5. Tranquebar
At Tharangambadi, Tamil for ‘where the waves sing’, a Danish contingent led by Admiral Ove Gjedde established a trading outpost and built an imposing and stately fort, the Dansborg, in the 17th century. While the British, Dutch and French grew in military and naval strength, the Danish mostly remained traders in cotton and pepper. Their small settlement of orderly streets and colonnaded buildings, Tranquebar, inked the pages of history. Lutheran missionaries established a printing press to spread the faith. Yet, the Danes could not sustain their trade and eventually yielded their province to the British in 1845. Today’s Tranquebar is of restored buildings and heritage hotels operated by Neemrana Hotels, including the charming Bungalow on the Beach and the Gate House. Besides the Danish Zion Church and the New Jerusalem Church established by Lutheran missionary Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg, there are the 500-year-old mosque and the 700-year-old Masilamani Nathar Temple. History buffs will enjoy the walking tours of Goldsmith Street and the makeshift Maritime Museum. Else, just tuck into seafood, sun and sand.
Getting there: Chennai (290 km) and Trichy (128 km) are the nearest airports. Railheads are at Nagapattinam (35 km) and Chidambaram (50 km). A bus service from Chennai touches Tharangambadi en route to Nagapattinam.
Best time to go: November to February
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