Pondicherry - An Ideal Gateway for Travellers!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Pondicherry or Puducherry is a union territory of India, with the capital city of the same name. It is surrounded by the South Indian state Tamil Nadu, for which the local culture of the native people of Pondicherry strongly resembles the lifestyle of Tamil people. Earlier, it was a French colony till 1954 when this land was transferred to the Indian Union government.

Best Season to Visit Pondicherry

Like many places in South India, Pondicherry also has a warm climate throughout the year, even during the winter. Hence, the ideal time for visiting Pondicherry is the winter season, ranging from October to February when the climate remains most comfortable with moderate temperature.

However, winter being the peak tourist season, some people also like to visit this place in summer for avoiding crowds, in spite of uncomfortable climatic heat. The celebration during the birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo in August is another attraction for many tourists.

Why Pondicherry is a popular tourist destination?

Pondicherry has earned immense fame because of Sri Aurobindo, the great freedom fighter who later turned into sage and spent rest of his life here. Now, tourists love to visit his Ashram and Auroville in Pondicherry. Moreover, there are some wonderful beaches where tourists prefer to take a stroll on the sands and enjoy water sports.

There are many remarkable churches and temples in and around this city that draw the attention of tourists. The favourable climatic conditions in winter help the tourist walk around the city and appreciate the French architecture in several colonial buildings.

Pamper Your Taste Buds

There are many popular restaurants and cafes in Pondicherry where the tourists love to satisfy their appetite with various local and foreign cuisines. Many restaurants are opened in old buildings, where the customers can admire the elegant interiors of French architecture while relishing on delicious foods and drinks.

La Maison Rose, Villa Shanti, Le Dupleix, and Tanto Pizzeria are few places where tourists can enjoy different Continental, French and Italian cuisines served in royal style. However, restaurants and hotels like Chez Pushpa, Maison Perumal, and Satsanga serve various tasty local cuisines and seafood dishes.

Beaches in Pondicherry & Water Activities

Paradise Beach is a prime tourist spot in Pondicherry due to the picturesque landscape of this place and clear seawater. Many tourists enjoy swimming along the shoreline, boating, and playing volleyball on this peaceful beach.

Promenade Beach is another tourist destination that is famous for the remarkable landmarks, like French War Memorial, statue of Dupleix, statue of Mahatma Gandhi, Children’s Park, and the statue of Joan of Arc. This beach is loved by children due to several fun activities arranged for them here.

Serenity Beach is particularly noted for the facility of surfing, about which interested tourists are also given necessary training. Karaikal Beach is the best place for thrilling water activities, like kayaking and canoeing.

Must visit places in Pondicherry

Auroville or ‘City of Dawn’ is a model township that is located on the border of Pondicherry and Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu. It is specially designed with a meditation centre called Matri Mandir, where people from all over the world flock for living some peaceful days.

Sri Aurobindo Ashram is visited by all tourists to feel the spirituality and peacefulness prevailing here, as well as they can have a view of different books and videos on Sri Aurobindo.  Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is the most prominent church of Pondicherry, noted for its Neo-Gothic architecture.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Puducherry Botanical Gardens, Jawahar Toy Museum, and Puducherry Museum are other prime tourist attractions of this city. Gingee Fort and Thirukaameeswarar Temple are two tourist destinations close to the city of Pondicherry. 

Shopping places in Pondicherry

Casablanca is a combination of mini shopping mall and Indian boutique in Pondicherry, where various Indian artefacts, including fancy pottery items are available for sale. Cluny Embroidery Centre is a favourite shopping place for tourists, where they buy various embroidered fabrics to help those poor women.

Serenity Beach Bazaar is available only on the weekends, where tourists buy different types of attractive handicrafts. Auro Woodworks and La Boutique D Auroville are two shopping centres inside Auroville, where tourists can buy exclusive wooden crafts and handmade papers respectively. Nehru Street and Goubert Market are two popular shopping places in Pondicherry, housing numerous shops.

Nightlife in Pondicherry

Tourists can enjoy vibrant nightlife in Pondicherry, with numbers of lounge bars, pubs, and nightclubs in this city. People love to relish on delicious foods and exotic drinks at cheap prices at these places, along with joyous music and dance. Asta, Bamboo Bar, L’ Aqua, Paradise Lounge, and Le-space are some of the popular pubs and nightclubs of this city.

Rocky Beach and Paradise Beach are also the perfect places for spending enjoyable night parties at small restaurants and pubs. Some people also find pleasure in lighting bonfires at these beaches or may go on a cruise trip for a night.

Where to stay in Pondicherry- Accommodation

Suitable accommodation is a prime matter for all tourists, mainly during the peak tourist season in Pondicherry. Though there are plenty of hotels all over this city, tourists need to find accommodations that suit their requirements and budgets.

So it is best to check the details of all Pondicherry hotels online and then book the best ones for spending their vacations here. Most of these hotels are located at prime spots or close to some tourist attractions.

How to travel to Pondicherry

Pondicherry is connected by road, rail, and air to the rest of the country, which makes it easily reachable for the tourists. People can drive on NH45 from Chennai or Bangalore to reach this city, as Chennai is only 150 Km and Bangalore is 320 Km away.

There are regular bus services running from Chennai, Madurai, Thanjavur, Trichy, Bangalore, and Coimbatore, which carry people to Pondicherry. Villupuram Railway Station is the nearest to Pondicherry that is connected by regular trains to most of the metropolitan cities of India.

Puducherry Airport in Lawspet district is a domestic airport that is connected to Bangalore International Airport with many flights. Moreover, foreign tourists can land in Chennai International Airport as well, which is only 135 Km from Pondicherry.