Rupa & Abi

You will want to book a flight at minimum 3 months in advance to get the best deals. Your final destination point is the Chennai Airport (MAA). 

The latest you want to fly in is Wednesday evening India time (which means you leave the US no later than Tuesday as you will lose a day traveling to India). For your return, you can leave on Sunday or Monday back to the US. 

Pickup and drop off from the Chennai Airport to any hotels will be covered by us. Please inform the Bride or Groom of your flight times. 

Also note the time change - Chennai is 5.5 hrs ahead of GMT. 

We will be taking you to shopping and some local site-seeing starting Tuesday (April 2nd). This is where you can get clothes for our wedding and gifts to back home with you. 

Chennai is a city of tradition and culture. Here are some places to explore if you are interested and have some more time. 

All transportation for local activities will be provided. We are organizing local activities including site-seeing and shopping. We will send out a Google survey to plan and coordinate times. 

Remember, airport pickup and drop-offs will also be covered by us. Please give the Bride or Groom your flight information. 

If you have an international plan as part of your existing cellphone service provider, you may want to activate so you can continue to use cell data  (mainly for Google Maps and Uber) while in India. 

However, if you have an dual sim (one for eSim) capable cellphone, there are some cheaper alternatives that allow you get access to data plans. while in India. 

Everyone should mainly use Whatsapp, which will work with data-only or Wi-Fi (no need for local cellphone number).

Please send us a message at 678-907-4335 and we will add you to the large group text. 

There are very iconic places and sites to visit in India. We thought this was a good high-level list. 

You will need to obtain a simple visa as a US Citizen visiting India. This should be obtained by applying online and receiving the visa approval before entering India. 

Please try do this 1 month before flying to India.

Take standard precaution when traveling to India, just as you would in other regions of the world. Here is a list CDC recommendations when traveling to India. 

In addition, you should drink bottled water in India. It is easy to request wherever you go. Avoid tap water, ice, and street food. 

The most convenient hotel to stay at is the ITC Grand Chola, given that all the wedding events will take place here. If you want to stay at the ITC, please fill out our India survey or contact Rupa or Abi directly no later than Jan 30th and we will get you the discounted rate. 

Another option is the Le Meridian, which is a 4 minute drive from the ITC Grand Chola. To reserve a room at the Le Meridian, please send an email to bqtco2@leroyalmeridien-chennai.com and please mention booking name of Rupa and Abishek wedding.

Another good option is the Hilton Chennai, where we have a room block. Please click here to reserve your room at the Hilton Chennai. 

Here is the summary of price estimates ($/night): 

ITC Grand Chola (Double): $171 + 18% Tax

Hilton (Single): $140 + 18% Tax

Hilton (Double): $152 + 18% Tax

Le Meridien (Single): $80 + 12% Tax

Le Meridien (Double): $91 + 12% Tax

There are other hotels in Chennai if you prefer.