Things to do around Great Lakes, Chennai

Last updated on: 30^th May, 2025   |  Student Experiences << back to blog

Published on: 20^th August, 2017

The Green campus of Great Lakes set on the East Coast Road, near the capital city of Chennai offers a vibrant energy, fresh air and lots of avenues that are of interest to every student. But there are more to do for fun – on, near and a little far from the campus says Amit Goenka, PGPM class of 2018 at Great Lakes, Chennai. Amit lists down 15 amazing things to do/must visit places around the campus in this article. Scroll down to read about the wonderful places to explore when you want to relax or take a break after back to back classes or finishing the assignments.

An old man with a gusto moustache, whom I once met on a bus, thought MBA meant “Marwari Business Administration“. Of course, after I expanded it correctly and told him the fact that I’m a Marwari, his face twitched half from embarrassment and half from surprise. While MBA can mean multiple things, to us it generally means being buried deep in layers of case studies/assignments and building up brownie points for “the resume”. But, don’t let this hassle cage the curious little kid in you. The world is too big and life is too short to stay stressed out, bring in some exhilaration and excitement into life. Get out, explore, enjoy!

Everybody knows where to go for a couple of shots during the weekend. Instead, chuck that liquid spirit for a change and explore these 15 lesser-known places and experiences.

1.Have a weekend breakfast buffet at Gossip Fusion Bistro & Dessert Bar, Kannathur. Vibrant ambience, quirky interiors and mouth-watering food! It is the place everybody is gossiping about. Be surprised when they serve you water with mint leaves or satiate your craving for Onion Dosa and Cinnamon roll on the same table. Every dish from the chef’s kitchen is guaranteed to give you Food-gasm.

2. Play leapfrog and watch the sunset at Kalpakkam beach. The waves crashing into the sand and sun bleached sand crystals gently burning your feet. You’ll stand stunned as though time has stopped. Sunsets make us realise that even endings can be beautiful. Oh! Beaches make me philosophical.

3. Move over flaming shots, fire paan is here. A small, dangerous and loaded shop sits near the porch of Sri Ananda Bhavan, Mahabalipuram. Call out to all your gods, chant your silent prayers and swallow this blazing paan, only to realise that your mouth wouldn’t hurt even a bit and your taste buds get a little smokey! It’s the next hot thing.

4. Ride the ECR, preferably on a cloudy evening. Roads smooth as butter, the refreshing cold humid winds kiss your face and picturesque landscapes, make ECR a rider’s delight. Take your crush on a long drive or just hit the road when you are having a bad day. But, put your seatbelts on because safety always comes first.

5. Do buttermilk shots in Sangeeta restaurant, Muttukadu. Want to try traditional vegetarian Tamil food? Give full rice meals a go or shamelessly slurp on filter coffee like a 60-year-old or bet on eating a full family Dosa. If you are persuasive enough like me, pester the server, get your buttermilk in bowls and do buttermilk shots with your friend. Trust me it does get you high!

6. Gaze at the sky on a full moon night from the rooftop of Bob Marley Cafe. Have you ever felt like you were at the top of the world? Yes? Great! Standing near the railing on the highest floor of Bob Marley, your eyes drinking in the beauty of the full moon’s light, bouncing off the soft waves of the beach, you’ll have the exact same feeling. When the first gentle breeze brushes your hair, you’ll know your decision to come here, was definitely right.

7. Have lunch in Marakkanam and watch the sunset in Alamparai fort. Have a craving for sea food? Sri Om Shakti hotel located in Marakkanam is the place to go. Experience the rich variety the east coast has to offer, at surprisingly affordable costs. It’ll be a sin to leave this place without trying their Crab Fry, Era (prawn) thokku and Vanjaram (A fish variety) fry. Post lunch drive to Alamparai fort, a beautiful piece of history, now in its ruins, sits on the lap of Bay of Bengal. Try that ‘Dil Chahta hai’ cover pose or just be awed at the serene view of the roaring sea as the sun magically disappears into the sea.

8.Go on a Catamaran ride in Mahabs. The traditional fisherman’s ‘kattumaram’ (fishing boat) is the new cool, literally! Go on a catamaran ride with your buds and let the sea water sweep you off your feet, again, literally! Swim, float and explore all that lies beyond the shore, ahead of the wild, into the paradise of blue waves.

9.Take your date or have a great evening with your best buds at Kipling cafe. Kipling cafe seems like a page from a fairy tale book, with a beachside front, romantic huts, with small candlelit tables spread across the beach. Watch it on the drinking front though! It sure is going to dig a few deep holes in your pocket.

10. Learn how to drift in the huge empty fields of Cheyyur. Enjoy the adrenaline rush of throwing a car around, completely sideways and with smoke billowing from the rear tyres.

PONDICHERRYYY!!

11. Give surfing a go with your pals. Break free from the shacks of safety and set off to a beach surf-ari! Slide off the board, jump over the tall waves or just sneak under them, and in the bargain be propelled back a few yards, in what will be the most challenging and adventurous sport that you would have engaged in.

12. Stop at the backwater salt beds en route to Pondicherry. The heat is almost unbearable, the air is pregnant with salt but the view is breath taking. Be humbled when you look at thin, tanned women working in the scorching heat, transporting salt on head tops. Take out that DSLR and start clicking away.

13. Hear the loudest silence in the Matrimandir of Auroville. A silent temple, a 60’s sci-fi movie set or a place of peace. It is known by multiple names. While few find this temple of silent meditation surreal, the gold plated dome is every spiritual traveller’s passport to happy dreaming. The place is unbounded by time and the experience is liberating. Read this for more information.

14. Find heaven on the other side of The Pier Bridge. And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls, there walks a lady we all know, who shines white light and wants to show, how everything still turns to gold, and if you listen very hard, the tune will come to you at last, when all are one and one is all to be a rock and not to roll. And she’s buying a bridge to heaven.

15. Go around the French town on a bicycle and eat cakes from ‘Eat my Cake’. Cobbled streets, boutiques, cafes, a promenade and seafront; you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve ended up in France during your visit to Pondy. On its streets, sits a quaint little place for breakfast and snacks called ‘Eat my cake’. Their mango cheesecake is to kill for!

You can also try other places while you are in Pondy:

Baker Street for best French delicacies

Cafe Des Arts for delicious Crepes

Tanto Pizzeria for Italian Pizzas

Surguru for traditional South Indian meal

Bay of Buddha for lip-smacking Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese, and even some Korean cuisine and much more.