Sunshine and Sandalwood in South India

Compared with the images most of us have of India as arid, dusty and remote, the southern part of the country can be a lushly green, tropical surprise. Here, you are more likely to be served coconut water than curry, find yourself in camel pose than on camelback, and sit beneath the gaze of a palm tree instead of a palm reader.

But this is still India, and even amid the beaches and jungles, you can find plenty of incense-infused shrines and languid sitar music. Whether you explore Hampi's stone temples, dress up for a night in Bangalore's clubs or kick back on the beach with a plate of fresh seafood in Kerala, southern India offers something for every traveler.

Chennai

Whole families on speeding scooters, jam-packed buses with travelers hanging out open doors, and the ubiquitous rickshaws all careen around a slowly meandering cow. This is Chennai, on the eastern coast of southern India.

The first British settlement in India, Chennai is a bustling industrial metropolis and a good place to acclimate to the country. Duck into Annalakshmi (804 Anna Salai), the city's most renowned vegetarian restaurant, for a home-cooked dosa, the thin pancake of rice batter folded over spicy potato filling that is a South Indian specialty.

Or zone out in one of Chennai's movie theaters -- the city is the center of a burgeoning independent film scene, the Sundance to India's Bollywood.

Afterward, grab a super-sweet chai at a streetside tea stand (the chai here is more sugar and milk than actual tea).

Mamallapuram

Next is the bumpy bus ride south to Mamallapuram, a tiny fishing village with lots of rock carvings. Dating from the seventh century, Arjuna's Penance, the largest relief carving in the world, is the most astounding of these.

	Two women visit Arjuna's Penance in Mamallapuram.
	Photo: Jack Karp

Wander from workshop to workshop where sculptors breathe new life into the ancient craft, head to the beach to watch the sunset over the monolithic Shore Temple ($5) or indulge in some fresh seafood at a café overlooking the fishing boats returning from sea.

Mysore

An overnight train takes you into the continent's interior and to Mysore, a small, dusty town infused with the sweet, heavy scent of sandalwood -- the region's most celebrated export.

Once home to the wealthy Wodeyar maharajas, the city is now a center for the production of the expensive medicinal oils said to have healing, calming and even aphrodisiac properties in Ayurvedic lore.

It is also the birthplace of ashtanga yoga, and thousands of aspiring yogis congregate here to study the ancient asanas with masters like Pattabhi Jois at the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute and B.N.S. Iyengar at Sri Patanjala Yogashala (Jagamohan Palace Circle).

	Tourists visit the ornate Maharaja's Palace in Mysore.
	Photo: Jack Karp

If Mysore is the heart of southern India, the Maharaja's palace (Mirza Rd., $1) is the heart of Mysore. Today, the palace grounds are opened to the public each Sunday night, its towers lit by thousands of electric bulbs, while fireworks and jugglers entertain families picnicking with their children.