There is a good reason that Tamil Nadu is known as the ‘Temple City of India’ – the area is filled with some of the most intricate and delicate temples in the world. The most beautiful temples in Tamil Nadu help bring history to life as well as show off what architecture can really do.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

Believe it or not, but this Tamil Nadu temple covers a staggering 150 acres. It comes with an impressive 21 carved gopurams and has 49 sub-shrines dotted around the temple.

Monolithic Rock Temples, Mahabalipuram

This is one of the more interesting temples around Tamil Nadu as the area features five monolithic temples cut from the rock to represent chariots. It’s believed that each sculpture was dedicated to a brother, and they were built back in the 7th-century.

Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai

This is one of the most famous and oldest temples in India. It’s thought the original section was built in 6th-century BCE before it was restored in the 16th-century.

Ramanathaswamy Temple, Rameswaram

Here we have one of the most important temples in Tamil Nadu – and one of the largest. The temple was built in the 12-century, and the tallest gopuram stands at a whopping 413 feet.

Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur

Brihadeeswarar Temple is one of the largest in India, let alone Tamil Nadu. The structure at the top of the tower is believed to weigh 80 tons alone and was carved from a single piece of granite.

Ekambareswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

This temple is one of the most celebrated as it stands for the Earth element. Inside, you can find the 3,000-year-old mango tree that is said to have been part of the legend behind the creation of the temple.

Tamil Nadu truly is filled with some of the most beautiful temples in the world that all have an incredible story and hundreds of years of history behind them.

It’s safe to say most people are eager to put 2020 behind and move forward to a more optimistic year. When it comes to travel, 2021 sure seems promising according to global travel, tourism, and hospitality marketing company MMGY Global. It’s CEO, Clayton Reid, predicts that global travel will indeed recover, and it might even reach a new high. Here’s what his predictions for travelers in 2021 look like:

1. Prepare to Travel With Proof of Vaccination

With the announcement of global vaccines by national governments and more and more people getting vaccinated each day, it’s likely that airlines and certain international destinations will require travelers to bring proof of vaccination when they board a plane or enter a region. New regulations in that direction are yet to be made, but you will do well to expect them and be prepared if it comes down to it.

2. Road Trips Will Be All the Rage

As soon as air travel was ‘canceled,’ road trips became the new old weekend getaway option. And even though airlines are expected to resume most of their flights, it seems like people aren’t going to switch back so easily. Road trips are safe, easy, can be planned last minute, and are still the best way to practice social distancing.

3. Lodging Will Be the Safest Conventional Option

Leisure resorts in beach and mountain locations have already begun re-opening, and early bookings look promising, says Reid. Compared to city center hotels where recovery is expected to happen at the slowest rate, accommodation in nature will make a strong comeback way sooner.

4. Going on a Dreamy Cruise Will Be Possible Once Again

Many were said to see their cruise plans unexpectedly canceled when the pandemic first broke out. But, if going on a dreamy cruise is still your best idea of travel, do not worry because you will soon be able to set sail. According to Reid, many cruise lines are already reporting strong bookings for the summer of 2021 and beyond, and although there will be a reduction in itineraries, things are expected to normalize at a steady pace.

5. Travel With Purpose

If anything, 2020 taught us all a very important lesson when it comes to travel – we should do it with purpose and appreciate every chance we get to explore a new place. That’s why MMGY Global predicts more and more people will be looking for purpose-led trips and places off-the-beaten-path like the Arctic, wildlife locales, small Mediterranean islands, and so many more!