East Coast Road

For Chennaites, East Coast Road, is like Nirvana. Whether you go Biking or cruising in your car, the thrill is unparalleled.

East Coast Road, popularly known as ECR, stretches along, obviously the East Coast, ie Bay of Bengal, and connects all villages, towns and cities on the East Coast. It runs from Chennai to Kanyakumari, the southern most tip of this country, and is 737 kms long. If you decide to drive all along, if would be a great road trip.

If you started driving from Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai, when you reach Mahabalipuram, you would have covered 43 kms, and would have covered 113 kms, if you reached Pondy. The Road connects Chennai to Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tuticorn and Kanyakumari, and runs 737 kms along the coast.

There is a toll booth just outside Chennai, and they collect Rs. 45 for a round ticket to Mahabalipuram and little over that for a round ticket to Pondy. After you have cross the toll booth, the experience is different.

Parts of the road are scenic, with a lovely view of the sea lined with coconut trees, casuarinas trees, fishermens villages, catamarans neatly arranged along, or just plain beach sand……and nothing else. No matter what’s on the shore, the drive is great. While you drive, you will see the sea coast on the left, it is sometimes, just a few feet away, and at some places, it is about a kilometer away, but, with nothing else in between to hide the view, the view is breathtaking.

After you cross Pondicherry, as you drive towards Cuddalore and further south, you will be driving with the sea lashing at the road…it is like, Marine drive types….with walls constructed, with road on top of it, and the sea with all its fury, dashes at the road.
If you drive in the night, you find that the road is dotted with reflectors on both the sides and in the middle, it looks superb. There many be many such places overseas, but, to have one world class road in India, is a great thing. People who have driven on this one, will surely agree.

Well, this piece is more from a Chennaites perspective. The road goes through many villages and large number of beach resorts that are springing up almost every week, and also crosses the heritage site of Mahabalipuram. There are several places along the route, drive-in cinema theatres – Prarthana Drive in, Eateries – Basera, Food Village, Buena Vista, virgin beaches and Muthukadu Backwaters, beach resorts – MGM Resort, GRT Temple Bay, Taj Fishermans Cove, Golden Sun, Silver Sands and many more, amusement parks – VGP Golden beach & MGM Dizzie world, several beachside farms – Casuarine bay, discotecs – EC 41, Go-karting tracks – Kart Attack and Danny’s Go-Karting, Crocodile bank, Dakshin Chitra, Cholamandalam artisans village and Mahabalipuram. Silver sands also has a adventure zone, where you can try scuba diving, para-sailing and some other water sports.

You can go for a catamaran ride, into the sea. All you need to do is befriend some fisherman from the fishing hamlets. The ride can cost you Rs. 100 for an hour. You have to be careful, coz the fisherman do not have any safety equipments, not even a life jacket. You will be just tied to the catamaran to a thick rope, and you will be asked to sit tight. So, please enjoy….and be careful, if you ever want to try this ride.

At Muthukadu, you can hire a motor boat or a peddle boat for Rs. 30 for 30 minutes. You can also hire canoe or a kayak if you are experienced, and can enjoy the waters.

Fishermans Cove has been a landmark on East Coast road, since 1974. It is a beautiful Taj property, on the beach, with wonderful hotel, several sea facing rooms, large swimming pool, beach side barbecue etc….and several sea facing cottages, with their own sit outs, hammock, and a private garden. Though their tarrifs are on the higher side, the experience is great Their breakfast buffet is fantastic and is a nice option after watching the sunrise at Mahabalipuram.

The other resorts, MGM, GRT Temple Bay and the rest are also not far behind. In face, their rates are slightly lesser, and hence you will find a lot of fun loving Chennaites hanging out in these places over the weekends. Corporates organize their weekend discos and the parties on the beach side, with a beach side bar, beach disc et all…..and anyone else Is also free to join.
Seafood wins hands down at relatively inexpensive restaurants like Coastal Kitchen and Casuarina. Hot Kitchen, Food Village, Buena Vista and Basera are also popular with the ECR regulars.

The crocodile bank houses the largest number of crocs in the country, and their breeding programme is extremely successful. They have so many crocs, that the zoo keepers here, have started eat omelettes made out of croc eggs, coz they do not want any more crocs.

Dakshin Chitra and Cholamandalam artisans village was started by 7 Chennaites, who decided to get together and work to improve the lives of the local artisans and also promote the art forms of South India. They have infact got from several places, houses of the traditional type and they have re-assembled here. So, they have recreated a road of a village in Tamilnadu or Kerela etc and have constructed the houses of a potter, weaver, farmer, scholar etc. The place is great.

At a certain point on ECR, if you wish to get to Mahabalipuram you need to keep driving straight, but, if you wish to hit Pondy, take the right turn.

Mahabalipuram are the shore temples, that were built on the orders of the Pallava King, Mahendra Verma Pallava. There is a the shore temple, 5 rathas, stone carvings indicating Arjunas penace and the Shiva temple. It is beautiful. If you at Mahabalipuram at lunch time, Moonraker is a nice place to have a bite. You can ask any localite, they will show you the place. Do not get deceived by the humble exteriors, once you enter, the smell of the food is intoxicating.

ECR boasts entertainment unlimited. The highway eventually veers off towards Pondicherry - the former French colony and a popular weekend guzzling abode for Chennaites. The white-washed buildings from a bygone era and the word-famous Auroville commune merit a day’s trip, at the very least.

If you run out of time on the first ride down ECR, you can always make another trip down the highway, with its multitude of entertainment options. Even if you’re heading nowhere in particular, when you’re coasting down the midnight-black highway, the road itself becomes the destination. Righly, it has got the place in Outlook Traveller magazine as one of the most scenic highways in India.

Chennai has its own way of promotion tourism on ECR, with all the several places that it has to entertain people. It is called Go ECR Go. It is a joint effort by Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation, Crocodile bank, Danshin Chitra, the amusement parks and the resorts on ECR, just to promote Tourism and increase traffic on this road.

Eat Outs at ECR

Basera , 146, 2/169 East Coast Road, Vettuvankeni, Chennai, Tel: (044)24492361. Food Village, 1/81 East Road, Injambakkam, Chennai – 41, Tel: (044) 24492692, 24493309. Hot Kitchen , 78,79 Injambakkam Village, , Chennai – 41, Tel: (044) 24490730, 24493139

Accomodation :

GRT Temple Bay Beach Resorts, Mamallapuram – 603104, Tel: 04114-242251,242254
Quality Inn MGM , No. 1/74, New Mamallapuram Road , Muttukkadu – 603112, Tel: 04114-245435 .
Fisherman's Cove, Covelong Beach , Mamallapuram - 603112 , Tel: 04114-272304-310 .
V G P Golden Beach Resort, East Coast Road , Injambakkam, Tel: 044-24491101