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Greetings everyone!
I am from Chennai, and many travelers and indeed, fellow Chennai-ites ask me what people can do in Chennai, how one can have their own do-it-yourself private tour of Chennai in a day. After quite a bit of research and experience, I find that the best circuit to experience Chennai in a day is:
Marina Beach - Santhome Basilica - Kapaleeshwar Temple - Ice House - Anna and MGR Memorial - Fort St George - Madras High Court - Rippon Building - Egmore Museum.
Why?
This travel plan gives you a bit of history and the contemporary. You'll start of at Marina Beach, the second longest urban beach in the world, which attracts thousands of visitors, explore the Dutch connection in Santhome and the Apostle, Doubting Thomas's stay in Chennai, visit an ancient living Temple and see magnificent Pallava architecture, explore south India's fascination with film and how all political leaders in Tamil Nadu are erstwhile film stars, dwell into the "birth" of the city and the British Empire at Fort St George, see Indo-Saracenic architecture which was the favored style of the British and be amazed by the spectacular Chola age Bronze sculptures on display in the Chennai Egmore Museum.
Time:
At leisure, an with time to explore each place, this circuit should take you 6-8 hours. I'd suggest you start early, after breakfast and then, you should be in the Egmore Museum by 3/4 PM
How and Costs:
This circuit is a bit tough to do by public transport. You'll find that you will spend most of your time travelling in crowded buses if you do. Easiest is to hire a cab. Or catch auto rickshaws. Now Chennai auto drivers are really devil spawn, monsters in disguise, so I am going to individually spell out how much to pay. Of course, they will refuse and ask for 5 times more, but quote what I tell you, and when the monsters refuse, start walking away, and they will yield. Trust me on this. Do this a few times and you'll get the gist of it.
1) Marina Beach to Santhome Basilica - From Gandhi Statue, Marina Beach Rs 40. From the Light House, Rs 30.
2) Santhome Basilica to Kapaleeshwar Temple, Mylapore: Rs 50
3) Kapaleeshwar Temple to Ice House and Fort St George: Rs 100 (You'll find that you are back on the Marina Beach stretch, but the roundabout is advisable and good to do.)
4) Fort St George to High Court: Rs 40
5) High Court to Egmore Museum: Rs 80
Please don't pay the monstrous devil spawns anything more, for if you do, they keep pushing up the prices. Remember that an Auto rickshaw gives MORE than 25 KM per liter of petrol, and most of travel legs are less than 2/3 KMS.
For those of you who want further info on why and what in the places mentioned, take a peek at my website. You do not have to do the tour mentioned there, but there is interesting copy (content) and details on each place mentioned.
Indian Expeditions - Private Day Tour of Chennai with a highly knowledgeable local guide
Cheerio!
I am from Chennai, and many travelers and indeed, fellow Chennai-ites ask me what people can do in Chennai, how one can have their own do-it-yourself private tour of Chennai in a day. After quite a bit of research and experience, I find that the best circuit to experience Chennai in a day is:
Marina Beach - Santhome Basilica - Kapaleeshwar Temple - Ice House - Anna and MGR Memorial - Fort St George - Madras High Court - Rippon Building - Egmore Museum.
Why?
This travel plan gives you a bit of history and the contemporary. You'll start of at Marina Beach, the second longest urban beach in the world, which attracts thousands of visitors, explore the Dutch connection in Santhome and the Apostle, Doubting Thomas's stay in Chennai, visit an ancient living Temple and see magnificent Pallava architecture, explore south India's fascination with film and how all political leaders in Tamil Nadu are erstwhile film stars, dwell into the "birth" of the city and the British Empire at Fort St George, see Indo-Saracenic architecture which was the favored style of the British and be amazed by the spectacular Chola age Bronze sculptures on display in the Chennai Egmore Museum.
Time:
At leisure, an with time to explore each place, this circuit should take you 6-8 hours. I'd suggest you start early, after breakfast and then, you should be in the Egmore Museum by 3/4 PM
How and Costs:
This circuit is a bit tough to do by public transport. You'll find that you will spend most of your time travelling in crowded buses if you do. Easiest is to hire a cab. Or catch auto rickshaws. Now Chennai auto drivers are really devil spawn, monsters in disguise, so I am going to individually spell out how much to pay. Of course, they will refuse and ask for 5 times more, but quote what I tell you, and when the monsters refuse, start walking away, and they will yield. Trust me on this. Do this a few times and you'll get the gist of it.
1) Marina Beach to Santhome Basilica - From Gandhi Statue, Marina Beach Rs 40. From the Light House, Rs 30.
2) Santhome Basilica to Kapaleeshwar Temple, Mylapore: Rs 50
3) Kapaleeshwar Temple to Ice House and Fort St George: Rs 100 (You'll find that you are back on the Marina Beach stretch, but the roundabout is advisable and good to do.)
4) Fort St George to High Court: Rs 40
5) High Court to Egmore Museum: Rs 80
Please don't pay the monstrous devil spawns anything more, for if you do, they keep pushing up the prices. Remember that an Auto rickshaw gives MORE than 25 KM per liter of petrol, and most of travel legs are less than 2/3 KMS.
For those of you who want further info on why and what in the places mentioned, take a peek at my website. You do not have to do the tour mentioned there, but there is interesting copy (content) and details on each place mentioned.
Indian Expeditions - Private Day Tour of Chennai with a highly knowledgeable local guide
Cheerio!
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