Board a bus from Bangalore to Pondicherry. Bangalore has many options from private to government buses , from rustic local to comfortable AC Sleeper buses ,it has many options to suit your pocket.
Needless to say , you can also travel by air or train to Pondicherry .However ,Bus is the most preffered route.
Buses usually start in the night from Bangalore and reach Pondicherry by early next morning.
4:30 bus stand ,take an auto to Rock beach ..First day in Pondicherry , enjoy the sunrise and ambience of the wherabouts .After enjoying sunrise , head to Hari tea and snacks corner for a yummy yet reasonable breakfast. Everything here is good ,but do try thier mini samosas ,they are too good.
After enjoying a local breakfast ,head to Gurudwara Guru Nanak devji ,Ariyankuppam.Many of the local people are not aware of this place and autowalas consider it to be outside the city .This place is around 8 kms from bus stand and Auto will charge around 200rs for it.
From here , head to chunamabar boat house .this boat house providea the water route to Paradise Beach.An alternate road route is also available and easily accessible using Autos.
However , if you enjoy boating ,then this water route is recommended . Paradise Beach is a beautiful, neat and clean beach .And totally worth a visit.It has shower rooms and other facilities .The beach also provides for Rain Dance,zorbing ,Fish spa and other water activties. you can easily spend good 3-4 hours here.Return and enjoy lunch at Chunamabar Boat house .
By this time ,you will be requiring a break ,so head to your Hotel and take rest .Try finding a hotel that is either near to market (if you are a shopaholic) or near to beach(if thats the reason of your trip)
In the evening ,head to any local bakery to enjoy the irresistible crossiants and pastries (if you have a sweet tooth) or head to a local tea stall for samosa,bhaji/pakoda,vada (if you prefer savoury items).And then ,spend the later half of the day shopping in local markets.The entire area can actually be covered on foot.And if you ever feel lost(though ,difficult if you use Google maps),ask anyone for beach lane and you will reach Rock beach.
Before retiring for the day ,ask Autos for a full day Trip around.Try and Bargain ,since autos are a bit costly here .we hired a complete day Auto for around 500 to cover Auroville Ashram ,Auroville Beach ,Serenity Beach and then back to M.G Road.Thankfully ,the people here are nice and helpful. ask politely and you will be able to get a deal.
Start the Second day in Pondicherry early with a Hearty breakfast and head to the famous Ganesh temple(Manikul Vinayagar Temple).My hotel was within 1 km of the temple ,so we enjoyed a good morning walk to the place .After temple ,head to Aurbindo Ashram.
Now,call your Auto for the day.And start for MatriMandir ,Auroville.I had already read on Internet ,that it is a place where people go to find peace and meditate .And a booking in advance is required , if you want to see it from inside .
Since we were travelling with a kid ,so we only opted to see the MatriMandir from outside .It is beautiful and worth a visit .Before heading to the actual Golden globe building ,they show you a video that gives a deeper sense of the values of the MatriMandir and it's well thought architecture .It is truly Awe-inspiring .
The walk to and fro of MatriMandir will make you hungry ,so head to the beach for some coconut water and locally prepared fish ,available in abundance here .
Enjoy some time in water and sand and head to a Cafe for some lunch .
After lunch ,if you want to just lie on the sand and enjoy sun ,then this is your beach. relax ,play in water or just enjoy making sand castles . You can easily spend a good 1-2 hours here .
Head back to your Pondicherry hotel amd relax .
After a good rest , go to M.G road for any remaining shopping or head to Bharthi park(has a children park inside ) for relaxing or go back to Rock Beach to enjoy the evening at a beach side cafe .All these places are within 1.5 km and can easily be covered together.
M.G road provides many options of shopping and good dining too.If you want to eat local ,try Sarvanna Bhawan hotel here .
And now ,time to say bye to the place .Take an Auto and head back to bus stand where your bus is waiting for you to take you back to Bangalore.
The buses start from pondicherry in the night and drip you in bangalore next day early morning.
So ,you can enjoy this trip over a weekend and still be back in your offices on Monday :-)
