Popular US television star and Unicef ambassador Alyssa Milano says she was happy to witness the triumph of the human spirit during her four-day visit to tsunami-hit areas in southern India.

Milano's visit from Wednesday to Sunday came at the passage of six months after the disaster that struck countries in South and Southeast Asia Dec 26, affecting millions of people in these regions, a Unicef release said Monday.

"I am happy to see the kids, singing and dancing. I expected to see a lot more heartache. Human spirit is so amazing, especially children's spirit," Milano said after a visit to Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu.

Milano was accompanied by popular MTV video jockey Cyrus Broacha. She also travelled to Maharashtra to meet children and families affected by HIV/AIDS.

Milano is a global philanthropist who has been involved with work on children. In 2003, she was appointed Unicef ambassador and this was her first visit to India, the release said.