The artist formerly known as Madras, Chennai, is the fourth largest city in India. It also is the home of India’s automobile industry and has been dubbed by some as the “Detroit of India.” If you have ever been to Detroit you’ll understand that this isn’t the most flattering of comparisons, but fortunately for Chennai the city resembles Detroit in little more than automobile factories.

In fact, Channai can be quite lovely. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal and it is home to 12-kilometre long Marina Beach. It is also one of the few cities in the world to house a national park, Guindy National Park, within its city limits. The city is also known for its classical dance shows and Hindu temples. Every December, Chennai holds a five week-long Music Season, which has been described as one of the world’s largest cultural events.

If that isn’t enough to make you think that a trip to Chennai is in order, you can get a return trip flight on Air France from [1] London to Chennai for around £400. That is one of the cheaper fares to destinations in South Asia found anywhere.

[2] Air France UK