Time of Visit: December 2014

Flight from Bombay To Chennai: Rs.6700/- (Economy Class Return Ticket from Indigo Airlines Booked 3 months in Advance.)

Private Taxi (A/C Toyota Innova) from Chennai to Pondicherry: Rs.3200/- (Split into 4 people)

Accommodation:
We found a very nice and affordable accommodation through AirBnB. It was a massive 700 sq.ft Studio Apartment situated on the first floor of a bungalow. The house included a Kitchenette with working stove and basic utilities. A double cot bed, extra mattresses, A/C etc. It also has a huge terrace and a sky deck. Four of us could stay at this place very comfortably and it did not burn a hole in our pocket. We ended up paying mere Rs.6800/- for 4 people 4 nights, that too during the peak time of New Year’s eve.

Beach side home in Pondicherry

Great place. Quiet, gated community, friendly neighbors. House was very clean and tidy, great deck and rooftop deck with glimpses of the sea and surrounding greenery. A/C and fans came in handy after a few doses of sun and surf! Close to Auroville beach, and a small surf school that had board rental and good crew; very useful. View all listings in Pondicherry

Food & Drinks

Getting Around

The first thing we did on reaching Pondicherry was rent Moped Bikes. We got an Activa & an Aviator between the 4 of us from a Rental Shop very close to the place where we were staying. They charged us Rs.350/- per bike per day (Without Fuel). The fuel in Pondicherry is comparatively cheap as it is a Union Territory. Renting bikes was one of the best decisions as we were staying at a 20 minute drive away from the main city. We could explore the tiny lanes and hop between cafe’s with ease as we had bikes with us. Make sure you are carrying a valid driving licence and an ID proof that you can leave with the Rental shop.

Things to Do

Pondicherry is a place you go to if you want to get away from a hectic city and just relax. It’s best for foodie’s as there are so many cafe’s that you can explore. The food (especially at cafe’s in Auroville) is mostly prepared with locally sourced and organically grown ingredients. It feels quite authentic and is so much better than what you get at other places. Plus there is so much variety , from Greek, to French and Italian. In terms of exploring the city, we hardly went to any places of attractions. We did not manage to go to Shri Aurobindo Ashram or even the Puducherry Museum. We did enjoy walking in the French Quarters. Beautiful houses and cafe’s. You can take a walk at the promenade in White Town, and when you are tired, sit by Le Cafe and sip on some coffee along with some Walnut Brownie.

Do visit the Matrimandir. It’s quite surreal. Although normal visitors are not allowed to go inside the Matrimandir, you can walk around the area, check out their museum, the cafe and shop locally made products.

There are quite a lot of fun things to do such as learning Surfing, Chocolate or Cheese Making, Cooking, Art Exhibits, PADI certified Scuba Diving Course etc. Do check the local events guide when you visit. Such experiences make Pondicherry what it is.

Mahabalipuram: 
Mahabalipuram is an ancient town that’s around 100 kms away from Pondicherry, on the way to Chennai. Although we visited in December, the heat was pretty unbearable. There are a lot of ancient temples and ruins that you can check out. We visited the Shore temple which  is situated by the beach. It’s quite a sight.