Places to visit in Chennai could be so different from any you have seen in the country. Chennai which was previously known as Madras sits on the Coromandel Coast close to the Bay of Bengal. The city is such a highly visited tourist spot among travellers, hosting Carnatic music concerts. The city also has one of the country’s finest eye care hospitals known as “Shankar Nethralaya” The temple of the eye.
You could take some photos of the Olive Ridley sea turtles, a lovely add to your wildlife photography collection.
Guindy National Park
Image Source: Wikimedia
Guindy National Park is located close to Raj Bhavan, the governor’s residence, invites you to forests, scrub lands, lakes and streams. You could look out for Blackbucks, Spotted Deers, Jackals, Snakes, Geckos, Tortoises, Butterflies, Spiders, Grasshoppers, Ants, Termites, Crabs, Snails, Slugs, Mites, Earthworms and Millipedes. The park has a very high footfall every year. The park was actually a game reserve and called the Guindy Park. The park enjoys a huge share along with Raj Bhavan and IIT Madras in protecting animal biodiversity on the Coromandel Coast. You get to see some rare tropical dry evergreen scrub and thorn forest, some species like Randia Dumetorum, Randia malabarica, Carissa spinarum, Acacia chundra, Cereus peruvianus and Glycosmis mauritiana (quite an amalgam of Chennai sightseeing experience). Small Indian civet, common palm civet, bonnet macaque, hyena, pangolin, common mongoose, three-striped palm squirrel and black-naped hare. The park has about 150 species of birds and is a must, must places to visit in Chennai.
Chennai Snake Park (Guindy Snake Park, Madras Crocodile Trust)
Image Source: Flickr | Photo Credit
Chennai Snake Park was founded by the herpetologist Romulus Whitaker. Snake species which could be found here are Reticulated python, Indian rock Python, Common krait, Russell’s viper, Saw-scaled viper, Indian Rat snake, Red sand boa, Common sand boa, Dog-faced water snakes, Common cat snake, Common kukri snake, Common bronze back tree snake, Annulated sea snake, Common wolf snake, Common vine snake, Striped Keelback, Checkered keelback, olive keelback, common trinket snake, spectacled cobra, banded sea krait, hook-nosed sea snake. Some crocodile species are Gharial, Marsh crocodile, Siamese crocodile, African dwarf crocodile, Nile crocodile and spectacled caiman. It certainly is quite an attraction with its diverse species range. The park has done a research to protect army people from snakes in deserts. The research was funded by DRDO . This tourist spot is on number two of our places to visit in Chennai list.
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
Image Source: Wikimedia | Photo Credit
Vedanthangal is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries in the country. Like, Kokkare Bellur bird sanctuary, it is protected by the local people. The bird droppings are used by the local people in the tanks to increase the nitrogen content of the water. The water then helps cut down on the use of fertilizers. Stories have it that way back in 1798, the local people convinced the authorities to make the area into a sanctuary, yes it is one of the places to visit near Chennai.
The result is before you! 30000 species of birds come here including herons, egrets, storks, ibises and spoon bills. The common Open billed storks breed twice during the same season. The Bird Sanctuary is at a distance of 82 kms from Chennai and you need to take NH 45 to reach here. It’s a place to visit near Chennai, not in the heart of the city. Have a soulful-day in this Chennai sightseeing treat!
Marina Beach
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If in Chennai, you need to visit the beach area. Wildnest advises you to check the report of the weather department before going close to the waters as there was a flood couple of months back.
Marina beach is the longest beach in India and the second longest beach in the world; it is close to Kamarajar Salai Road, three kilometers from Chennai. It stretches from St. George Fort to Mahabalipuram. Ah! The palm trees that line the beach, enjoy their beauty. You could also do the horseback rides. And spot some olive ridley turtles (one of the treaty places to visit in Chennai).But, do not swim and bathe here as the undercurrent is turbulent and chaotic. But, the sea waves will surely regale your spirit to a happier day. There are some local organisations like Students’ Sea Turtle Conservation Network, Sea Turtle Protection Force of the TREE Foundation which take steps to protect the ecosystem on the beach. Look around, enjoy and have a wonderful time at Marina beach; make it a picnic spot with your colleagues!
Edward Elliot’s Beach
Image Source: Enwikipedia.org
Edward Elliot Beach is the end point of Marina Beach. Some other attractions close to the beach are Velankanni Church and the Ashtalakshmi Kovil This beach is the ideal place for long walks. The beach is popular among tourists and also the local people. The temple on the beach is 20 years old and is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. Some restaurants on the beach are Ponnusamy restaurant, Karaikudi restaurant, Lee’s Chinese restaurant, New Shangri La. There are no water sports here, but it’s fun. Do some leisure activities here like playing UNO or playing the guitar.
War Memorial
Image Source: Enwikipedia.org
You could end your Chennai sojourn by also visiting the War Memorial, which honours those soldiers who fought bravely in the First World War. There is also Victory War Memorial and Rajiv Gandhi Memorial. The first was constructed to honour the victory of the Allied Armies in the World War I. The Rajiv Gandhi Memorial is dedicated to the former Prime Minister of the country Rajiv Gandhi. The memorial celebrates the exuberance of a great leader. You certainly could take a walk across Indian history and former times. You could also make this spot, a one day picnic spot. Cheers!
Admire, appreciate, bask and indulge while you are in Chennai!
Explore more for more of Chennai sightseeing and tell us about it at info@wildnest.in
