Speaking of experiencing India in its most natural form, Chennai is a city that wonderfully busts the myth to prove itself a city with its own tradition and modernity intertwining beautifully. Set on the gorgeous Coromandel Coast and surrounded by the glorious sceneries, this exuberant piece of metropolis is not only the capital of Tamil Nadu, but also a cultural pulse of the nation. Be it classical dance forms and temples dating back several millennia or gola, hot street food and filter coffee to keep your spirits up, Chennai is a place that will woo any tourist. And, when you are on vacation-what better way to discover the city than by a Vacation with VootHolidays? So sit back and we will provide you with a pleasurable tour of the rich Chennai culture and delicious food coupled with some tips to make your trip as smooth as possible.

A Gateway to the South- Getting to Chennai

This is one of the finest things about Chennai, the accessibility. Be it as a tourist or on business, the city is connected by air, rail and road. Cheap flights from Mumbai to Chennai are abundant, and with a few dozen daily flights this city is an easy getaway not only to people living in the financial capital of India but also to those located in all other directions. It takes less than 2 hours to fly and this gives you options of leaving Mumbai after having breakfast and sipping in world famous filter coffee of Chennai before lunch.

The Voot Holidays ensures that travel becomes pain-free by offering you custom desktops with flights, stay and local tours. Planning a Vacation with Voot Holidays is not merely a journey but an experience of Chennai in the real sense of the word; where every small aspect is carefully planned.

Temples, Tradition, and Culture out of the Past

Chennai is dubbed the Gateway to the South Indian Temple architecture and well it deserves considering that there are almost two dozen temples in the locality. The city possesses the most iconic temples in the country that are also masterpiece of history, devotion, and art.

●       Kapaleeshwarar Temple: Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore is a very popular temple of Chennai. This is a 7th-century marvel dedicated to Lord Shiva and is well known because of the tall gopuram (temple tower) which was painted in colorful sculptures of gods, goddesses and mythological characters. 

●       Parthasarathy Temple: Another good temple (yet again it happens to be one of the oldest temples of the city) is the Parthasarathy Temple in Triplicane dedicated to Lord Krishna who in the stories of Mahabharata was the charioteer of Arjuna. 

●       Vadapalani Murugan Temple: The Vadapalani Murugan Temple is another attraction to be seen by the devotees of a mixture of religiosity and art. Lord Murugan temple is devoted to Lord muruga, and is supposed to fulfill desires of what the devotees wish to attain.

Culinary heaven- Filter To Tasty Curries

And when temples keep the soul nourished, no doubt the food of Chennai will also nourish hunger of the body and the heart. Here in the Netherlands, food is more than a matter of taste, it is about tradition, hospitality, and the stories which are absorbed over the time.

●       Morning: Begin the morning with a cliche South Indian meal the soft idlis and the crispy dosas, fluffy uttapams and steaming hot vadas accompanied by a wealth of colorful chutneys coconut, tomato and mint chutneys and soulful sambar made of different spices. Mom and Pop stores such as Murugan Idli Shop or Saravana Bhavan have risen to be a household name and serve these delicacies locals swear by.

●       Lunch: Tamil thali is a famous lunch dish worth enjoying; this can only be had on a banana leaf and consists of rice, rasam, sambar, kootu, poriyal, appalam and a sweet dish as an accompaniment. The eating experience is more complete when you eat with your hands unlike the locals. Seafood enthusiasts cannot afford to miss Chettinad food with its hot spices and the thick gravies. Meals such as Chettinad chicken curry or meen kuzhambu (fish curry) have a kick to it, and go best with steamed rice or parotta.

●       Evening: At sunset, take an evening walk along the Marina Beach and nibble on roasted peanuts, bajjis (fritters) and sundal, which is a tangy-tasting chickpea dish that is usually served in paper cones. Not only is street food cheap and delicious here but also part and parcel of Chennai food personality.Then how can Chennai be without filter coffee? Its robust, foamy and full aromatic taste is prepared in a special steel filter and offered in a dabara-tumbler set. There is a joke among the locals that filter coffee-blood flows in their veins and it only takes one sip to realize it.

Travel with Voot Holidays.

Chennai is charming in cultural and gastronomical aspects but the way you perceive it all matters. Voot Holidays comes in there. Booking the most competitive fares to arranging rooms at hotel of your choice, each aspect is planned to make your travel better. Joining of their guided tours will make you relay to the deeper facts behind the Chennai traditions and their culinary experiences will expose you to some tastes you would otherwise miss.

Most importantly VootHolidays takes the logistics out of the way as you spend time in the city soaking. They plan your chennai vacation to put you at ease with beach visits, temple tours and food explorations among others.