Tiny Topics: Our Member In Chennai

Going to India may seem a little daunting at first. At least, that’s how I felt before I made my first trip there in 2019. Many things come to mind when people speak of India, the chaos, the traffic, the heat, the spicy food. For me too, it wasn’t always easy to enjoy my first trips. However, over time things changed. As I was able to connect with the people, our colleagues, it has now become my favourite work destination.

Not only the temples, trucks, and clothes are colourful, so are the people. The boundless energy, cheerfulness, positivity and generosity of the people I’ve met on my travels to Chennai has been highly addictive, and will hopefully be contagious to anybody who has the fortune to visit and experience this.

I believe the people are the secret and key to an enjoyable trip to India. Make a friend, or ten. Unlike many other places it really isn’t hard to do in India. 

Pre-Trip/On the flight:
If you like to read I would recommend the book 'Midnight's Children' by Salman Rushdie (around 500 pages) when visiting India. 

What to do when you arrive:
Some hotels offer an airport pickup, which would be the easiest way to leave the airport (see hotel section), or you can ask somebody from the local sales office if they can help to arrange a pickup for you. Another option would be to take an Uber, but this needs data on your phone (I’ve had days being unable to get connected at all), and occasionally also needs cash, which may be troublesome to obtain upon arrival (not all ATMs take all cards). Regarding your data, make sure to turn off your mobile data for basically all your apps before you leave. It may take only about five seconds to deplete your complimentary data after turning on your phone once you reach India. So it’s better to turn this off before you depart. There is a mythological Wi-Fi network at the airport but after years of trying I’m yet to successfully connect. The cash part comes in, that it is quite common for an Uber driver to call you before arriving, in order to 'renegotiate' the price. This seems to especially be the case in the evening and/or when you find yourself at a more remote location. This is inconvenient at the best of times, but especially so after a long flight. There are also regular taxis and the more adventurous ‘autos’, but they also require cash.

Where to stay:
As traffic tends to be chaotic in India I would recommend to stay close to where you need to be. Travel times can be long, even when the distance seems short. Also walking can be a little unpleasant as not all streets have pavements, and the weather can be rather warm. Nevertheless, our offices tend to be centrally located so you can probably find a hotel nearby. Close to our new office in Chennai you can find within walking distance the Accord Hotel, and a little further away the Hyatt Regency. 

Food:
Food and eating play a major part in the daily life in India. Just to show how ingrained it is in the culture, whereas in many other places you may be asked ‘how are you doing?’ when you arrive in the office, in Chennai the question will be ‘have you had your breakfast?’.

Practical:
Most hotels offer an excellent breakfast buffet and it is not uncommon for hotels to also offer a dinner buffet. When practicality is a must this is an ideal option. Other hotels will offer a breakfast buffet only, but will likely have some snacks or a regular menu for dinner.

Fun:
There are plenty of excellent food choices in India. Our colleagues can definitely advise you on some good places to eat, and in reality will probably join you if you're a nice person. It is always good to keep an adventurous mind-set when eating in India as food may not always come with the utensils you're used to. Some food may be served on banana leaves and eating with your hand is quite common (never use your left to touch food).

You can get some street food at Urban Square (it is interestingly located underneath a highway flyover).

If you're in need of something a bit more nice and quiet you can head to this little green oasis in the middle of the city, called Amethyst  where you will find the Wild Garden Café. There are also some shops where you may be able to pick up a souvenir.

Getting Around:

Practical:
If you're staying close to the office you can go on foot. It is always nice to take in the local atmosphere on foot, but as it can get hot quickly, even in the early morning, it's probably best to keep your walk to 10/15 minutes. Hotel cars or Uber, as aforementioned under the arrival section, can be a good alternative. It may be best to get some cash at some point so you can also take a regular taxi or an auto when needed. These are quite easy to find and not too costly.

Chennai also has an excellent metro, but as it is very new, the route is still very limited. I assume this will expand in the future and may become more convenient for getting around quickly. 

Stuck for the weekend?
In Chennai:

Practical:
Make a friend, and say yes to whatever they suggest. While Chennai has a few nice surprises it is not a major tourist destination, and as always, local recommendations and experiences will be the best.

Temples:
There are quite a lot of temples in Chennai, which may be interesting if you're not familiar with Hindu culture. Go anyway to enjoy the colours, liveliness and the smell of flowers being sold outside.

Beach:
You won't find many people swimming at the beach, but you can have a stroll around or find a café in the area. You'll find more local fisherman and market stalls (mostly selling fish) along Nochikuppam Beach, while further south at Edward Elliot's Beach you'll find more people out for the day and food stalls.

Shopping:
Pondy Bazaar is actually a nice place to walk, especially in the evenings when it really comes to live. You'll find a wide arrangement of local shops in the area.

Further Out:
Dakshina Chitra Heritage Museum is an interesting place and relatively easy to get to, as it is not too far out from Chennai. It is an open air museum showing historical houses, arts and crafts. As it is a little outside of the city and not close to a town, you should try to head back relatively early, as it may be challenging to find an Uber willing to come pick you up later in the evening. (See hitchhiking above.)

Mahabalipuram is another very nice place to go for a day-trip and can be combined with Dakshina Chitra as you will pass the museum on the way. Mahabalipuram is a historic town and a UNESCO World Heritage site existing of rock carved temples and sculptures. There are plenty of souvenir shops and closer to the beach you will find small restaurants and cafes. The Bob Marley Cafe & Beach House is nice but there are plenty of options.

Even Further Out:
You can also venture further out but that obviously takes more planning. Relatively nearby places for a weekend-trip are Pondicherry and Bangalore. There are also overnight trains and busses to various destinations. Getting really outside of the city and into the mountains or countryside will give a very different perspective of India.

What to do when you leave?
Before you arrive at the airport make sure you have a document with your flight details and your name on it printed out or on your phone. There are security guards at the airport entrance and they will not let you enter unless you can prove that you have a flight. I have noticed that not all airline apps show your flight information, and also mention your name. Often you also cannot get a digital boarding pass for flights leaving India. So, ensure to do this before you leave, especially as you may be running low on your data and therefore can't search your phone.

Don’t put your boarding pass and passport with your hand luggage when you go through security. Hold them in your hand as the security people need to stamp your boarding pass when you go through the metal detector.

Sadly the airport seems to be the most unfriendly place in Chennai, at least at the security part, and there isn't much to do either. Especially if you first have to take a domestic flight, the choices at the terminal are very limited. I did find out that the international terminal has recently been renovated and has significantly improved. 

Additional Notes:
Embrace the hose.