Chennai, India's fourth largest city, is neither ancient nor lovely but it is -- like Bangalore and Hyderabad -- booming. Established on the site of a fishing village in 1639 as the first British settlement in India, the capital of Tamil Nadu (formerly Madras) is a teeming, sprawling, bustling industrial metropolis, a manufacturing hub known as the "Detroit of the South," where 9 of the top 10 Indian IT companies are located. Unless you're here on business, or keen to shop, the city itself is only marginally fascinating -- a strange mix of British Raj-era monuments, Portuguese churches, Hindu temples, and ugly 21st-century buildings, massive billboards, and concrete flyovers; even one of the longest urban beaches on earth is not enough to hold the attention for long. Most travelers arrive here simply because it's a transport hub and soon leave, distracted by the attractions that start only a few hours away -- among them, Kanchipuram, city of "a thousand temples," is a day excursion away, while the beach resorts near Mamallapuram, a World Heritage Site, are only 2 hours south. Even charming Pondicherry is only 2 1/2 hours away, making Chennai a destination of choice only with businessmen here to catch onto the coattails of one of India's fastest-growing cities.
Chennai Travel Experiences
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South India J'arrive!
I am yet to explore Chennai fully, but have successfully checked in, and am ready to conk out. I just wanted to see that massive line fro... Continue reading »
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Chennai
I am again having to play catch up as the program has remained very busy and I am running on fumes (of which there are plenty here). I a... Continue reading »
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Getting Caught Up
I had hoped to stay current, but the rush of events here has me pretty worn out. Yesterday, we began with a trio of speakers. The first... Continue reading »
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Wheelin' and Dealin'
Bangalore was a short hop, as perhaps I have said (I am beginning to lose track) from Chennai, only a half hour flight on Jet Airways. A... Continue reading »
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Welcome to India
What to say about Chennai...the phrase "it was the best of times, it was the worst of times" comes to mind.I stepped off the plane and wa... Continue reading »
Popular Chennai Hotels
- Radisson Hotel Chennai
- Taj Connemara
- Le Royal Meridien Chennai
- Le Royal Meridien Chennai
- The Rain Tree
- ITC Hotel Park Sheraton & Towers
- Itc Hotel Park Sheraton & Towers
- The Raj Residency
- The Park Chennai
- GRT Grand
Popular Chennai Things to Do
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- Kapeli temple
- look out the window at the madness
- Ancient Architecture
