Pondicherry, Perhaps The Best Spot For A  sun And Sand Junkie

Pondicherry, fondly known as Pondy and officially known as Puducherry, is a Union territory with a strong colonial past. The place is vibrant with speculative ethnology as well as a great history to tell. This vacation head to the city in south and spend a wonderful holiday.

It’s fascinating to hear stories of its colonial past which dates back to the 1st century AD, before the time when Romans came to Pondicherry to trade. Exploring Pondy’s history is fun. As the Parisian lamps on the streets of Pondicherry whisper to you, take a walk on the bridge, sit on the edge for hours, or get down, take a boat and row away. Go gentle into that sunset, dear art lover. This is your evening! Filled with unique tourist allures and something interesting in every turn, Pondicherry is indeed a place to explore. Avail one of the Pondicherry tour packages and get going to the old city in search of a vacation that will stay in your memories for long.    

Six thousand miles from France. You can feast on just-baked baguettes and croissants for breakfast; celebrate Bastille Day and parler en Francais with the locals. Sunflower colored churches, painted friezes and sculptured pillars of Hindu temples - a pleasing mélange is the word that sums up this balmy town. Pondicherry (today renamed Puducherry) is a small French town on the Coromandel coast of India, just two hours from Chennai. "Give time a break" says the Pondicherry Tourism slogan. It seems appropriate, for a break in this seaside town does take you into the slow lane. Here are eight incredible ways to discover the town.

If you are a sun and sand junkie, then head to any of the four popular beaches around Pondicherry: the Promenade, Serenity Beach, Auroville Beach and Paradise Beach. Walk on the main historical promenade along Goubert Avenue, lined by charming colonial buildings, with locals eating ice creams and balloon sellers in a mesmerizing melee. This stretch has the Mahatma Gandhi statue alongside a statue of Marquis Dupleix and the War Memorial to honor the fallen French soldiers of World War I as well as a whitewashed 19th century lighthouse.

Book a heritage walk in the French Quarter or Ville Blanc with INTACH, the NGO which does a lot of restoration work in the town. Walk through streets with names like Rue Romain Rolland, Suffren and Dumas. Private homes with white shutters and bright yellow facades bedecked with red bougainvillea, and bicycles parked outside, create a very Mediterranean feel. There are many exquisite heritage buildings that have been artfully converted into boutique hotels. Have lunch at Palais de Mahe, a new property built in the classical French style belonging to the CGH Earth group, known for its eco- friendly initiatives. There is an open courtyard, many nooks and corners where one can read a book or laze around over a glass of beer as well as a small swimming pool.

The Tamil quarter, or the Ville Noir, is the 'living quarter' where you can experience the unique Franco-Tamil ambience. It is quite obvious that they are highly significant parts of Pondicherry tourism. Walk through Perumal Koil Street and Vysial Street, lined with old Tamil mansions with long verandahs and platforms called thinnais. Stay at Maison Perumal, an old Tamil home now converted into an atmospheric boutique hotel by CGH Earth. Antique furniture, contemporary fabric, local art and inviting red oxide floors with a big central courtyard, make this a great pit stop. Feast on their single set menu of grilled seafood, soups, appams and fresh vegetables, which is simple and organic.