Zostel

Chennai (Madras)


Fresh on the Chennai scene, this branch of India's popular hostel chain is a success, with eight-bed dorms, a straightforward private room, a couple of spacious common areas, a shared kitchen and a washing machine. It's a five-minute walk from a metro stop in a quiet residential neighbourhood.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Chennai (Madras) attractions

1. Thousand Lights Mosque

0.63 MILES

Chennai's main Shia mosque, built in 1810. Mostly useful as a landmark, as non-Muslims aren't allowed inside the buildings.

2. Valluvar Kottam

0.89 MILES

This 1976 memorial honours the Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar and his classic work, the 133-chapter Thirukural. Its most striking element is a 31m-high stone…

3. Luz Church

0.93 MILES

Styled with blue-and-white baroque elegance, pretty little palm-fringed Luz Church is Chennai's oldest European building, dating to 1516 – which also…

4. Sri Ramakrishna Math

1.46 MILES

The tranquil, flowery grounds of the Ramakrishna Math are a world away from Mylapore's chaos. Orange-robed monks glide around and there’s a reverential…

5. Kapaleeshwarar Temple

1.5 MILES

Mylapore is one of Chennai's most characterful and traditional neighbourhoods; it predated colonial Madras by several centuries. Its Kapaleeshwarar Temple…

6. Government Museum

1.71 MILES

Housed across from the striking British-built Pantheon Complex, this excellent museum is Chennai’s best. The big highlight is building 3, the Bronze…

7. Parthasarathy Temple

1.78 MILES

Built under the 8th-century Pallavas and unusually dedicated to Krishna (a form of Vishnu) as the charioteer Parthasarathy, this is one of Chennai's…

8. Wallajah Big Mosque

1.84 MILES

Built entirely of granite in 1795 by the Nawab of the Carnatic, and generally known simply as the Big Mosque.