Best Holiday Ideas for Chennai, India

Chennai the cultural capital of South India is a right place to be in, if you want to relax as well as enjoy your holiday. This city is a gateway to South India where people on their way to other tourist places stop and enjoy the sights of Chennai before moving on to tour South India. It is a starting point for tours to all the other destinations in South India and is well connected to other big cities.

We offer some of the best holiday ideas for Chennai. Go for sightseeing tour of Chennai. Some of the highlights are a visit to the National Art Gallery and Museum, which house some beautiful temple friezes and South Indian bronzes, the Cathedral of San Thome, the Mylapore Temple, and St Mary's Church.

Apart from tourist attractions within Chennai there are some great places around the city that you'll enjoy seeing. If you are a wildlife lover, Chennai has sanctuaries and reserved forests for you. Visit Vedanthangal one of the largest bird sanctuaries in India. It is a marshy, 30 hectare park with lake visited by over 1,00,000 migratory birds every year. The majority of these birds can be seen between November and February. The variety of birds include Herons, Darters, Spoonbills, Pelicans, Sandpipers, White Ibis and Cormorants, Blue winged teals and Swans. Spread over an area of 1,265 acres, the Anna Zoological Park at Vandalur is the largest in South Asia with a rich variety of different species of mammals, reptiles and birds. The animals roam in natural surroundings with a special enclosure for nocturnal creatures. Mini safaris can be arranged here. The Crocodile Bank is located 44 kms from Chennai where Romulus Whittaker runs this crocodile breeding and research centre. Here several species of Indian and African crocodiles and alligators are bred in captivity. The reptiles are kept in their natural habitat in open pools and can be viewed from safe proximity.

For nature and beauty lovers we have many picturesque locations like lakes, waterfalls and picnic spots. There are some spots where you can go trekking and rock climbing. Explore the backwaters of Muttukadu, a scenic picnic spot and a water sports center. In February every year, a windsurfing regatta is organised in Muttukadu. Competitions in windsurfing and other water sports are held. The site of an Old Dutch settlement dating back to 1609, today, Pulicat is a picnic spot famous for its lake. There are amenities for swimming, fishing, and windsurfing. History-buffs can wander around the ancient Dutch cemetery with its well-preserved tombstones. For children who are fond of amusement parks, Chennai has a plethora of amusement parks dotting the coastline. Kishkinta is India's No.1 Theme Park at Tambaram. Take a ride in hi-tech ones like space shuttle, wave pool, white water and Kiddies Kingdom. Little Folks is located 46 Kms towards Mahabalipuram. It is a great amusement complex for children with a Giant-Piano, Toy Train, Rainbow Fountain, Slide-into-pool, Cartoon show and Paddle-Pool. MGM "Drizzle World" Beach Resort is 24 kms towards Mahabalipuram, (Near Muttukadu). It has unique water sports. Prime Time extravagant indoor amusement park is located at Annanagar. It is packed with bumper car rides, play pens and all sorts of new games especially for children. Dash 'N Splash is 30 kms from Central Station. It is South India's exclusive water park. Go for the wave spiral and free fall slides and flumes from height of 12ft to 35ft.

A popular beach resort and amusement park filled with children's games, parks and seaside restaurant, VGP Golden Beach is 30 kms from Chennai. Chennai has finest beaches to offer for tourists. Covelong is a nice beach between Chennai (Chennai) and Mahabalipuram and a small charming fishing settlement. Taj Group of Hotels runs the Fisherman's Cove Resort with rooms in the main buildings and cottages and the beautiful sandy beach is an hour's drive from Chennai city or from the airport. The famous Marina Beach the pride of Chennai is the second longest beach in the world with a stretch of 4.5 kms (2.5 miles) and has a wide sandy foreshore. You can see the statues of heroes from Tamil culture to samadhis of great leaders like Anna and MGR here. Walk along the Marina in the evening to cool off and eat crispy sundal and murukku. An aquarium is also located on the Marina Beach. Watching the sunset and sunrise from the beach is a fascinating experience. Elliot's Beach is spread along the coast down south from Marina. It is also the night beach for Chennai youth. This beach is comparatively quieter and an ideal place to go sea bathing. It is located near Besant Nagar. At the end of this beach are the Velankanni church and the Ashtalakshmi temple. Good roads, pavements, illuminated sands, makes a visit to this beach a real pleasure.

For the lovers of ancient history and architecture, Mamallapuram is a right place to be in. Mamallapuram is a quiet hamlet in the district of Chengalpet in Tamil Nadu. Also known as Mahabalipuram (legend has it that Lord Vishnu vanquished the giant Mahabali here), Mallapuram and Mahamalaipuram, is 58 kms from Chennai and 72 kms from Pondicherry. The temples of Mamallapuram, built largely during the reigns of Narasimhavarman and his successor Rajasimhavarman, displays the movement from rock-cut architecture to structural building. The mandapas or pavilions and the rathas or shrines shaped as temple chariots are hewn from the granite rock face, while the famed Shore Temple, erected half a century later, is built from dressed stone. Here you will also see many sculptures and temples of typical South Indian architectural design the most famous being the Five Rathas a group of monolithic monuments and animal figures carved out of solid rock and the huge frescos, "The Penance of Bhagirath". Of the secular architecture at Mamallapuram, the most fascinating is its elaborate water system.

Kanchipuram and Tirupati are the holy cities with number of famous temples for devotees. Some of the important temples are Vaikunthaperumal Temple, Kamakshi Amman Temple and Ekambareswarar Temple. You can take a break and visit Pondicherry where French influence still so immensely visible in this quiet little town. For sight seeing, interesting places include churches, museum, beach, the Aurobindo ashram, and Auroville. Close by lies Chidambaram, an ancient Chola temple with a gilded roof, tall gopurams and a thousand pillared halls. This is the most venerated shrine of Lord Shiva represented here as Nataraja, the cosmic dancer. Point Calimere wildlife sanctuary lies close by. The mangrove forests of Pichavaram, an ideal spot for boating, fishing and water sports is also nearby.

Visit Tanjavur the city of temples. The main attraction of the city is the Brihadeeshwara temple built by Raja Raja, the Greatest of the Chola kings who ruled from 985 to 1014 AD. You can also visit Tiruchirapalli - also called Trichy -the town and its famous Rock fort temple built by the Nayaks-builders of Madurai an adjacent city. The Rock Fort Temple, a spectacular monument perched on a rocky outcrop rises abruptly from the plain to tower over the old city. Go up by the flight of steep steps cut into the rock and from its summit; you will get a fantastic view of the town and other landmarks. Finally at the top of the hill, is the Ucchi Pillayar Koil - a Ganesh Temple, offering a commanding view of the city. The temple city of Madurai also holds special attraction for the visitors. The primary interest is the Meenakshi Temple, where Dravidian temple architecture may be considered to be at its best. Its Hall of a Thousand Pillars is fabulous and is filled with worshippers at all hours of the day. Also, visit the Tirumal Nayak's Palace, a highly decorative monument.