Marina Beach

Known popularly as a beautiful and alluring spot for picnickers in Vandalur, Arignar Anna Zoological Park happens to be one of the best places for exploring fauna and flora of this region. Calling on to adults and children for weekend getaways, Arignar Zoo gets a heavy influx of visitors each year. Located at an approximate distance of around 32 km from Chennai and spread across an average area of about 1260 acres, it is known as South East Asia’s largest zoo. Sheltering more than 138 species of creatures, Arignar Anna Zoological Park is a paradise for every nature and animal lover. This park houses umpteen varieties of animals, including mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fishes, and butterflies. In addition, the place also has a small Jurassic Park that adds to overall excitement offered by the destination. Other special aspects of this park include a children’s park, a learning centre, and Elephant joy rides. Arignar Anna Zoological Park is frequently visited by photo fanatics, wildlife lovers, nature lovers, peace seekers, and experience seekers. The park provides its visitors the opportunities to go on safaris and watch the various animals closely. The park also houses a small library where children as well as adults can get to read and learn more regarding the habitat and living styles of the different animals living in this place. In addition to all these exciting experiences, visitors can also indulge in nature and wildlife photography during their visit to 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.

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.

Tamil Nadu, a land of religious diversity and rich culture, is also home to some astonishing temples. Amongst it, there is Kapaleeshwarar Temple, a holy place situated in Mylapore. According to popular folklore, the temple traces its history back to the 7th and 16th century. This place is known for its history, architectural styles, and spirituality. The temple was built to worship Lord Shiva and other deities. Kapaleeshwarar temple resonates the rich Tamil religious culture. Its premises consist of sculptures of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. Moreover, the temple is home to shrines of Tamil Shaivite saint poets Nayaars. The structure of these shrines is marked with towering domes or Gopurams. Every structure light up during major festivals. From March to April, Kapaleeshwarar celebrates the religious sentiments during the Brahmotsavam festival. Devotees flock this temple and attend the grandeur of spirituality and Pooja services.Kapaleeshwarar temple hosts five types of Pujas, Ko Puja, Vaikarai Puja, Kaala sandhi Puja, Uchi Kaala Puja, and Ardhajama Puja. Visitors often schedule and take part in the Puja services. With the help of local priests, you can indulge in buying temple offerings and completing rituals. Also, if you are fond of artistic wonders, this place is going to win your heart.

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.