BUDGET TRAVEL TO INCREDIBLE INDIA: CHENNAI (MADRAS), TAMIL NADU PART 1

July 9, 2018
MABUHAY!

This is a photo and video journal of our budget travel to the incredible country of India featuring our visit to Chennai, the capital city of the state of Tamil Nadu.
 APPLYING FOR INDIAN E-VISA
Getting a tourist visa in India is now made simple. You can get it electronically via online, 24 hours a day, no need to personally visit any Indian Embassy. The payment is also through credit card. The application is 4 days before your actual visit. Prepare an e-file scanned copy of your passport page containing your detailed information and a passport size of your latest ID photo. Just click this link to get to Electronic Visa Application for India (eTV) then fill-up the required information, attach your photo and passport - be sure it is valid for at least 6 months, pay the necessary fee, then wait for the notification email for the approval. You will need also to present in the Indian immigration the printed copy of your application form. Our Indian e-Visa below.

 

ARRIVAL AT CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
On January 6, 2018, I booked for a promo one-way ticket at AirAsia from Kuala Lumpur to Chennai amounting only to 294 Malaysian Ringgit for 2 persons already equivalent only to US$ 70.58.
(The stamped date and time in the photos are not correct. Sorry for the mistake.)

Waiting for our flight to Chennai at Kuala Lumpur International Airport T2 departure lounge gate 

Boarding the airline

You can see a lot of Hindu religious artifacts displayed in the arrival hallway of Chennai airport going to immigration counter.

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At the immigration counter, upon presenting our travel documents, we were asked by the immigration officer if we personally know the person we wrote as our contact in India in the application form. Then my wife replied that he is her facebook friend for 3 years now but they did not yet meet personally. The frown on the officer's face means he is not convinced. So I explained to him our travel itinerary that after Chennai, we will be heading to Kerala via train. Then by train also, from Kerala, we will go to Cochin airport to fly to Mumbai via GoAir airline. Then by train, from Mumbai will go to Godhra, the place of our friend. Then from Godhra, we will travel by train again to Agra to see the Taj Mahal. From Agra, we will go to New Delhi via bus. Then at New Delhi, we will board AirAsia going to Kuala Lumpur. I also told him, that our travel to India is my birthday gift to my wife.
Upon explaining all the details, the immigration officer was finally convinced that we know where we are going and gave our passports entry stamps.

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Aboard  AirAsia, we happened to sit beside a local Indian, who introduced himself as Vijay. We asked him where can we find a better deal for the exchange rate for our Malaysian Ringgit to Indian Rupee. He said that he will exchange them himself because he frequently travels to Malaysia. He is a businessman. I showed him the current exchange rate in my cell phone apps and agreed with the rate. We already walked a couple of minutes to look for a restaurant to take lunch. But when we realized that Vijay made a mistake in the money exchange and gave us 200 Rupees more, I immediately look for him and gave him the extra money. He was very glad and gave his cell phone number and instructed us to call him if we want some help.

A souvenir photo with our new Indian friend, Vijay.

Vijay and his friends

Chennai International Airport

RUPEE
The Indian Rupee is the official currency of India. It is 30 % lower than Philippine Peso. 1 (One) Indian Rupee equals US$ 0.014. In the front face of the Rupee shows the portrait of Mahatma Gandhi, the Indian activist who led the Indian independence movement against British rule.

Indian Rupee paper bills

Coins

Arrival at Chennai International Airport, Tamil Nadu

OUR FIRST INDIAN MEAL
A very familiar meal to us is the simple flatbread roti dipped in different sauces. Most Indian restaurants served a vegetarian meal due to their Hindu religion. Muslim and Christian restaurants serve meat.

AIRPORT METRO STATION TO CENTRAL METRO
India is a train country. The train is one of the most popular modes of land transportation for the common daily commuter. The newly constructed elevated metro railway is now being utilized.

Our travel itinerary route

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ROAMING AROUND CHENNAI
Chennai, formerly known as Madras, is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. In 2011, it's population is estimated to be 7M. Our first impressions of India when we roamed around Chennai is the very hot weather, streets crowded with people, loud sounds of horns from every vehicle due to traffic jam, spicy food and lots of old but beautiful buildings.

Extracting sugar cane juice.

A small Hindu temple

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Mutton Biryani

Chicken Biryani

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This guy sits all day under the immense heat of the sun while waiting for customers. He repairs shoes. I requested him to repair our bag. He charged me 80 rupees

Another famous mode of transportation is the Pam-Pam or Tuktuk

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A guava fruit vendor, a common tropical fruit in the Philippines

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