Pondicherry, South India: Travel Guide

Pondicherry is unlike anywhere else in India. A former French colony, Pondy maintains a refreshing Parisian air amidst the tropical humidity of Tamil Nadu. While the French presence is still notable, particularly in the wide boulevards and colonial architecture of the French Quarter, Pondy is still very much an Indian town. Teeming bazaars, colourful temples, spicy thalis, and cows blocking traffic are all still prevalent.

From my experience, Pondy is the perfect oasis for the middle of an extended trip to India. Take a few days from the punishing road and unwind. Relax on the beach, eat in a French restaurant, promenade down the seafront, and plan the next leg of your trip from an air conditioned internet café.

Get In
The nearest major international airport is in Chennai (formerly Madras). From Madra the best means of getting into Pondy is by bus. The bus take two to three hours and is much much less than a taxi. There is also train service to Pondy but itGet Around
Pondy is a small town. You probably won't need to take an autorickshaw unless you're tired and carrying luggage.

Get Around
A fun and popular option is to hire a scooter for the day. A day's rental will set you back about 150 INR (3 USD), you may be asked to leave more money as a deposit or your passport. To be safe it's better to tell the scooter shop you had to leave your passport at the hotel and offer your driver's license. Most of the rental are simple, one gear scooters so you just "twist-and-go." There's no clutch or gears to worry about.

Get Going
Once you're ready to leave you can take the bus back to Chennai or other points in Southern India. If you have a flight to catch your hotel or guest house can book a taxi for you to get you to the airport in time. An air conditioned taxi to Chennai airport should cost 2500 INR.

I stayed in two places in Pondy, the International Guest House and the Park Guest House. There are many other options including some French style hotels that appeared expensive and some run-down hostels that I certainly hope were very cheap.

International Guest House
The first night I arrived late took a rickshaw to International Guest House, where I had reservations. After a long back and forth of whether or not the man at the desk had a key I got into the room and fell asleep. The guest house faced the canal in the main part of town but wasn't as relaxing as I was looking for.

Park Guest House
While walking through the city I checked out a few places and by far the best was the Park Guest House. It's located right by the beach at one end of the seafront promenade in a quieter part of town. Inside the gate there is a stunning walled garden were yoga practice is held at dawn and the rooms have balconies with sea views and cool breezes. During my stay there was no on-site food options but the location is very close to restaurants and beachfront food vendors and the front desk offered a coupon for breakfast, lunch and dinner at an affiliate ashram in town for 20 cents- a great deal if you could make it for breakfast at 6:00am.

The Park Guest House is part of an ashram in town which was founded by The Mother. Since it is an ashram there are a few extra rules. There is a curfew, the gate locks at night, and you are expected to be respectful at all times.

Of the two I would recommend the Park Guest House. From what I heard I was quite lucky to get a room. If you want to call ahead the number is 0413 233644.

Pondy has a great selection of food with some terrific south Indian fare and some French food too if you fancy a change.

French
Coffee.Com, on Mission St by Cathedral Church, is expensive but a cool place to hang-out and read or surf the web. The clientele seems pretty limited to the longer-term hipster Western visitor.

Hot Breads is a French Bakery by the corner of Nehru St and the canal. It was a pleasant surprise to find this place. Try the croissants.

Rendezvous, east of the canal on Sufferin St by Lal Bahadur Shastri Rd, is supposedly the best French style restaurant in Pondy. There's a nice rooftop but the food is just OK. Unless you're homesick I wouldn't recommend it.

Indian
As in most of India chai stalls and chaat stands dot the landscape. Chai, delicious Indian tea, is made from Assam tea leaves (black tea) with spices such as pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and anise. It's served strong, sweet, and milky. Chaat is a plate of savoury snacks. There are different kinds but most are based on fried dough, a souce made of yoghurt and chaat spice mix, and chopped onions. My favourite chaat is bhel puri, which is like Rice Krispies with potato in a yoghurt and mixed spice sauce.

Typically South Indian dishes include dosa, a pancake made from lentil flour, and idli, a lentil and rice flour savoury cake often served for breakfast. For simple, South Indian fare check out La Coromandale on the promenade.

In many ways the attraction of Pondy was that there was very little to do. Rent a scooter or bicycle and take the long way to the beach. People watch at the market. Browse one of the decent bookshops. See how many different religious buildings you can hit up in an hour.

Beaches and Parks
If even laid-back Pondy gets to be too much the Botanical Gardens, off Lal Bahadur Shastri Rd by the main bus terminal, is a pleasant respite.

In town the seafront Promenade may have a rocky shore but is the place to see and be seen, especially at dusk.

There are plenty of beaches north and south of Pondy. Some, like Paradise Beach south of Pondy, have assorted resort services but your best bet it to pick a road going north-south out of town and explore any road that heads towards the Bay of Bengal. Most end in a beach access point. You're equally likely to share your find with fishermen, local families or other travelers. From my experience anyone is allowed free access to 'private' resort beaches without questions so don't let that deter you.

Churches and Temples
Churches and Temples seem to be everywhere, one count puts the number of Hindu temples alone at over 150. A few notables include:

• The medieval Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception;


• The pink and cream Notre Dame de Anges;


• The gothic Sacred Heart Church;


• The vibrant Sri Manakula Vinayagar Temple devoted to Ganesh, and;


• The busy Sri Aurobindo Ashram where devotees visit the tombs of Aurobindo and The Mother.

Shops and Markets
The main shopping drags are along Nehru St, the canal, and Mahatma Gandhi Rd. A few highlights include:

• Focus Books, on Mission St, has a good selection of books and postcards;


• Nilgiri Supermarket, by Nehru St and Cathedral St, is a modern supermarket, and;


• Fabindia, by the south-east corner of the ring road, stocks fair-trade goods including furnishings and clothing.