Three days of Fun! Shopping! Eating! And a Little Spirituality!
Bangalore to Pondicherry!!
We set foot at around 8am on a Friday Morning on India's Little France, our very own fondly called Pondy!!!
Here began our search for an auto who could take us to our hotel at a reasonable price! (do not agree for anything more than a Rs.100 no matter the distance.. It's a very small town! We settled in for 70 bucks!)
We had tele-booked a decent family accommodation for 1000bucks per day.. Within a span of 3km near Perumal Koil Street, Vysial Street, and nearby areas, you would find accommodation of all price ranges, starting from Rs.800 per day.
Few places are Maruthi Residency, Promenade Executive Inn, Amrithaa Residency, La Maison Tamoule, Maison Perumal, The Promenade, Pleasant Inn..
Depending on the time of the year you are going, you can choose between AC and Non-AC rooms if you are looking for cheaper options!
October to February is considered to be the best time to visit Pondy.
Pondicherry is hot and humid all year round with temperatures ranging between 26°C and 38°C. March, April, May and June are the hottest months with temperatures touching 40° C.
July, August and September are pleasant mainly because the heat and humidity are relieved by the showers of the southwest monsoons. The arrival of the northeast monsoon coincides with the winter months of November, December, January and February - this the best season to visit Pondy with day temperatures around 30° C and pleasant cool evenings.
First thing we did even before breakfast on Day 1 was to rent a 2 wheeler. You would usually get to choose between a few different bikes(geared and gearless). It would cost somewhere around 150-200 bucks per day excluding petrol.
As you roam around the city, one thing you would definitely notice is that people there live to eat ;)
There is not one Street without a Café or a simple eatout or a posh high-end restaurant!
Hot Breads was one of our personal favorites! A full meal here would cost you around 150 bucks. Place to go to grab a quick but full bite ;)
Le Café is the beach view restaurant and they literally mean it! It is situated right on the beach side nearby the Gandhi Statue. And what more, this restaurant is also open 24hrs!!
Surguru Restaurant is also a must try for lunch. A typical South Indian lunch! But do not go in here if you are in a hurry! Service is pretty slow.
The Promenade! A Hidesign Outlet! You must book a table here few hours in advance (a day in advance if you want to go on a weekend) if you want to make the most if it! It's an Italian roof-top restaurant with the best possible view of the beach! The ambience here was truly mesmerizing! Must-try are the personalized Mock tails!
Café Xtasy is a really good option for Pizza Lovers!
I can go on with the list, like I said people here are born to eat(no pun intended ;))
Choose from any of these places in Pondy to famish your hungry bones!
If your agenda is to have a packed tour and no shopping then try option 1
If your agenda is to have a relaxing tour with no regrets for a loss of few not-so-important places but with time for shopping then go for option 2
If your agenda is to see the famous places in Pondy and move on to have a spiritual relaxing experience then go for option 3
Option 1
Aurobindo Ashram, French War Memorial, Gandhi Statue, Serenity Beach, French Colony, Pondicherry Museum, Promenade Beach, St. Basilica Sacred Heart Church, Chunnambur Boat House.
Option 2
Choose a few places from the list above as per your wish and reserve quality time in the afternoons and evening for shopping or just laze around the streets of the old town! Shopping in Pondy is really fun.. Places like Nehru Street, M.G. Road, St.Aurobindo Street, and nearby streets are the best for street shopping..
Option 3
This option is definitely for you if you are totally stressed out in your busy life and want a fully spiritual break! Either you can spend a day in Pondy and land in Auroville the next day or come to Auroville directly..There are a few places for accommodation here and quite a good number of restaurants.. Probably it's a little costlier compared to Pondy and has less number of options for stay and food. But you would not care all that if you are looking for spirituality! Or do you? ;)
You have to book 2 days before to get into the Matrimandir, else you can only view the place from a distance and click pictures!
The best thing about Auroville is that, you can grab a book or magazine or simply start meditating and choose to sit anywhere on the green pathway or any small corner.. Acres of green at your disposal to while away a few good hours and understand life in a whole new beautiful way!
So now, what are you waiting for? Grab a few essentials and get, set, go!
