Travel Itinery-Chennai city

TRAVEL ITINERY

Formerly known as Madras, Chennai boasts of a large number of historical monuments, mostly built during the days of the British Empire in India. In addition, Chennai is a well-known cultural hub, deeply rooted in the Indian tradition.


Day 1:

The guests arrive at the Chennai International Airport at 1100 hrs and driven to the hotel where they relax after a light meal till 1400 hrs. Then , their tour, begins on an auspicious note with a visit to the Parthasarathy temple in Triplicane. They are offered an opportunity to enjoy the relative calm of the temple,acquaint themselves with the temple elephant and attend the evening prayer rituals at the temple. They return to the hotel for dinner.

Day 2:

The guests rise early in the morning in preparation for the long trip to Mahabalipuram. After the tradition Tamil Nadu breakfast of idli and sambar, they will undertake the two -and-a-half hour journey to Mahabalipuram. Under the hot sand, they learn more about the Pallava dynasty architecture, while admiring the friezes at the Shore temple. After lunch of freshly-caught seafood, they are free to shop for souvenirs while admiring the splendour of the orange-red sunset, before heading back to the hotel.

Day 3:

Having had a tiring day on Day 2, the guests are free to spend the morning of Day 3 in leisure at the hotel. After a quick lunch at 1300 hrs, the guests are escorted to the Egmore Museum. After studying the various exhibits in detail, the guests are taken to the Theosophical Society in Adyar, which they explore on their own. At 1900 hrs, they are driven back to have dinner at the hotel and rest.

Day 4:

Day 4 begins with a visit to the Vivekananda Illam, on the Beach Road (the former Ice house), followed by a visit to the Fort St.George Musuem. The Museum offers a glimpse of the past, with pictures of Governors, coat-of-arms, weaponry and the like on display as a gigantic statue of Lord Dalhousie greets the visitors. Then, the guests are taken on a quick tour of the various colleges that form a part of the Beach Road. Then, they spend the evening on the Marina Beach- the world's second largest natural beach. At about 2000 hrs, the guests head back to the hotel.

Day 5:

No trip to Chennai is complete without a cultural experience either in music or in dance. The final day of the tour begins at the Kalakshetra- an institution synonymous with the traditional arts. In addition too watching the young dancers getting trained in bharatanatyam and kathak-two of the oldest dance forms of India, the guests try their hands (and this case their feet too!) in the basics of the dance styles. Furthermore, they witness the stalwarts of music teach the pupils the nuances of Carnatic music. With a light lunch at the hotel, the guests get prepared to attend a Carnatic concert at the Music Academy till 1800 hrs. After a day of enjoying the Indian art forms,the guests get ready for departure. After finishing a quiet dinner at the dinner, the guests are taken to the Chennai International Airport to board the 2200 hr flight.


A 5-day tour is hardly sufficient to enjoy all that Chennai has to offer. However, this tour aims to offer the guests a glimpse of the exciting multi-dimensional aspects of this vibrant city !