CHENNAI (MADRAS) - Marina beach : Second longest beach in the world with a length of 11 km, Anna memorial, MGR memorial, Madras University, San Thome cathedral, Kapileswar temple at Mylapore (39 m high), Valluvar Kotlam memorial shaped like a chariot (1976), St.Thomas mount with bleeding stone cross, Egmore museum, Government museum and art gallery, St.George fort - State Assembly and museum, parks, Guindy national park, Kishkinda fantacy park with 3D theatre, Vandalur zoological park (35 km), Pulicat (59 km, backwaters, boating, bird sanctuary, beach).
MAMALLAPURAM/MAHABALIPURAM - World heritage centre, 70 km from Chennai, rock cut temples, shore temple and 'rathas', sculpture, beach, crocodile bank (14 km), Tirukkalukundrum temple - (16 km), Dolphin city with Sea Lion, MGM Dissiworld at Tambaram, VGP, Little folks.
KANCHIPURAM - City of 1000 temples 60 km from Chennai, One of the seven holy places for Hindus, (others are Dwaraka, Ujjain, Varanasi, Ayodha, Mathura and Haridwar), Vaikundaperumal temple, Ekambaranathar temple (59 m, 540 pillared hall), Kailashnath temple (7th C), Varadarajaperumal temple (3 km, 100 pillared hall with rock carved chain), Sriperumbudur - Rajiv Gandhi memorial (30 km).
PALANI - Temple & rope way.
MADURAI - Sri Meenakshi temple with 30 million sculptures, museum, one of the largest temples in India, Gandhi memorial museum and government museum, Tirumalai Nayak palace museum, Kapiliswarar temple, Parthasarthy temple, Thirupparankundram temple (8 km).
SRIVILLIPUTUR - Highest temple tower, 74 km from Madurai.
KODAIKANAL (2100 m) - Hill station 120 km from Madurai, lake, Solar Physics observatory, Shenbegannur museum of orchids, Pillar rocks (120 m), Byrant park (trees and shrubs).
RAMESWARAM - Indira Gandhi Setu over sea (Pamban bridge, 2.3 km), temple with longest corridor (197 m), One of the four most sacred Hindu pilgrim centres.
UDAGAMANDALAM/OOTACAMUND/OOTY - Coimbatore (95 km), hill resort, toy train route from Mettupalayam to Ooty is in world heritage centre list : 16 tunels, 31 bridges, 326 m to 2193 m , 1899 AD, 46 km in 4.5 hour. Botanical garden, fossil tree trunk (20 million year old), lake, rose garden, Dodebetta peak (2636 m, 10 km), tea plantation, Government museum, Deer park, Pykara (21 km) : Toda settlement, trekking, Kotagiri hill station (40 km); Coonoor hill station (20 km) : Dolphin's nose (26 km) to view Catherine falls, Lamb's rock : View of Coimbatore plains, Sim's park, botanical gardens; MUDUMALAI Wild life sanctuary (30 km).
TIRUCHIRAPALLI - Rock fort temple (84 m with 437 steps cut into a tunnel through rock, in 1660), Jambukeshwar temple, museum, St.John's church, SRIRANGAM temple (10 km) : World's biggest Hindu temple with 21 gopurams and 904 pillared hall, tallest tower is 72 m high.
TANJAVUR - Brihadeshwara temple, a world heritage centre. 63 m high temple has a single piece of granite weighing 80 tonnes as dome, 6 m high Nandi statue, palace, Saraswati mahal library and art gallery, Raja museum, temple museum, Kumbhakonam temple (30 km), VELANGANNI - Church of Our Lady, Major christian pilgrim centre with festival on Sept 7 (94 km), Nagore - Muslim pilgrim centre.
CHIDAMBARAM (106 km from Tanjavur) - Natraja temple with 1000 pillared hall, four 49 m gopurams and a huge chariot, Thillai Kali Amman temple.
TIRUVANNAMALAI - Arunachal temple tower of 66 m with 1000 pillared hall, Ginjee fort (40 km).
TIRUNELVELI - Kantimati and Nellaipapper temples, Tiruchendur shore temple (13 km).
KANYAKUMARI (CAPE COMORIN) - Land's end, Guganatha samy temple, Gandhi memorial, Vivekananda rock (via boat 200 m from shore), temple, church, Suchindram temple (13 km) : Musical pillar and 5.3 m Hanuman statue, Padmanabhapuram (30 km) - Palace, museum, temple.