Travel to my Hometown

By Dipika Pallikal

The best place to play squash would mean either the Squash Academy in Chennai or the famous Madras Cricket Club which houses three squash courts and has friendly people all around. For younger kids there is a school called Bhavans that has two squash courts.

My favorite Chennai restaurant would definitely be Lotus at The Park and Teppan which is at TTK Road, Alwarpet. I absolutely love Thai cuisine and thoroughly enjoy sushi, too. These two restaurants definitely offer the best of those two cuisines. My favorite cafe currently is Amethyst, which is located at Royapettah. The food at local joints and small tea stalls are definitely something tourists should experiment with—just be sure to carry your own water.

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Chennai Train Station

My favorite bar is Q Bar at the Hilton hotel. It has a rooftop poolside bar and a panoramic view of the city At night it is breathtaking. That’s a bar I definitely like
to chill at. Another place I’d like to revisit is The Flying Elephant at the Park Hyatt; it’s a restaurant that turns into a night club. All in all, great food and great ambiance.

I don’t take a walk much in India, but when I do, I prefer to take a walk at our place in Neelankarai: it has the most beautiful walkway that leads to the sea. Elliot’s Beach—commonly known as Besant Nagar Beach—is my ideal location for a good run in the city. If you like to hit the gym, Primal Patterns at Kotturpuram is definitely the best in the city.

I’m a shopaholic, and it’s something I absolutely love doing. When I’m
back in the city, I love shopping at Phoenix Market City, Velachery.
It’s got most of the high-end brands. Spending a day at the mall with friends and family is something I thoroughly enjoy.

I love watching the typical Bollywood masala entertainers. My favorite theater in the city would be any of the Sathyam cinemas. December is almost the only time of the year where we have bearable weather in the city. It’s that time of the year where the entire family comes together. Being a foodie, I thoroughly enjoy the cakes, roast and wine. For me, It’s definitely the most joyous time of the year. I absolutely hate to miss it. During my younger days on the circuit , I never really got to spend time with my family for festivals, but over the years I’ve definitely made sure I’m back home, spending time with family and friends for Christmas and New Year’s. Since I hardly get to spend time with family, that is something I love to do when I have a free day. Lunch at my Grandmom’s place is almost mandatory when I’m back home.