When thinking of Chennai, visitors call to mind Tamil culture and Kollywood films. Perhaps they picture Fort St. George, imagine themselves watching a cricket match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium, or dream of attending the Madras Music Festival. Few tourists stop to think about the city’s plants and animals. Yet, Chennai boasts numerous parks and wildlife preserves that are open to the public and provide unique insights into the regions natural resources.

To truly get a feel for Chennai’s natural wonders, visit Guindy National Park. Chennai is one of only a few cities in the world with a national park inside its borders. Though small as far as national parks go, Guindy provides a sanctuary from the increasingly modern city surrounding it. The park is home to diverse species of foxes, monkeys, snakes and deer including many endangered species. One special feature of Guindy National Park is the Guindy Snake Park. Housing species of pythons, cobras, and vipers as well as other reptiles. The Snake Park is an important source of antivenoms. There is also a special Children’s Park with birds and animals.

Arignar Anna Zoological Park is also know as the Vandalur Zoo. This sprawling preserve includes an elephant safari and a lion safari as well as an aquarium and a house of nocturnal animals. It is the largest zoo of its kind in Asia and also features a number of endangered species. The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust is a center for preserving endangered species of crocodiles. It provides a home and breeding program for both salt- and fresh-water crocodiles and alligators as well as turtles, gharials, and snakes.

Chennai also has a Botanical Garden which showcases the vegetation and flowers of the region. There is even a fossilized tree trunk in the garden that is twenty million years old.

In addition to the wildlife, visitors may want to check out the various cultural and historic sites throughout the city. There are a number of 5-star hotels Chennai that offer easy access to all the city’s attractions — including the incredible foods of the Tamil region and of other regions of India.

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