Arignar Anna Zoological Park

Awaken the child inside you by visiting one of the best theme parks in Southern India. Located in Chennai, near the Vandalur Railway Station, the fabulous Kishkinta Theme Park is spread across 120 acres of land, surrounded by scenic landscapes and lush greenery all around. The park also has a varied range of terrains, along with picturesque fountains, waterfalls and other decorations adding to the beauty of it.  Catering not just to children, but also to adults alike, the Kishkinta Theme Park has a magnificent water park within its premises. Moreover, it boasts of exciting rides like the water volcano, elephant splash and much more. Additionally, along with water rides, Kishkinta Theme Park also has dry rides, making it suitable for all kinds of visitors. The presence of other kinds of entertainment such as wave pools, roller coaster and toy trains, and a lot more, make a visit to Kishkinta Theme Park even more enjoyable.  The theme park is designed in a way such that it becomes a great place for a day out with your friends and family. In addition to the many rides, you can also enjoy a great picnic with your near and dear ones. Moreover, from time to time, the park organises many different entertainment shows and other events for visitors. Therefore, it becomes a perfect place for a day’s outing amidst the busy city limits.

Sprawling over 2.70 KM square of land, Guindy National Park has been ranked the eighth smallest national park of India. Also, it is the only park situated right in the middle of a city. Established in the year 1978, the park got its protective atmosphere to preserve some of the rare and endangered species of wildlife. To fulfil this, the park is completely restricted from any human activities like poaching, hunting, etc.With well-established boundaries, the park successfully houses more than 350 species of vegetation along with 150 species of birds and 14 species of wild animals. You can also spot more than 60 species of butterflies and spiders as well as numerous amphibians and reptiles. Utmost care has been taken to keep up their natural habitats and several restrictions have been made to support the same.People like to come here to stroll around the park to witness various species and capture them inside their lenses. It is also a good place to come close to nature and understand its importance in our lives. Children should definitely be brought here in order to get sensitized in relation to wildlife and its preservationAs the park is settled amidst the city, commuting to the park and finding various eateries as well as places to stay near it becomes very convenient. With all these facilities, Guindy National Park will not let you go disappointed.

Based in the glorious metropolis of Chennai, Semmozhi Poonga is a lush botanical garden established by a collaboration between the Horticulture and Agricultural Engineering Department of Tamil Nadu. Conceived in 2010, the magnificent Garden is the first botanical Garden of Chennai. The Garden is vast covering an area of about 20 acres and is situated at the Cathedral Road. The Garden is home to temperate and tropical flora and distinct plant species. It is filled with both native and exotic plants including a variety of bonsai species, shrubs, medicinal herbs and aromatic stems. It is an ideal place to spend one's weekend in if one is a nature lover or botany enthusiast. Semmozhi Poonga is divided into eight sub-gardens showcasing plants of specific varieties such as bonsai, herbal, exotic, tree court and mural walk. The colourful Garden is a feast for all the senses of the mind. Contrasting natural shades and alluring natural fragrances blend into each other and make a paradise-like scenario. The Garden is also famous for its contrived duck pond and a beautiful golden garden featuring flowers of different shades of gold. Replete with attractions including water and rock garden, fern garden and butterfly garden, the Park is graced with twenty-five thematic gardens. A plethora of rare plant species and natural bounties from all over the country feature in this unique Garden which makes it the perfect site for exploration and education.

Famous as the longest beach in India and the second-longest of its kind in the world, Marina Beach is one of the most famous beach holiday destinations in the country. Named so after the Italian word ‘marina’ by the then Governor-General, the beach has been a popular location in Chennai since 1881. Stretched over 13 kilometres, the glistening sands of the beach are as rejuvenating as they are picturesque. Keeping in mind the popularity of the place, there has been a huge number of significant buildings and monuments build across the promenade since the beginning of the 19th century. The most famous landmark in the city, Marina Beach is home to several iconic buildings and statues. For instance, it hosts India’s first aquarium which was constructed in 1909. Additionally, walking along the promenade, history lovers could find a great many statues commemorating the lives of some of the most illustrious dignitaries in Indian history. Whether you wish to take a romantic horse ride by the seashore or enjoy a spellbinding 360° view of the city from the Chennai Lighthouse, Marina Beach is a must-visit in Chennai.

Dakshinachitra happens to be one of the most renowned and widely held museums situated in Chennai that makes a mark in the living history of Museums in India. The museum has a varied display of Indian artifacts and works of art and crafts, architecture, lifestyles, and performing arts. The museum has been set up in the year 1996 in order to promote the culture of South India in a global scenario. The entire project was taken up by one of the NGOs in South India, Madras Craft Foundation. The museum is said to offer amazing and engaging tours to visitors coming from all over the world. It displays more than 4220 different artifacts and about 1,000,000 pictorial representations of various happenings in South India. A passage through the galleries will certainly give anyone a vast exposure and depth knowledge of the legacy of the times gone by of South India. The museum is crafted in the middle of the city in the form of a village. It has about 18 different houses that offer a unique experience to the visitors showcasing various contextual exhibits. These houses are brought to the village from various areas of South India and were reconstructed in a unique style by professional artisans. If you are interested in gaining knowledge about the past happenings and cultural variations of South India, then there is no better place than Dakshinachitra.

Infused with a ton of rides and amusing activities, MGM Dizzee World in Chennai is hands down one of the best theme parks in the country. A pioneer in getting the best rides from around the world to India, the place is equipped with euphorias like hot air Jurong bird show from Singapore, Big Wheel, Sky Glider, Rainbow, Super Trucks, and many more rides, adventurous and water sports. The entertainment park's vast variety of rides and attractions that are suited for anyone from a kid to a large family, makes the places much more engaging and alluring for visitors. Apart from exciting rides and adventures the place also holds a spacious restaurant serving a variety of dishes of both Indian and International cuisines, make the MGM Dizzee World a complete package. So, if you are looking to get away from the crowded city into a land encapsulated with loads of amusements, well, look no further, MGM Dizzee World in Chennai is the place to be.

Standing proudly on the Eastern coast of Chennai is the VGP Universal Kingdom, the largest water park in Chennai. With its plethora of rides, attractions and other amusement options, the Water Park offers a fun and educational entertainment for people across all ages. VGP Universal Kingdom came into existence as early as 1975, way before Amusement Parks became a commonplace notion in India. The late founder of the Park, Shri V G Paneerdas, conceptualized a new form of leisure, entertainment, and brought his vision to fruition with the construction of the VGP Universal Kingdom.Primarily built as an entertainment sector, the park was later converted into a full-fledged Theme Park in 1997, and is now the largest amusement park in all of India. Sprawling across a vast 45 acres of land, VGP Universal Kingdom boasts of more than 50 amusement rides, a water Park, a Snow Kingdom, a fully equipped private beach, a Petting Zoo and three restaurants to its name.The rides are segregated by their difficulty levels, and the park provides attractions catering to people of all ages. The amusement park often hosts live shows and events, bringing performers from around the world to present a gala of music, dance, theatre, puppetry and much more. The live shows usually take place during the weekends, public holidays or on special days like New Year’s Eve. VGP Universal Kingdom also has a mascot of its own- Kutti Raja- who, with his retinue of Sepoys, is bent to deliver the best of entertainment and fun to the younger visitors of the park.

The Government Museum in Chennai boasts of a large repository of curious exhibits defining art, archeology, anthropology, numismatics and diverse other subjects. From a cutting-edge life-size T-rex in animatronics to ancient sculptural specimens, there is a wealth of interesting things to see here. Besides the main building, the museum has a natural history section, a children’s museum, and zoological and botanical galleries.Those interested in culture can surf through a wide gallery of folk arts, exhibiting puppets, local musical instruments, theatrical costumes, and various other objects. There’s also the  Museum Theatre, capable of accommodating up to 600 people which show enlightening historical documentaries in high-quality acoustics. The centuries old museum was established in the year 1851.It is also one of the most ancient in the world and carries the legacy of housing the vastest collection of Roman antiquities outside Europe. Among the ancient Asian heritages preserved here, the bronze statues found in Southern India, dating back to 1000 BC, are the most well-known. The museum has something to engage everyone, from art aficionados to children. While you spend time admiring Ravi Verma paintings in the arts section, the younger ones in the party can head to the children’s museum featuring vibrant visual exhibits elucidating Nature, Indian history, innovation in technology, and more. The children’s museum is presently being renovated with an air-conditioned 3D theatre equipped to play five films a day. It takes around 2-3 hours to cover a full tour of the Government Museum complex and get super-knowledgeable about all things under the sun.