Weekend Getaways
Weekend getaways from Chennai: French quarters and quiet coasts
Pondicherry, Mahabalipuram, Tranquebar and a hill option, all within easy reach.
Chennai's weekends lean coastal and cultural.
The favourite
Pondicherry, a couple of hours down the coast, for the French Quarter, Auroville, cafes and a totally different pace.
Coast and culture
Mahabalipuram for shore temples, and Tranquebar (Tharangambadi) further south for a sleepy Danish-colonial coastal town almost nobody visits.
Hills
Yelagiri for a low-key, less-crowded hill escape when you want cooler air without a long haul.