Previously known as Madras, Chennai is one of the super-exciting destinations of India blessed with vivid history and rich culture. More than anything else, Chennai is one place which hosts its guests with sheer grace along with ascertaining that they never fell short of entertainment. With art galleries, monuments, historic places, beaches, museums, etc., there is not a fun-loving thing on earth that cannot be experienced in Chennai. Go for parasailing, scuba diving, paragliding, trekking, hiking, camping and whatever satisfy your adventurous mind in one of the most fun-loving and outrageous places in South India. With several lakes, this place will give you a boating experience besides innumerable things to do in Chennai such as chilling at cafes or go for endless shopping. Overall, Chennai boasts a wonderful combination of various tourist activities you can think about. We have though shortlisted 12 super exciting places to visit and 7 adventurous things to do in Chennai while you visit this South Indian destination the next time.
Things to do in Chennai no. 1- Visiting Valluvar Kottam Temple
Valluvar Kottam in Chennai is a temple which looks like a chariot. The temple was built to honour one of the popular Tamil poets and a saint known as Thiruvalluvar. The monument was built in 1970 by Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi to honour the contributions made by Thiruvalluvar. The exclusive designs made on the walls of the monument is too magnificent to behold and thus, travellers find this place to be a perfect photo clicking spot. One interesting fact about this temple is that you can envisage a few saplings that were planted by Mother Teresa herself. They are marked separately with year written on it, 1984.
Things to do in Chennai no. 2- Trekking at Kolli Hills
Kolli in Tamil means ‘mountain of death’. This is one of the most thrilling things to do in Chennai and travellers make sure that they visit Namakkal district to do trekking at Kolli Hills. Since the hills are not yet touched by commercial tourism, this place beholds natural magnificence till date.
Things to do in Chennai no. 3- Sunbathing at Marina beach
Marina beach is among favourite beach locations in Chennai. It is the largest beach in India. The beauty of the beach makes it a popular sightseeing place too. Do experience the morning walk on this beach or play cricket, fly kite along with enjoying the view of sunrise and sunset in Marina beach for some super exciting experience.
Things to do in Chennai no. 4- Visit the cultural heritage of India
Mahabalipuram town near Chennai has become one of the great sources of the cultural heritage of India. This town holds many ancient temples as well as places of archaeological importance. Many histories enthusiasts flock in this place throughout the year.
Things to do in Chennai no. 5-Explore Bronze Statues at the Government Museum
The Government Museum is another super impressive place to visit in Chennai. The museums have huge galleries spread in three of its buildings which highlights Bronze galleries. An exquisite collection of Bronze statues can be found here which belongs to 7th century onwards. Since most of the collections are from the Chola period, this museum is considered as an important anthropological and archaeological site.
Things to do in Chennai no. 6- Have fun in MGM Dizzee World
If you seek to experience some fun-filling activity, visit MGM Dizzee World. Not only children but adults too enjoy this amusement park as it offers various fun rides to every age group. The place also has a water-themed park which provides its guest with exclusive water-based rides.
Things to do in Chennai no. 7-Bird watching at Pulicat Lake
Chennai homes various species of birds particularly beside the area named Pullicat Lake. This lake holds some beautiful as well as picturesque views and is the second-largest saline water lake in India. The lake is nestled between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh which proves to be a blessing for Chennai visitors. The lake is full of flora and fauna which have made Pulicat Lake also known as Pulicat Lake Wildlife Sanctuary worldwide.
Things to do in Chennai no. 8- Bird’s Eye View from Chennai Lighthouse
Alongside Marina beach, you can see one of the special landmarks of Chennai, a Lighthouse which oversees the massive Bay of Bengal. Built-in the year 1976, the Chennai lighthouse is the fourth lighthouse tower of the city, first being the one built-in 1796. Chennai lighthouse is the only lighthouse in India and has an elevator to climb up and down.
Things to do in Chennai no. 9- Visit Asia’s Largest Vegetable Markets
Yes! Chennai has Asia’s largest Vegetable market known as Koyambedu Wholesale Market Complex. The market spreads across 295 acres of land and is as old as 25 years. Some 2000 retailers and 1000 wholesalers operate from this market. You can get some exclusive flowers which are sold in the flower section during noontime.
Things to do in Chennai no. 10- Spent Gala time at Kapaleeshwarar Temple
Although Chennai has many places filled with rich culture, the Kalpaleeshwar Mandir is one must-see places. Located at the Mylapore region in Chennai, this temple exhibits a clear Dravidian style of architecture. Kalpaleeshwar Temple is the oldest temple in Chennai and holds a significant position in the hearts of people of Chennai.
Things to do in Chennai no. 11- Explore Arignar Anna Zoological Park
Vandalur is one of the favourite picnic spots in Chennai however, Arignar Anna Zoological Park is popular for flora and fauna. Many people love spending their weekends in Arignar zoo which is situated some 32 kilometres away from the main city. This is the largest zoo in South East Asia of its kind and is spread in a huge area around 1260 acres. Along with exploring many exotic and endemic animals, visitors can experience a super exciting safari ride where deer and lions can be spotted easily. There is a reptile house in the zoo where many dangerous reptiles such as viper, cobra and python are been kept. To add on to the excitement, the park has an in-built Jurassic Park along with providing elephant rides, an education centre for children and many more.
Things to do in Chennai no. 12- Enjoy Sunset at Elliot’s Beach
Elliot’s Beach or Besant Nagar Beach is located in Besant Nagar and is popularly known as the Bessie. The beach is named after Edward Elliot who was Chief Magistrate, Governor of Chennai and Superintendent of Madras during British Raj. Elliot’s Beach has Asthalakshmi Kovil and Velanknni Church also. This beach is quite mesmerising and is the cleanest beach of Chennai located towards the southern side of marina beach.
Super adventurous things to do in Chennai:
Scuba Diving:
Chennai experiences long summers and diving in the cold water of Bay of Bengal is the only way which helps people beat the heat. If you love scuba diving, visit coastal areas of Chennai. Here you can discover a unique world located under the surface of seawater besides getting chilled in hot summer days. It can be said that for scuba divers, Chennai offers a mesmerising opportunity so that divers can experience some super exciting views of clear water and life of underwater creatures. To experience underwater thrills, you will have to go through a training campaign besides getting acquainted with equipment’s used in scuba diving such as oxygen tanks, regulators, snorkel, masks, buoyancy control devices, weights, etc. After passing the initial training, you can hire a guide before plunging in too deep waters and swim past colourful corals, exotic fishes and marine creatures.
Fishing at Barracuda Bay:
Since Chennai is a coastal city, it offers its visitors with many water-related fun activities. Fishing is among many others which are loved by people residing in Chennai. Usually, residents and tourists would like to go fishing during weekends and collect their bucket full of fishes. Barracuda Bay is considered as an idle place for fishing in Chennai as many fishes can be found in this area.
Parasailing:
Chennai is not only about temples or beaches but is a place idle for many sports too. it offers its visitors some adventurous and thrilling sports such as parasailing. However, this water sport is restricted for people having fainted hearts. Parasailing in Chennai means sailing above the seawater where a parachute is tied to you back for a safe landing. A motorboat is attached for moving forward and the air in the parachute allows the parasailer to float over the turquoise blue sea. Covelong Beach and Marina Beach are the primary locations where local operators associated with parasailing can be found.
Surfing:
Riding the waves and getting inside the seawater on a surfboard is one of the water sports activity which is liked by very fewer people. However, a little practice can make this adventurous activity an enjoyable one in Chennai. Many surfing schools are available in the city which can help first-time surfers while they put their feet into the water. Covelong Beach is an idle place where you can find the most affordable and best schools which offer classes on surfing.
Crocodile counting:
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust is an initiative to safeguard rare species of crocodiles. The initiative was started by a wildlife activist Romulus ‘Rom’ Whitaker. In the beginning, The Croc bank was developed to keep crocodiles safe and assist them in breeding and multiply until they could be returned to their natural habitat. However, this practice has been stopped due to lessened wilderness. Croc Bank is often confused with a zoo. This place is but an in-situ and ex-situ conservation area. You can have a look over more than 17 crocodile species and reptiles such as lizards, snakes, frogs and turtles. Some of the animals are listed by IUCN as endangered. To make this place a fun-filled zone, the park has organised some fun activities like guided tours, night safari and feeding programmes.
Paintball:
If you love to get indulged in combat games, try paintball in Chennai. Most of the combat games lack a feeling of touch, the ones that we play via phones or virtual reality devices. Paintball is quite a different and offers a bunch of Arenas with live-action. To play, you need to wear special suits and hold paintball guns in your hand. Challenge your acquaintance or friends for some real action. Keep your aim and spirits in check while marking your friend at sight besides avoiding yourself from getting hit to win the game.
Rock climbing:
This is yet another one of the thrilling and best things to do in Chennai. The fitness aspects of people living in Chennai makes rock climbing and bouldering a favourite sport of the city besides involving in regular gyms and clubs. Climbing not only keeps people fit but puts them under the raging sun to challenge the toughest situations in life. Go for this coolest activity once you are in Chennai after getting some lessons on how to do rock climbing. Indoor climbing is provided by Climbing Gyms like Fit Rock arena and for outdoor rock climbing, you have to visit Kambakkam.
