Places to Visit in Chennai

[Travel Freak]

Chennai the forth largest city in India and a city full of a mixture of things, from culture, parks, temples and beaches. The city has gained more popularity in the recent years and has become a top tourist destination.

Marina Beach
The first choice for beaches in Chennai is Marina Beach and this beach is the seconds largest in the world. A word of warning though although it is the second largest beach the beach is not well maintained as it should be.
There are quite a few activities which can be done on the beach such as fishing, surfing and playing volleyball. The beach gets very busy during the evening when families come to the beach to spend some time together or simply just walk along the shore.

Elliot's Beach
Just a few km's from Marina Beach is Elliot's Beach which is the cleanest beach in Chennai, so if it is a clean beach you want then Elliot's beach is the place to go. There is not much hustle bustle at Elliot's beach which is why it is an ideal location to simply relax and take in the view of the natural beauty.
Near the beach there are plenty of eateries and famous restaurants where you can enjoy food

Semmozhi Poonga
Semmozhi Poonga is a park which opened in 2010 and is spread across 20 acres. For those who want to lie down and get a view of natural beauty, landscapes and greenery this is the ideal location for you. The park is very well maintained and has over 500 varieties of trees and plants ranging from flowers to medical plants and trees over 100 years old. The park also has an artificial waterfall which adds to the beauty of the park.

Kapaleeswarar Temple
Kapaleeswarar Temple is the one of the oldest temples in Chennai city. The original construction of the temple was built in the 7th century but was rebuilt in the 16th century after the Portuguese destroyed it. Even though the re construction was done on the temple, it still has magnificent architecture and something which should be studies closely when visiting.

 

[VishalSuman]

Are there any other temples in Chennai to see apart from Kapaleeswarar? The architecture of the temples in South India especially in Tamil Nadu is fantastic and if visiting Chennai later on this year then I would like to know which other temples are worth visiting.

 

[Travel Freak]

Yes there are plenty of other temples in Chennai, which are Adeeswar Temple, Parathasarthy Temple, Kaligambal and a few others which I will provide details about in this thread and open a dedicated thread to the temples in Chennai.

 

[turtledove]

The temples in Chennai are absolutely breathtaking, and it's rare to see as many beautiful religious structures in other parts of India, so I would definitely recommend those! Since Chennai is along the coast, there are also a few beaches that are worth visiting as well, like Marina beach. There's also the Arginar Anna Zoological park, which I have visited and I thoroughly enjoyed!

 

[travelguide]

In Chennai you can see a lot of temples and a few of the famous ones are :

- Adeeshwar Temple
-Vadapalani Murugan Temple
- Madhya Kailash Temple
- Kapaleeshwar Temple
-Parthasarathy Temple

This is not a comprehensive list of temples in Chennai.

 

[bragadish]

Should you be a cricket fanatic you could pay a visit to MA Chidambaram Stadium as well.It is more like our prized possession.
Semmozhi Poonga is another treat for a visitor to our city.it sprawls over 20 acres and you are instantly rejuvenated with the fresh air.
Oh wait I forgot Guindy National Park..adds more value to the name/city Chennai

 

[turtledove]

Should you be a cricket fanatic you could take a visit to MA Chidambaram Stadium as well.It is more like our prized possession.
Semmozhi Poonga is another treat for a visitor to our city.it sprawls over 20 acres and you are instantly rejuvenated with the fresh air.
Oh wait i forgot Guindy National Park..adds more value to the name/city chennai

I have to agree! For anybody who's visiting Chennai and likes cricket, a visit to the MA Chidambaram Stadium is a must. The Guindy National is another place that anybody going to Chennai should visit, it's a really memorable experience.
In my earlier post I also forgot to mention Covelong Beach - I really would recommend a visit there.

 

[Ashwin Mahesh]

I have been to Chennai only once and I was visiting IIT Madras back then for academic purposes and I did not have much time on my hand to explore the city. The only place I happened to visit was the Crocodile park which is not too far from the place I was staying. I had never been to a crocodile park before so it was quite an experience to watch them up close. You get to see crocodiles of all sizes and some of them are really huge, you can only grasp the depth of it after you've seen them with your naked eyes, it is so unlike watching on tv.

 

[travelguide]

I have been to Chennai only once and I was visiting IIT Madras back then for academic purposes and I did not have much time on my hand to explore the city. The only place I happened to visit was the Crocodile park which is not too far from the place I was staying. I had never been to a crocodile park before so it was quite an experience to watch them up close. You get to see crocodiles of all sizes and some of them are really huge, you can only grasp the depth of it after you've seen them with your naked eyes, it is so unlike watching on tv.

Very true, it is really awesome to see them alive. It is also known as Madras Crocodile Bank. They have some very big crocodiles. It serves as a bank for endangered crocodiles and also re-release crocodiles back into the wild. Apart from crocodiles / alligators it is also a home for turtles and tortoises. Their latest addition is green and yellow Anacondas.

You can find a closed wooden window nearby which says "To know the most dangerous animal in the world just open the door" When you open the windows you can see it.... that is you! They placed a mirror inside the window. They are true humans are the most dangerous animals on earth !

 

[HIraeth]

My parents are travelling to Chennai next week on medical errands, but they had long asked me if I knew of any places they could visit while they were there. This seems to be an excellent list to start with! My dad is big on temple architecture and I have heard so much about these ancient monuments, their art and craftsmanship, I'm sure he would love to visit most f them. As for the beach, I suppose Elliot's Beach is a better option to spend time on!

 

[vegito12]

I think this is interesting as these places can be nice for the visitors who are planning to visit the area and reading about the city is amazing and the beaches are nice which can be really good to swim in, I have seen some pictures of the beaches and they look impressive and clean as well. The Crocodile park is a nice place as you can learn about the creatures and the fees can be low sometimes which be good for people who want to save money and are on a budget, and like the look of the park which I saw from the nice design on the website. It is amazing too these creatures which are protected by the government and Anaconda's can be real big and also they can come in many sizes and also it is nice to see these snakes are in a safe place and also hope to see more of these creatures are taken care off and we get to see more history of the city.