Namaskaaram! Welcome to Chennai!

The city boasts of good infrastructural facilities and places to stay for tourists and is a nice entry point to start a tour covering the state of Tamil Nadu or the whole of South India. If you want your Chennai hotel to be close to a particular landmark, our map page shows you hotels in Chennai you can book with us.

Chennai has a lot of places of tourist interest and there is a lot to see and do, be it historical buildings, sandy beaches, centres of art and culture, or parks. Mahabalipuram near Madras, famous for its ancient temples and carvings, attracts a large number of tourists to the city. Other popular tourist attractions include the Kapaleeshwarar temple at Mylapore, an 8th century masterpiece of Dravidian architecture, the Fort St. George, the San Thome Basilica and the Parthasarathy Temple at Triplicane. A great way to see these sights is to take a tour in Chennai.

The city, located on Bay of Bengal’s Coromandel Coast, was founded by the British more than 350 years ago and has ever since been a major trade centre, port and naval base. In the last couple of decades, Chennai has seen stupendous economic growth and is now a major industrial and manufacturing hub as well, with many leading automotive and electronic manufacturers setting up base here. The city is known for its Information Technology industry and is India’s second largest exporter of IT services. Health care and financial services industries are also flourishing in Chennai.

Chennai is renowned as a centre of textiles and is an ideal place to shop for handloom fabrics and fine silk saris. The Kancheepuram silk saris sold here are famous for their vivid colours, gold brocades and designs and are much sought after even though they can sometimes cost a fortune. The traditional food is another thing that really characterises Chennai. Some of the dishes like Dosa (crepes made from rice and lentils), Idli (steam-cooked rice cakes) and Vada (fried donuts made using a lentil batter) are quite legendary.

Chennai has always been a wonderful shopping and entertainment destination and the recent economic boom has made it even more so. Trendy new shopping malls and arcades have sprouted up all over the place selling everything from high-tech gadgets and latest fashion wear to groceries, vegetables and everyday items. A number of multiplexes, amusement parks, night clubs and multi-cuisine restaurants have also come up.

As for the cultural scene, Chennai is one of the richest in India. The city and the people have a reputation for encouraging traditional art forms and there is a ready audience for the many dance shows (especially Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form that originated in Tamil Nadu) and music concerts hosted by the city every year. A five week long music festival is held in Chennai towards the end of each year and feature traditional Carnatic music performances by hundreds of artists. Apart from music and dance, literature, sculpture and cinema are also highly appreciated by Chennaiites. The Kalakshetra, an academy dedicated to teaching and preserving traditional art forms, and Cholamandalam artists’ village at Mamallapuram near Chennai enjoy international repute. Chennai is also home to the second biggest film industry in India and around 150 movies, mostly Tamil, are made here every year. Some of the biggest names in the Indian film fraternity live in Chennai.

Chennai and nearby areas are dotted with temples, some of which are many centuries old and showcase amazing architectural prowess and elaborate rock carvings. The Parthasarathi temple and Kapaleeswarar temple are thought to date back to the 8th century. There are also many colonial era churches in Chennai including the St. Mary’s Church which is the oldest Anglican Church in India, built in 1680.

The beaches of Chennai are wonderful places and provide welcome respite from the hot and humid conditions. The Marina Beach in the heart of the city is the second longest beach in the world and is a 13 kilometre long stretch. Its wide sandy expanse attracts a lot of people and it is a good picnic spot.