Chennai is generally a safer area of India in terms of crime, although pickpocketing, muggings, and robberies sporadically occur. Keep your doors and windows shut and locked at night and do not carry or display large amounts of cash if possible.
It is advisable for women, especially unaccompanied ones, to dress modestly and limit their interaction with unfamiliar local men. Foreigners are generally overcharged by autorickshaws simply because they are ignorant of the prevailing fares. It is necessary to confirm whether the driver knows the exact destination and to fix the fare before boarding. 'Autos', as autorickshaws are known in Chennai, are notorious for fleecing customers, tourists and locals alike.
Be alert to your surroundings and watch where you step, especially if you get caught in a large crowd where it is difficult to look at what is in front of you. Cross streets extremely carefully as traffic is generally heavy. On major roads, use the underground crossings locally called "subways". Avoid using underground road-crossing/ subways in the night or if you notice them to be empty. Traffic signals are frequently ignored by drivers and pedestrians alike, and it is not at all advisable for tourists to try driving in Chennai.
While in Chennai it is advisable to drink only bottled water. Do not trust water from small local restaurants as it may be from the tap, and avoid cold or iced drinks that are not commercially sold Bigger chains of eatieries and juice shops can be trusted to an extent. Eating fresh vegetables and fruits that have sat outside in the presence of insects can also be unhealthy, although bananas and coconuts are usually safe because they are opened only immediately before eating. Hot drinks in restaurants such as tea, coffee, and other local specialties are safe, as are packaged/bottled drinks such as Aquafina water, Frooti a popular local mango drink and others. If you have access to a stove, boiling tap water before drinking is also an option. Never eat from roadside shops as the food is prepared in the most unhygienic conditions.
Chennai summers are humid and sultry; it's better to step out with an umbrella, bottled water and some oral rehydration salts available from pharmacies, the brand name is Electral. These come in handy if you happen to get dehydrated.
Chennai is the medical capital of South East Asia.
opticians (spectacles/sunglasses)
Chennai opticals
no23 , 100ft road, arumbakkam, chennai-600106 Tel-044-23634539C.K Devchand Opticians
Mylapore Near Devaki Hospital Chennai Tel - 98846 86959Photo Optic
Perumbur Barraks Rd, Near Doveton Clock Tower, Purushwalkkam, Tel - 26421479, 26428245Mehta Optiks
Perungudi Opp Perungudi Bus Stand, ChennaiGKR Optics
Kodambakkam, Chennai.
post & telegraphs
The telegraph office on Anna Salai Mount Rd, near higginbothoms accepts letters and parcels up to 8PM with a small late fee. Snail Mail in India is by a Post Card 25Ps, Inland Letter Rs 5, or envelope Rs 5. The 'Speed Post' facility allows you to send mail more conveniently than a courier service.
'Telephone Booths' or public telephones in India are available on almost every street usually painted with the letters PCO Public Call office,local calls, STD Subscriber Trunk Dialling and ISD International Subscriber Dialling. All booths have electronic metering and you pay what's displayed on the meter. Included in the metering is a nominal Rs 2 as service chargesYou'll also get a receipt if you insist on one.
landlines
BSNL (http://chennai.bsnl.co.in) and Airtel (http://www.airtel.in) Reliance, Tata, are main providers of terrestrial telephone lines in Chennai. You can make long distance calls from one of the many booths that display NSD/ISD i.e. National Subscriber Dialling National Long Distance and International Subscriber Dialling International Long Distance. Calling cards are also available with these providers which are considerably cheap.
libraries & cultural centres
British Council
Anna Salai, Phone - 52050600 Ext 350/351. (http://www.britishcouncil...)Connemara Library
Pantheon Road, Egmore, Phone 28193751. (http://www.connemarapubli...)Max Mueller Bhavan
German - Khadar Nawaz Khan Rd., Nungambakkam. (http://www.goethe.de/ins/...)American Information Resource Center Library located within the American Consulate - see list of consulates
shoe repair
Mr. Pronto's
Spencers Plaza Phase 3, Mount Rd.
consulates
American Consulate
220, Anna Salai Near Gemini Flyover. (http://chennai.usconsulate.gov)British Deputy High Commission
20 Anderson Road, Nungambakkam, tel:+91 44 42192151 fax: +91 44 42192322, Open Mon-Fri 0830-1300 and 1330-1600.Canadian Consulate
18 Old 24, 3rd floor, YAFA Tower, Khader Nawaz Khan Road, Nungambakkam Chennai 600 006 Tel : +91-44-28330888. Website : (http://geo.international....)Chilean Consulate
Oakland House, 7, Adayar Club Gate Road, Chennai 600028 Tel : +91-44-24340610. Website : (http://www.echileindia.co...)Consulate of Finland
202 Anna Salai, Chennai, Tel: +91-044-2852 4141 Fax: +91-(044-2852 1253, ) Open Mon-Fri 1000-1200. (http://formin.finland.fi/...)German Consulate
9, Boat Club Road, PO Box 3110, Chennai. Tel : +91-44-24301600. visa at germanconsulatechennai dot org - Open Monday to Friday 08:00 to 11:30 hrs. Website : (http://chennai.diplo.de)Japanese Consulate
No.12/1, Cenetoph Road Ist Street,Teynampet, Chennai 600-018 Tel : +91-44-24323860. Website : (http://www.mofa.go.jp/abo...)Malaysian Embassy
Old Location: Off TTK Road, Alwarpet, Behind Park Sheraton moved to new office opp. Loyola College, NungambakkamRussian Consulate
Santhome High RoadNext to St. Bedes School, Santhome
Internet
Reliance WebWorld
Incorporating javagreen coffee shops, spencers plaza, anna salai mount road; ttk road, alwarpet, besant nagar, l.b.road, adyar. the ttk road branch has free wifi if you use the coffee shop.
There are several internet cafes from where you can access the internet for sending email or uploading your digital photos.
Apart from that you can access Internet provided in your hotel or if you are staying long you can buy Internet packs from all mobile providers.
Money changers
Many hotels will change money for you at the front desk. However, they may not have the best rates.
It is best to change money at the city based money changers than the ones located at the airports. The ones at the airport offer much less for exchanging forex into Indian Rupees and sell forex for a much higher rate than the market rate.
American Express
Spencers plaza, anna salai
Thomas Cook
Spencers plaza, anna salai
Mobile phones
Uninor
Gsm launched in 2009
Cell phone rates are one of the cheapest in the world. There are Ten GSM service providers:
Idea
Gsm launched in 2009
Reliance
Gsm launced in 2009
Tata DOCOMO
Gsm launched in 2009
Videocon GSM
Launching 2010
You can buy a sim card with a photo and a copy of your passport. For making long distance calls Aircel is cheaper with 49 card calls to US and Canada will be 1.50/Min. this will work only in home network. For other destinations Please check with operator.
CDMA service providers are Reliance (http://www.reliancecommun...) Indicom (http://www.tataindicom.com), Virgin Mobile and MTS.
Starter packs and top-up cards can be picked up from numerous outlets. Seemles roming across the country is provided by all providers.