Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Popularly regarded as “ The Gateway to the South”, Chennai is the fourth largest city in India and the capital of Tamil Nadu state.

Chennai is a gracious city. A clear skyline, long sandy beaches, parks, historic landmarks and tourist infrastructure facilities make it a convenient entry point or base to start a tour of Tamil Nadu and South India. Chennai is a city where the traditional and the modern blend in life everywhere. Chennai is the center of South India’s film industry and has many big film studios.

The famous places that one must visit while in Chennai are the Marina Beach, Theosophical Society, Kapaleeshwara Temple, Sri Parthasarathy Temple, Santhome Cathedral Church, St. Thomas Mount, National Art Gallery; the Wallajah Mosque Fort and the Valluvar Kottam, a standing memorial to immortal Tamil Poet-Saint Thiruvalluvar. It is a massive auditorium, constructed on reclaimed land from an unused lake filled with the city’s garbage and debris. The auditorium is said to be the largest in Asia and can accommodate about 4000 people.

The great attractions here include the Anna Zoological Park, one of the latest and modern zoos of India and the biggest in South East Asia and the Snake Park that houses a variety of reptiles. Kids and adults will have a wonderful time at the amusement parks- MGM Dizzy World, Dash’n Splash, Dolphin City, and Kishkinta, which is located just outside the city.

Being situated at the tropical zone, Chennai normally has a very hot and humid climate. The best time to visit this city is the winter season. Winter and summer temperatures do not vary much as it rains frequently through the year.