Chennai

It is first bastion of British power in India constructed in 1640, was established in a banana grove owned by a farmer called Madrasan. The official grant for the land however was given by Venkatadri Nayak, the deputy of the Raja of Chandragiri. The first factory was named as Fort St. George. The fort was often attacked by Indian and French forces, yet it continued to expand. Today the buildings in Fort St. George house the Government secretarial and the Legislative assembly. The sloping ramparts with battlements for gun emplacement were designed and constructed by Bartholomew Robins in 1750.

Chennai's seashore hosts one of India’s largest urban beaches stretching for 13 km along the city's eastern flank. This is the second longest beach in the world. The large expanse of silver sand allows for a great walk along the seashore. Sunrise and sun set views are picturesque in this perfect setting. The evenings are quite busy with people coming along with their families to have some entertainment here. The Marina, connecting Fort St. George with San Thome Basilica almost 5 km away was built by the then governor between 1881 and 1886. The walk along south beach road takes in parks, tree lined cobbled streets and spectacular colonial and Indo-Saracenic buildings.

Kapaleeswarar Temple is one of the oldest temples in the city, a lovely temple with a Stately Spire or ‘Gopuram’ as it is called. There is a big tank on its West. The temple and the tank are surrounded by Broad streets on the four sides. Going by the songs by Nayanmars, it is believed that Kapaleeswarar Temple was built during the 7th century by Pallava Kings. The architecture is not as old as they seem to be around 400 years old and the temple is a classic example of Dravidian architecture. The temple is marked by a 36m gopuram tower adorned with detailed figures and inscriptions dating back to 1250 A.D.

Arignar Anna Zoological Park is the first ever zoo in India started in 1855. The zoo was initially in the Moor market from where it was shifted to Vandalur in 1976. Works for the establishment of the zoo was started in 1976 and Arignar Anna Zoological Park was opened to public in 1985. It is one of the largest zoos in South East Asia sprawling over an area of 602 hectare, the zoo houses over 170 species of wildlife. Some of the wildlife found here includes tiger, lion, hyena, panther, elephants and many more. Elephant rides and lion safaris are available. If you are up to it, you could walk the entire stretch of the park. If not, you can tour on the battery operated vehicle rides.