Skip to main content

Love at first sight: My visit to Pondicherry


Pondicherry or Puducherry is one of the most beautiful and mesmerising places of South India. The place offers you a lot more than you can imagine- beautiful French architecture, stunning views to die for, ample of places to fill in your tummy and gazillion of places to satisfy that shopaholic in you.I drove to this Union Territory from Chennai. Taking the East Coast Road (ECR), I reached Pondicherry in almost three hours.




As you make your way into Pondy, you quickly realize why this place is also called ‘The French Riviera of the East’. Pondy’s architecture is weaved around the reminiscence of the French colonial rule and culture.


Unlike most tourists who book their stays in White Town or Auroville, I chose to stay in Hotel RKN International, a refined 3 star hotel in Annasalai. On reaching Pondi, I rented a Wespa, which cost Rs. 350 a day, and allowed me to ride to White Town in under 10 minutes, and popular beaches in half an hour. 

My stay here was short, so I skipped my visit to the famous Auroville City. I have reserved it for a later trip, since Auroville requires and deserves a longer trip and a wider time span.  My major aim was to explore Pondy, see its famous spots and bite into some French Food! I visited some popular tourist spots like, the Beach Road (Promenade), the Gandhi Statue (On the Beach Road), Shri Aurobindo Ashram and some popular beaches out there!



However, the highlight of my trip to this wonderland on the East Coast was my visit to Paradise and Serenity Beach,they are located 8 and 4 Kms from Pondy.When you reach the island, you actually realize why it is called Paradise – Blue waters and Golden sand. I never thought an Indian beach had blue waters. I felt that pollution had killed our seas and grey was the only colour that our waters showed. But the view at the beaches were refreshing. 



To sum it up, Pondicherry is a fantastic experience. You can explore the beaches, the churches, the food and the Auroville City (which I will do on my next visit). According to me, Pondicherry is a cleaner and nicer version of Goa, both, in terms of the beaches and the town overall. 


Below, I have given some details about Pondicherry which can be handy for planning your travel to this place.

1.     How to reach Pondicherry:

The closest city to Pondicherry is Chennai, which is around 150 kms away. You can drive your way or take a bus from Chennai to Pondy. There are lots of regular buses and Deluxe Coaches that run on this route. There are also cab services from Bangalore and Trichy to Pondicherry.

2.     What to See & What to Do in Pondicherry:

You can visit some famous churches in this town. Stroll on the Beach Road, visit the Botanical Garden, Gandhi Statue, Nehru Statue, Raj Niwas and the Pondiherry Museum. Also pay a visit to Shri Aurobindo Ashram and the Auroville City. And and and, do not miss, Paradise Beach. This is a must visit, I swear! If you are a photographer, Paradise will be a delight for you. There are lots of great shots to capture.



3.     When in Pondicherry, Beware of:

The Sun! The Sun beats down heavily. Before going to the beach, do NOT forgot to put on some sun block if you do not wish to come back to the hotel, stand in front of the mirror and get a shock of your life!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are My Mood Swings Normal?

You're up. You're down. And you're soon up again. It seems like you spend your days riding an emotional roller coaster. Are these changes normal? The answer is "maybe" -- so long as they don't disrupt your life or the lives of people around you. Many things can affect how your mood shifts throughout the day. For example, because of body rhythms, most people feel upbeat and energetic around noon but tend to have more negative feelings during the early afternoon or evening. Sometimes, mood swings are a symptom of a mental illness Or they could be a clue that something else is happening in your body. Serious mood shifts that threaten your well-being can be treated by medical professionals. Lifestyle changes can often help mild ones. But first, you'll need to figure out what could be causing your bumpy ride. Stress and Anxiety Day-to-day hassles and unexpected surprises -- both the good kind and the unpleasant ones -- can definitely chang...
Post a Comment
Read more

Easy and cheap home decorating ideas for Indian households

  Decorating the home does not necessarily have to be expensive. There are many creative ideas which are quite simple yet quite effective in beautifying a home. In this article, we will take you each of these ideas step by step with gorgeous pictures from local Indian interior architects to illustrate the ideas. There's an idea for every budget and taste here so we hope that you will be inspired to try it out at home. The ideas range from rearranging the furniture to creating a focal point and buying new curtains. So some of the ideas don't even require you to spend any money at all, but instead just require some creativity and effort. The main objective of decorating is often to create a new and fresh look, and a fresh look often doesn't require a lot of money to be spent as you will see from this article.  1. Rearrange the furniture Yes that's right, sometimes there's no need to spend money at all to give your home a new look and feel. It may require a bit of effo...
7 comments
Read more

The Power Of Positive Thinking

In our life, we have all received the well-intentioned advice to stay positive. Sometimes it can be hard to stay positive in life when you are drowning in the waters of negativity. Happiness isn’t the only type of positivity definition . There are many ways to stay positive in your life, even when you’re experiencing anger, sadness, or challenges. The definition of being positive is having hope and confidence in one’s ability to handle what’s tough, along with remembering that nothing is all negative all the time. Research says that we have powerful capabilities to choose positive ways and emotions of thinking. Our emotions change our body at the cellular level. Rather than trying to get rid of negative feelings, we can choose to respond to them differently. To live a happier life, it’s essential to learn how to highlight the positive thinking and improve your outlook on life. Here are simple ways to stay positive and happy. Create a positive environment   It is vital to have posit...
5 comments
Read more