A Night Train to a New Journey
Every great travel adventure starts with a palpable sense of excitement. For this trip, my journey began at the bustling Tirur railway station. I boarded my train at 8:30 PM, completely ready for a fresh experience. There is something profoundly relaxing about traveling by train at night. The rhythmic, mechanical sound of the tracks acts like a gentle lullaby, making it incredibly easy to fall fast asleep in my comfortable berth as the miles roll by.
ISHABIL TRIP AT A GLANCE
- 📍 Destination: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- 📅 Date of Journey: April 6, 2019
- 🚆 Transport Mode: Train, motorbike, SpiceJet flight & Chennai Metro
- 👥 Companions: Solo travel and city exploration with Mahmood
The next morning, I woke up early and gazed out the train window. The view was absolutely beautiful. The lovely, quiet villages of rural Tamil Nadu were flashing past the glass in a blur of color. I saw bright green agricultural fields, tall swaying coconut trees, and small traditional homes bathed in the soft, golden morning sunlight. It was a wonderful, picturesque sight that made me feel immensely glad to be traveling again.
By 8:00 AM, the train slowly rolled into the huge and busy Chennai Central Railway Station. The station was filled to the brim with energy, with thousands of commuters moving in every direction. I stepped off the train and immediately felt the distinct warmth and fast-paced excitement of this metropolitan city.
Meeting a Friend and Exploring the City Lines
Right outside the main station gates, I was thrilled to be met by my cousin and good friend, Mahmood. It is always a great comfort to see a familiar face when you arrive in a sprawling new place. Before we started navigating the streets, we stopped for a few minutes to look at the amazing buildings surrounding us. We paused to admire the impressive architecture of the railway station itself. The grand red-brick structure looks almost like a historic castle in the middle of modern chaos. We also admired the classic colonial buildings nearby, which silently tell fascinating stories from old times.
Ishabil Fact
Chennai Central Railway Station is one of the most famous landmarks in South India. Designed by architect George Harding and built during British rule, it is renowned for its grand Romanesque and Gothic revival style architecture.
After taking in the historic sights, we decided to try the city's modern transport system. We walked over and hopped onto the Chennai Metro. If you know my travel style, you know I absolutely love checking out local metro and train networks whenever I visit a new destination. The metro station was incredibly clean, cool, and well-organized. Escaping into the air-conditioned cars was a very pleasant break from the rising morning heat outside.
Our metro journey took us straight to Guindy. The ride was incredibly smooth and fast, showing me just how easy it is to travel across this massive city without getting stuck in its notoriously heavy road traffic.
A Mix of Nature, Education, and Shopping
When we reached Guindy, we eagerly started exploring the nearby areas. We took a brief walk around the edges of Guindy National Park, which is a highly unique green space because it sits right inside the crowded city limits. It serves as a peaceful ecological haven where wild animals and native birds can live safely away from the harsh urban noise.
Right next to the park area, we marveled at the sprawling campus of IIT Madras. The university campus is famous across India for being incredibly large, remarkably quiet, and filled with massive, old-growth green trees. It looked like the absolute perfect environment for students to study, focus, and think deeply.
After enjoying these tranquil natural views, we decided to completely change our pace. We headed over to one of the city's largest and most famous shopping centers, Phoenix Marketcity. This mall is absolutely enormous! We took a quick tour through the shiny, bustling corridors, soaked in the cool air conditioning, and did a spot of light shopping. It was fascinating to see the highly modern, commercial side of the city with all its bright storefronts and international brands. After this detour, we headed straight to our accommodation to drop off our bags and gear up for a big afternoon of sightseeing.
⛪ Elevated Views from St. George Mount
After officially checking into our room and freshening up with a much-needed quick shower, the real sightseeing began in earnest. We wanted to cover as much ground as possible, so the rest of the day's travel was conveniently done on Mahmood's motorbike. Moving on a two-wheeler is, without a doubt, the absolute best way to weave through the heavily congested traffic lanes of Chennai!
Ishabil Tips
If you are visiting Chennai for only a short time, exploring the city on a rented two-wheeler will save you hours of sitting in traffic jams. Just make sure to wear a high-quality helmet, stay hydrated, and remain highly alert in the chaotic intersections!
Our very first destination on the bike was St. George Mount, widely known by the local people as St. Thomas Mount. This historic hill holds a significant amount of cultural and religious meaning for visitors. The hill is beautifully crowned by an old shrine that sits peacefully at the very top. As we walked around the elevated grounds, we closely examined several statues and small monuments that have stood there weathering the elements for many years.
However, the real draw for me wasn't just the history—it was the magnificent panoramic view offered from the rocky edge. Standing on top of the mount, the whole world seemed to open up below us. We could clearly see the sprawling city stretching out in every direction as far as the eye could look. We had a perfect vantage point of the busy Chennai International Airport, watching airplanes take off and land like tiny toy models. We could also see the long, elevated metro line snaking its way beautifully through the dense urban landscape. It was a truly fantastic spot to appreciate the sheer, uninterrupted scale of this capital city.
🌹 Madras War Cemetery: A Sobering Beauty
After spending some quiet, reflective time on the hill, we started our descent on the bike. Our next stop was the Madras War Cemetery. I must tell you, this visit was a profoundly moving experience that stayed in my heart for the rest of the entire trip.
The cemetery is specifically dedicated to the brave men and women who lost their lives during the terrible global conflict of World War II. It features 856 pristine marble plaques, and each one is carefully inscribed with the name and details of a fallen soldier. Walking slowly among these uniform stones makes you think deeply about the fragility of life and the immense sacrifices made by young individuals in the past.
.jpg "Madras War Cemetery Memorial")
What surprised me the most was how stunningly quiet and clean everything was. The site’s meticulous upkeep was absolutely astounding. The manicured lawns were perfectly green and lush, the rows of stark white marble headstones stood in total, unbroken alignment, and the colorful flowers and trees were beautifully trimmed. It created an atmosphere of deep peace and absolute dignity. The place felt so incredibly calm that it felt almost foreign, making you completely forget you were standing right in the middle of a bustling, noisy Indian metropolis.
🌊 Marina Beach and Coastal Delights
From the quiet and soft solitude of the war cemetery, we shifted our gears completely. We plunged right into the vibrant, loud, and chaotic energy of the world-famous Marina Beach. Marina Beach is famously known as one of the longest natural urban beaches in the entire world, and it genuinely serves as the beating heart and soul of Chennai's public life.
When we arrived as the sun was beginning to set, the beach was bursting with life. We first visited the prominent political memorials built along the wide promenade at the edge of the beach. These grand, imposing structures are the final resting places of highly revered late Chief Ministers who fundamentally shaped the history of the state: M.G.R., J. Jayalalithaa, and C.N. Annadurai. Thousands of people gather around these sites daily to show their deep respect and take photos with their families.
.jpg "Marina Beach Street Food Fried Fish")
After paying our respects at the memorials, we took our shoes off and walked down across the wide, sandy shores. We strolled along the extensive stretch of the beach, feeling the cool, salty ocean breeze whipping against our faces. The late-night atmosphere was utterly fantastic. The sand was dotted with kids playing cricket and flying kites, families sitting on woven mats having picnics, and small popup shops twinkling brightly with colorful LED lights.
Ishabil Fun
While we were walking a bit too close to the water in the dark, a sudden, surprisingly large wave came crashing down and completely soaked my footwear! Mahmood had a massive laugh at my expense, but honestly, the cool Bay of Bengal ocean water felt amazing on my tired feet after a long day of riding around the hot city.
To perfectly cap off this brilliant day, we decided to fully indulge in the local street food specialties. The shoreline of the beach is densely lined with tiny, energetic food stalls frying up the fresh daily catch straight from the sea. We eagerly ordered some piping hot, savory fried fish and various crispy, spicy bajjis. Eating hot, highly spiced food while sitting under the dark, starry sky with the loud sound of the ocean waves crashing right in front of us was the ultimate coastal treat! We thoroughly enjoyed our feast and finally returned to our room late, around 11:00 PM, feeling physically exhausted but mentally refreshed and very happy.
✈️ The Little Bombardier to Calicut
The very next morning, my whirlwind short transit trip was already coming to a rapid end. My day began before the sun came up with a quick cab ride to the modern Chennai Airport. My flight back to Kozhikode (Calicut) was scheduled on a SpiceJet Bombardier Q400 aircraft. This was actually a highly anticipated moment for me because, surprisingly, it was my very first time flying on such a small, turboprop plane.
Unlike the massive, smooth-gliding commercial jet planes that most travelers are used to, this small, specialized aircraft accommodates fewer than 80 passengers in total. It features distinctively large, fast-spinning propellers mounted on the high wings. When the engines fired up and started turning, I could feel the mechanical difference immediately. Compared to larger jets, the raw engine noise and the shaking, rattling vibration were noticeably higher inside the small cabin. However, it felt much more like a real, classic, old-school flying experience! I absolutely loved looking out the small oval window as the plane flew at a relatively low altitude over the thick white clouds, heading west back toward the lush greenery of Kerala.
The short flight was impressively quick and reasonably smooth. Upon touching down safely in Kozhikode, the familiar, comforting green landscapes welcomed me back home. I walked out of the airport terminal and was immediately met by my good friend Umarali, who was patiently waiting for me with his bike. We hopped on and headed straight home, successfully concluding a short but densely packed adventure through the rich cultural, deep historical, and fast-paced modern facets of Chennai. It was a wonderful quick trip full of unforgettable memories, beautiful towering sights, and truly excellent coastal food!
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