" Rester, c'est exister. mais voyager, c'est vivre."
Translation:
"To be, is to exist, but to travel, is to live.”
- Gustave Nadaud
The French capital of India : Pondicherry, is a charming and alluring aura of the South and the French. It is well known for its deluge of enchanting coastal line, beautiful islands, avalanche of its and its astonishing white town.
Pondicherry is a small town, that functions at a slow and leisurely pace. It won't take you much time to adapt to the pleasant weather, beauty of the seashore, aroma from the coffee shops, mix of local Tamilian food stalls and French cuisines.
GETTING THERE :
Roadways : NH47 and NH48 via Mumbai. ( Approximately 1,298 kms i.e. 24 hour drive away)
Railways : There are a number of Trains that depart for Pondicherry from Mumbai. Two of the shortest ones are the LTT and the Nagercoil Balaji Express.
Airways : Airways are the most convenient and the fastest means if travel. Since there are no direct flights available, flights usually have a layover at Bangalore airport and then a smaller aircraft departs to Pondicherry.
The return fare ( Mumbai - Pondicherry) during peak months are approximately Rs 15,000.
WHERE TO STAY :
There are a number of hotels, resorts and villas to choose from all over Pondicherry. Since we wanted to experience something unique, we checked into an ancient French Style Tamilian Villa named La Closerie Bay of Bengal located on Promenade Beach.
Cost for two : Approximately Rs 3500 - 4000 per night with Complimentary Breakfast .
WHAT TO SEE AND DO :
ITIENARY : 4 Nights and 5 Days
Sightseeing :
We started with Pondicherrys Promenade Beach around 5 pm as we had just landed from Mumbai around 4pm. We walked around the Promenade Beach Front on a pleasant evening.
We walked around the Beach Front and visited the French War Memorial. What won my heart about the Promenade beach was the fact that post 8 Pm, the entire zone is barricaded and turns into a NO VEHICLE ZONE or SILENT ZONE for civilians to walk. It was a treat to the ears to be in a No Noise zone while a pleasant sight to the eye.
WHAT TO EAT :
Grab a seat at Le Club, a 24*7 open restaurant at the beach. The best time to visit it is during sunrise or sunset as it offers breathtaking views. But if you're looking for a quick late night snack, then this is definitely your go-to place.
We tried their coffee, brownie, sandwiches and lasagna. Having a coffee and brownie by the sea is enough to make your good day even better 😋
Approximately : Rs 400 for two people.
Auroville is an experimental community in South India dedicated to the ideals of human unity. We spent an entire day beginning our tour from the visitors centre , where we also gathered handouts about Aurovilles educational and cultural activities. One can participate in yoga, volunteer work, workshops , shaded walks, shopping and Matrimandir tours. My favorite part of the trip to Auroville was definitely the walk through the semi forest areas and pathways discovering enchanting flora all around the place.
The Matrimandir was all about being silent and meditating.
Besides, there are large number of boutiques open from 9:30 am to 6 pm that sell a wide range of handicrafts, incense, clothing, jewellery , aromatherapy, organic syrups, dried fruits etc.
Where to Eat :
Auroville has a choice of cafes roughly open from 8 am to 10:30pm daily. One can enjoy local and organic specialities at affordable prices.
The South Indian Thali at Right path Cafe is to die for.
TIP :
- There's a lot of walking to do so ensure that you're wearing comfortable footwear.
- Bicycles and Shuttles are available.
- Shoutout to the tractor bhaiyaa and if you're lucky enough you may get a free ride
Contact : 04132623034
The information centre is open daily from 9am - 1pm and 1:30 - 5pm.
How could I miss this vibrant yellow place? Located at Suffren Street, Cafe Des Arts is a bright yellow villa with cute graffti paintings that is sure to make you fall in love at the very first glance!
Well, after all the hype about this place and hundreds of instagram posts, Cafe Des Arts was on our Bucket list. It is a cute little artsy cafe in white town with just the perfect touch of French charm , decor and antiques. It's not only one of the most renowned cafe's in Pondicherry but also one of the busiest.
We had the macchiato coffee, chocolate waffle, nutella crepe and bacon and egg baguette sandwiches. The crepes with an overdose of chocolate and nutella sauce tops my favorite list, it's literally to die for :P
Cost for two : Approximately Rs 800.
We picked up some take away and begun our journey towards Outseri Lake which is a 40 minute ride from White town.
They offer spectacular boating facilities with scenic green plantations and mesmerizing backwaters. It's the perfect location if you're looking for some relaxation.
They offer an array of boat services ranging from speed boat, motor boat, group boats and cruise kind of boats. Along with boating, one can also choose from a number of thrilling activities like hiking or camping in the backwaters.
Charges: Entry Charges to the boat house: RS 5
Motor Boat: INR 50
Speed Boat (2 seater): INR 125
Speed Boat (4 seater): INR 350
Jet Ski: INR 250
We opted for the speed boat for two people, paid and collected a receipt at the counter and off we were to the island.
We spent an entire day at the island, soaking in the scenic views and diving into its serenity.
WHERE TO EAT : Since we were living at the Promenade, we decided to talk a walk along the shore and pick a restaurant for dinner. We head to café Xtasi, a small hippie looking pub for a few drinks and music.
The place has a beautiful ambience with great choices of drinks and delicious food. We had the Jager bombs, a couple of margaritas and Bangkok prawns along with a classic four cheese olive pizza and called it a night.
Cost for two : Approximately Rs 1500.
White town is the French Quarters in Pondicherry, a well planned, scenic, clean and green locality with colourful villas all around, dominated by especially yellows and grays. We walked around the streets, all named in French like Roman Rolland Rue , Suffren Rue etc. Indeed a walk to remember surrounded with colourful streets, flora, artsy cafes , ancient villas, south boulevard, Joan Arc Park and picturesque views.
During our walking spree, we spotted this tiny board while walking away from the shore and decided to give it a try ↓
We had the chocolate au croissant, expresso, a French delicacy named Tigre, sugar roll, the Darjeeling masala tea, and a Flaky chocolate pastrie along with chicken and ham quiche.
Baker's Street has a very lavish menu with lots of varieties to try. Every item, I reconfirm again every item that we tried at this place won my heart to another level.
P.S. We don't regret the calories.
Approximate cost for two : Rs 700.
After the sumptuous breakfast, we begun to walk back and soak the fresh air and enchanting aura of white town. We spotted a few catchy villas and paintings along the street as we walked by. Here's a quick glimpse ↓
WHERE TO EAT :
Some of our friends suggested the Restaurant - Villa Shanti and so, we decided to head there for lunch. Villa Shanti offers both indoor and outdoor seating.
We tried the masala fried fish fillet, lemon rice with prawn meal , some French roast chicken and rice along with a few glasses of chilled sangria. Not forgetting to mention, the mouth watering chocolate eclair with ice-cream.
Cost for two : Approximately Rs 1500.
Post lunch we went back to our hotel for a quick nap, woke up fresh and hit the streets to explore more.
This time, we walked towards the old light house. As the say, "the best view comes after a difficult climb", the lighthouse offers extravagant views of the shoreline that will leave you speechless.
We walked pass the stunning government house and we couldn't stop admiring how photogenic this place was.
Later, we walked towards station in search of some good street food, lost our way and ended up bang infront of this mesmerizing church " Basilica of Bon Jesu " I was awestruck by its architecture and oh how peaceful it was to just be there.
We wandered around a little more only to come across this super cool street food outlet named ' Mission BBQ ' , They BBQ chicken, prawns as well as red meat. If you're a kebab lover, you HAVE TO spot this place around the streets of the Promenade and try their steaming hot kebabs.
Cost for two : Approximately Rs 250.
We woke up early, had breakfast at our hotel and left for the airport, happy and content with our mini vacation.
Pondicherry has won my heart and I would love to go there again sometime soon!
TIPS :
GETTING AROUND : One can easily rent self driven bicycles, scootys , bikes or cars.
Scooty costs approximately Rs 250 per day while Cars cost Rs 600 to 800 per day.
Besides that public transport like buses, rickshaws and Olas are easily available.
SHOPPING :
Janaki : Sustainable shopping and eco friendly products, organic skin care are available here.
Location: Romain Rolland St, White Town, Puducherry, 605001 Timings: 10 AM to 8 PM
Serenity Beach Bazaar : One can shop for local garments, handicrafts, lanterns, incense etc here for reasonable prices
M.G Street : It has a carnival like atmosphere with more than 100 stalls.
Location : MG Street Trimmings : 5 am to 2 pm and 5pm to 9 pm.
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