking out over the jungle canopy. Private villa-style rooms. Yoga at sunrise. Guided nature walks. It is not just a hotel; it is the experience itself.

Mamallapuram: 1,300 Years of Stories Carved in Stone

Solo travel is best when the destination does the talking. But honestly, Mamallapuram talks to everyone.

The ancient port city of the Pallava dynasty, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been telling its story for over a millennium. The Shore Temple stands alone on the beach with the ocean behind it. The Five Rathas, five monolithic temples carved from single boulders. Arjuna's Penance is the largest open-air rock carving in the world. And then there's Krishna's Butter Ball, a gigantic boulder balanced on a tiny sliver of granite on a slope, somehow refusing to fall for centuries. Physicists are still mildly annoyed about it.

Just 58 kilometres from Chennai, Mamallapuram is the perfect road trip, close enough for a long weekend, rich enough for a week. Kids stare wide-eyed at structures that survived centuries of ocean wind. Couples photograph each other against ancient stone. Solo wanderers sit quietly and let history fill them up. The town is also a living centre for stone sculpture, and watching local artisans carve intricate works from granite is one of those experiences you don't forget.

Radisson Blu Resort, Temple Bay Mamallapuram, a GRT Hotels resort, offers beachfront luxury right alongside these ancient wonders. Let history fill your days. Let the resort restore you at night.

Also read: The ECR Diaries

Pondicherry: Unhurried, Unbothered, Unforgettable

What is it about Pondicherry that makes people want to stay forever?

Maybe it's the French Quarter, those perfectly preserved butter-yellow colonial buildings with bougainvillea spilling over the walls. Maybe it's the promenade at 6 AM when the sun rises over the Bay of Bengal and the whole town feels like a painting. Maybe it's the espresso. It's probably also the espresso.

Pondicherry is the kind of place that works for everyone without trying. Rent bicycles and get deliberately lost in the lanes. Sit at a pavement café and read. Visit the Sri Aurobindo Ashram for a rare moment of stillness. Let the kids run along the beachfront promenade while you watch the light change on the water. Couples will find romance in every cobblestone lane — no planning required. Solo travellers will arrive curious and leave inspired. Families will slow down in ways they didn't realise they needed.

Pondicherry doesn't rush you. It simply asks you to be present and then rewards you spectacularly for it.

Radisson Resort Pondicherry Bay, a GRT Hotels property, sits right on the bay with views that make checking in feel like the beginning of something wonderful. Elegant rooms, a stunning pool, and world- class dining in a setting that is pure, effortless Pondicherry.

Who Should Stay Here?

Executives visiting industrial units or chemical and salt factories, engineers and consultants working on complex projects, business partners involved in diamond and pearl shipping in Tuticorin, and entrepreneurs scouting opportunities will all find Regency Tuticorin a perfectly strategic and welcoming base.

We combine business convenience with warm hospitality, ensuring that guests stay productive during the day and relaxed in the evening. Think of it as a seamless blend of comfort, efficiency, and thoughtful service, all without the usual corporate hotel stiffness that makes you wonder if smiling is allowed.

Book Direct. Holiday Better.

Across all five destinations, GRT Hotels & Resorts brings the same warmth and the same promise: that your holiday will feel not just comfortable, but genuinely GReaT. When you book directly at grthotels.com, you unlock perks that make the whole trip better:

Complimentary breakfast every morning
Free cancellation until 12 noon — because plans change
Late checkout until 4 PM — no rushing a good holiday
No advance payment — pay at the hotel
Best rate guaranteed on every booking
GRT Members save 10% on rooms and 15% on dining — join once, benefit forever

Where Will You Escape This Summer? The South India Vacation Guide You Didn't Know You Needed (2026 Edition)