About Chennai
Chennai (formerly known as Madras), is the capital
of the state of Tamil Nadu. It is the fourth largest
metropolis in India. Modern Chennai grew out of
a small fishing village called Madraspatnam, when
the East India Company chose the location for
a new settlement way back in 1639.
Quick Facts
Area: 174 sq km
Population: 7 mn
Altitude: Sea Level
Language: Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam,
Hindi, English
GETTING THERE
From Asia Pacific
If you are visiting from Asia Pacific locations,
there are daily flights from South East Asia,
North Asia and Australasia via key Asian gateways
- Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Bangkok,
Thailand and Australian capital cities. The airline
choices include Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia
Airlines, Thai Airways.
From Europe
If you are visiting from Europe, there are daily
non-stop flights from London, Paris and Frankfurt.
The airline choices include Air India, British
Airways, Lufthansa, and Delta.
From North America
If you are visiting from North America, there
are daily flights from all major US cities to
Chennai via Europe or Asia Pacific.
CLIMATE
Average temperature in Chennai in Celsius.
| Jan to Mar |
Apr to June |
July to Sep |
Oct to Dec |
 |
|
 |
|
| 30-40°c |
35-45°c |
25-35°c |
20-26°c |
|
LANGUAGE
There are many distinct languages and dialects
in India. However, in Chennai, English and Tamil
are widely spoken. Road signs and directions are
posted in both languages.
CURRENCY
The national currency is the rupee. It is divided
into 100 paisas. Traveller's cheques are easy
to cash and there are ATMs throughout the city.
Please see www.xe.com
for currency exchange rates.
IMMIGRATION REQUIREMENTS
Visas are required. For business visas, enquiries
should be directed to the nearest
Indian embassy or consulate.
HEALTH
Chennai has several modern general and specialist
hospitals. Reasonable precautions should be taken
against hepatitis-A, malaria, cholera and typhoid.
Drinking boiled or bottled water is often an adequate
precaution against water-borne illnesses. You
should consult your doctor and arrange travel
insurance prior to departure.
TELEPHONE
Mobile telephones use the GSM standard and global
roaming is active.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity is 230 volts/ 50 cycles.
TIME
India is plus five-and-a-half hours Greenwich
Mean Time (GMT). Please see http://www.timeanddate.com
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