Chennai

Fort St George, San Thome and Kapaleeshwarar in two days

Two days covers the essentials. On day one, see Fort St George and its museum, then drive down the beach road to San Thome Basilica and the Kapaleeshwarar Temple in Mylapore, ending at Marina Beach for sunset. Keep day two for the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, about 60 km south.

Fort St George, completed in the 1640s by the East India Company, was the first English fortress in India. It now holds the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and the Fort Museum of colonial-era artefacts. St Mary's Church, inside the walls, is among the oldest British buildings in the country.

San Thome was first built by the Portuguese in 1523 over what is believed to be the tomb of St Thomas the Apostle and rebuilt in neo-Gothic style in 1893. A short ride inland, the Kapaleeshwarar Temple, dedicated to Shiva, has a towering gopuram covered in painted figures; the temple site dates from the 6th to 8th centuries.

Mahabalipuram, also called Mamallapuram, holds 7th- and 8th-century Pallava monuments on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. UNESCO listed them in 1984: the Shore Temple, the five rathas carved from single rocks and the great relief known as Arjuna's Penance. Start early to beat the heat, then continue to Madurai by air or train if you are touring Tamil Nadu.

The December Madras Music Season and Pongal

December is Chennai's cultural peak. The Madras Music Season, started by the Music Academy in 1927, fills the city with Carnatic music and classical dance concerts through the Tamil month of Margazhi, from mid-December to mid-January. Pongal, the harvest festival, follows in mid-January with kolam drawings outside homes.

Many concerts take place in sabhas, small cultural halls, and some morning recitals are free. The Music Academy's own programme is the most prestigious; book its evening concerts early. Canteens at the venues are famous in their own right for South Indian breakfasts.

Pongal is a four-day celebration in which families cook rice with milk and jaggery until it boils over, a sign of plenty. Offices close for the main days and long-distance trains and buses are full, so book travel around Pongal well ahead.

Why Chennai's rain comes late, and the best cool months

Visit Chennai in January or February, when highs sit around 29–31°C and rain is rare. Unlike most of India, the city gets most of its 1,408 mm annual rain from the northeast monsoon between October and December, with about 377 mm in November alone.

From April the heat builds quickly, and May and June average highs of 37°C with humid nights near 28°C. The southwest monsoon that soaks western India brings only moderate rain here in July to September.

The northeast monsoon also brings cyclones and depressions from the Bay of Bengal. Low-lying districts flooded badly in 2015 and again in 2023, and flights and trains can be disrupted. If you travel in November, leave a spare day in your plans.

Idli, banana-leaf meals and Chettinad cooking in Chennai

Start the day the Chennai way, with idli, dosa or vada served with sambar and coconut chutney, then try a full 'meals' lunch on a banana leaf. Chettinad cooking from southern Tamil Nadu brings the city's spiciest dishes, while the Kasimedu fish market supplies fresh seafood.

Vegetarian restaurants dominate older neighbourhoods such as Mylapore, where tiffin rooms serve breakfast all day. Chettinad restaurants are known for pepper chicken and dishes heavy with fennel, star anise and dried chilli. South Indian filter coffee, frothed by pouring it between two cups, is the drink of choice.

Eating with the right hand is normal in traditional restaurants, and staff will bring cutlery if you ask. Fresh juices and street snacks are best from busy stalls with quick turnover.