Chennai (Madras)- Southern comfort! (Chennai (Madras))

Member Name: mohan

Product:	Chennai (Madras)
Date:	09/08/00 (53 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: friendly, aromatic, top notch food, cheap

Disadvantages: crowded, dusty, roads can be atrocious.

If you want to get off the beaten track ( the Goa-Bombay- Agra-Delhi circuits) and experience a totally new Indian experience, go to Chennai (formerly Madras). Keep chennai as a base and you can devour all the splendours of South India from there.

Now most people alien to India should realise that there is a north south divide. North India is heavily influenced by Mughal invaders and is a mishmash of cultures. South on the other hand, represent something truly unique- a mostly uncorrupted Dravidian culture:ancient Hindu temples, musical language and an aromatic cuisine the likes of which you'll never see in an English curry house.

Chennai was the base for East India Company when Robert Clive was over there. They built a fort on the coast- ( Chennai has the second longest beach in the world-first being Miami) and the coastal line leads to some wonderful retreats for the visitor-fisherman's cove, kovalam etc.
The city beach itrself is sadly underdeveloped. The trafic is chaotic- don't even try to drive there-hire a local driver.

A huge and bustling city, Chennai at once combines high tech wizardry with traditional niches. It is crowded, it is hot and dusty but here is some magic in its temples and ashrams. You can visit the botanicla gardens and marvel at the banyan tree. You can visit the Santhome cathedral. You can stay in some splendid 5 star comfort ( Chola sheraton, Taj, Adyar Park, connemara, Residency) . All hotels boast splendid restaurants, coffee shops and are actually very cheap.there is excellent shopping malls and century old temples all ajacent to each other. The people are friendly and good humoured, and everyone speaks fluent English (local lingo is Tamil but Madras is very cosmopolitan)

You can tour the rest of the south by hiring a car and driving down south. Madras boast a perfectly serviceable international airport and quite a few airlines fly direct from Heathrow.
Go on, give south India
a try.

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