My Weekend Trip to Pondicherry

My Weekend Trip to Pondicherry

Last to last week was on my fifth wedding anniversary, (no I am not that old, I turned 28 in Jan :/) so my dear hubby planned a surprise trip to Pondicherry. Usually, like always, I don’t really remember important dates in life and I am extremely poor at gifting and organizing surprises in life 😛 but I am blessed to have some really thoughtful people around me, (Rati you too for your thoughtful Diwali Titan Raga watch 🙂 ) This is my second attempt at a travelogue  I hope I am able to do justice to this memorable trip and to the lovely town of Pondicherry!

Just to keep it a little personal (like not in your face kind of pics 😛 and yet to share most of the pics, I have made collages, I hope you are able to access the places and can take help to plan out your own trip too soon! 🙂

The trip to Pondicherry

Here is little something from Wiki:

Puducherry, formerly Pondicherry , is a Union Territory of India formed out of four enclaves of former French India and named after the largest, Pondicherry.

The French Influence:

The city of Pondicherry was designed based on the French grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The town is divided into two sections: the French Quarter (Ville Blanche or ‘White town’) and the Indian quarter (Ville Noire or ‘Black Town’.) Many streets still retain their French names, and French style villas are a common sight. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and houses with large doors and grills. These French and Indian style houses are identified and their architecture is preserved from destruction by an organization named INTACH. The use of the French language can still be seen and heard in Pondicherry.

We drove down to Pondicherry from Chennai, and started like 10 Am in the morning, it takes roughly 4 hours to reach considering you stop by once. You can take the east coast road and drive along the coast, very fancy. The roads are pretty good but I suggest you skip driving on the weekends due to heavy traffic of people travelling from Chennai to Pondicherry on say Friday and Sunday evenings.

The drive

My daughter would just not let go off my glares and was fast asleep within 15 minutes of drive, yes that happens to me as well but this time I was lucky to enjoy the drive.It was mainly sunny but I would love to drive down again during the rains, the weather is fine till march I guess after which it would get really hot being a coastal town, but rains would be a great time too.

Shomili on the drive

The trip was just two days , we had to drive back on Saturday afternoon to avoid night driving. We put up in a place called “Mango Hill” a hotel run by French family. This is close to Auroville , the hotel is not in main Pondicherry, but a little before you reach the main town. This was a charming place, due to the interiors and the French feel to it and the prime attraction, the cheese that they are famous for, I did pick up somethings which you can see down below.

Mango hill

Here is something about Mango Hill hotel:

MANGO HILL, a gracious Indian hotel with an unmistakable French touch, located on a hill planted with mango and cashew trees between Pondicherry and Auroville, on the Bay of Bengal..
An “ecofriendly” haven of serenity just outside the city (6 km/4 miles north of the former French colony of Pondicherry), where Parisian savoir-faire meets the charm of the Indian countryside.

Mango hill Pondicherry

In a two day trip, we really enjoyed the stay in the hotel because it was very relaxing, the food was great and we had some awesome greek salads, desserts like Baba au rhum, tiramisu..the place was so full of French that I actually had to talk in English to get a reality check that I am in India.

Restaurant at mango hill

The pool at the hotel is where you can chill, my daughter enjoyed her swim or you can say paddling and made some kiddie friends too. Total chill it was, but we had  just a day sadly.

The pool at Mango Hill hotel

The next day we went to main Pondicherry, had little time, went for a stroll on the main promenade where we were staying and enjoyed the walk by the sea. The promenade is close for traffic in the evenings and morning and loads of people just sit by the sea leisurely, by the way they dont have sandy beaches any more after the Tsunami, so you can see the rocky beach by the walk.

The sunrise was amazing, I caught one after years…then we went to sip some mochiato at Le cafe at the promenade which is a 24 hour government-run restaurant by the sea, you can see the waves crash while you sip your coffee and munch at you three-tier veg sandwich, most of the other things in the menu are unavailable 😛

the walk by the sea in the main town…

The sunrise at Pondi

You can stroll down the criss-cross town and check out some French architecture, book shops and some amazing cafes, run by French, and the food is super awesome..I happened to try some rice stuffed aubergines and some great coffee, picked up some books for myself and my toddler..overall its the place for cafes and leisurely walks by the sea.

Pondicherry trip

We also happened to go to a beach which is reached with a motorboat, the beach is really nice and clean and not crowded, take the Chunnambar boathouse road.. take the ferry. The beach is sandy not rocky, is full of sea shells that my daughter was busy collecting.Here is my wind in the hair moment, came back with a sad tan, but the breeze was very cool.

wind in my hair

chunambur boathouse

We did not have much time in the main city of Pondi, you can stay at the luxurious hotel “Promenade” right by the sea, or the GRT grand in the main city. Dont miss the sunrise..and the sunset, take a walk by the sea and visit some nice french cafes too..it really helps you unwind.

Here is the little shopping of cheese and french jams from The Mango hill hotel..the Fabindia close to Alliance francaise, in a beautiful yellow building. My Fabindia haul with double with happiness! You can see so many French on mopeds driving through the town, you would hear so much of french in a day that you wouldn’t have heard ever…a truly beautiful town it is..

The shopping at pondicherry

I wish to spend some more time in the main town next time, we are already planning another trip to Mango hill for the relaxed ambiance and the french feel to it 🙂 Hope you would too!

PS:
I really dont think my pics have done justice, plus we really could explore much more of Pondicherry, also visit the Auroville and the famous temples. These are just the little places I could see in the very little time I had on my hands, I am sure there are many more places to go..:)

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93 thoughts on “My Weekend Trip to Pondicherry

  1. Awww Neha its damnn wonderful … love every pose of her too cute she is ..
    You are looking cheerful and beautiful
    I’m in love with every single picture ..!!!
    And ur daughter she is a cutie pie 🙂

  2. Loved reading your experience in Pondi Neha……and Shomi is the cutest vutest kiddo :* she is sleeping so beautifully 🙂 I have been telling Rati and you that Pondicherry/Puducherry is my favourite place, its a perfect place for a laidback person like me. The French influence is so strong there, I love that place. Though I have gone to Pondi via Karaikal, still, its a beautiful place….I just love the place 🙂

    P.S. You have beautiful skin tone 🙂

  3. NEhhha … how amazzing .. Never knew POndicherry is soo much fun.. u have had an ammzing tym … loved reading everything.. Happy belated aniversary to u sweeti … may you enjoy loads of fun trips like this … ur daughtter is such a cutie pie and honey bunney kiddo.. u so lovely and pretty .. 🙂 .. and “mango hill” is on my whish list for sure .. Do share the fab india stuff .. its tempting 🙂

  4. Aww…awesome post neha…i really wanted to visit pondy wen i was in chennai:( hope to visit after the summers..shomi is such a sweetie..n i hav nvr watched a sunrise al these years…!! n do a separate post on ur fabindia haul super soon..waitng!!:)

  5. Lovely pics! Even I was planning a trip to Pondi with friends and we were also considering this hotel…. and then last moment we took Goa ka bus 😛 😛
    Happy Belated Anniversary Neha ! 🙂

  6. lovely pics.. lovely you and lovely is your little angel… that was a short but mast trip.. 🙂 🙂 and your beach wali pics are awesome.. 🙂

  7. I loved reading your travelogue Neha… 🙂

    I have been wanting to go to Pondicherry moreso to Auroville since like years….
    Do you know Ayesha Kapur, the girl who essayed Michelle’s role in the movie Black ( younger Rani Murkherjee) lives in Auroville with her family.. 🙂

      1. there was some show on TLC long back where they featured Auroville and Ayesha Kapur was also featured on that show alongwith her mother… 🙂

  8. oh my god…faints, since i have joined IMBB fisrt tym i saw ur pic Neha.
    i feel immensely happy. gr8 pics. its shows how much u enjoyed 🙂
    ur baby is ultra cute, mwah mwah mwah 🙂

  9. Thats a sweet review and the pics r nice too. Your daughter is such a cute little thing. The hotel looks so cozy. I love pondicherry/auroville too. Very peaceful. Stayed at the Dune eco friendly resort.

  10. hi neha !! glad u could visit pondy i’m from there :)!!the next tym u r there do try out a small chocolate shop called zuka !!!it’s supposed to have the best chocolate down south !!!

  11. lovely pictures Neha,
    you did fab shopping from FabIndia…..
    even we are plqnning to go there sometime soon (may be for our wedding anniversary) will take more tips from you that time 🙂

  12. Aw…Neha this is the first time im getting to see you…u n ur kid are so adorable..oh yea this is ur first post wth ur pic right..anyways u look so damn gud..Chennai to Pondy is abt 3-4 hrs right?

  13. this time no vacation for me 🙁 .. bt looking at ur pics feel refreshed nw… loved the beach waala pics and ur shomi… too cute <3

  14. Awesome pics thr Neha! 🙂 and ur daughter is such a cutie pie! :*
    And was that a tattoo on ur shoulder, I love tattoos, have one on my leg! 😀

  15. Seems you had lots of fun Neha 🙂 how angel is so adorable 🙂 god bless her 🙂 n you look gorgeous! loving that lippie on you 😀 pondicherry seems like a beautiful place..loved the hotel and that walk at the shore reminds of porbandar..my mom’s home town..it has exactly same view roads to walk by sea side..it feels amazing!!!

    1. wow wish we go there some day
      thnkuuu surprised lots of ladies have asked me about the lippy 😛
      do come down some day with ur hubby to pondi 🙂

  16. Neha..nice pics..and you look bful in those cool snapshots of yours… 🙂 and your daughter is just adorable.. <3

  17. Wooow..nicley written Neha..
    I love the ECR drive.. :)I have to to Pondy twice, but not the beaches..we suaually go for the beaches on the ECR…
    may b nxt time i will chkc out the beach der in pondy.. 🙂

  18. its great to see IMBB covering tourist places too…its really a great thing. Recently Coorg by Rati…and now Pondicherry by Neha. So 2 more tourist places added in my list. I guess after some time IMBB will be best destination for Tourism Department. Great going. And as much post is concern its really nice, its difficult to give a synopsis in one this size post. But u did justice every bit. Lip shade is looking fab on u (obviously u r queen of lippies). And ur daughter she is so cute and adorable.

  19. Wowie Neha….such awesome post…loved reading every bit of it…Pondicherry indeed is one heck of a place….i totally love it….and u and ur daughter look very cute….:)

  20. Ohhh puducherry.. Where time takes a break… I have very fond memories of this place …me and my husband had first visited this tourist place only…. Neha seeing u for the first time… Awwww u r sooo gorgeous.. Hoping that u do ootd some day hehehehehehe 🙂

  21. Neha, You reminded me of some really good memories.. I have been there with my girl gang few years along.. till now my only trip with my friends.. its a beautiful place and so very relaxing…

  22. I enjoyed ur pics in Fbee and also here 🙂 Ur daughter is so cute and adorable… Drooling over F@b** stuffs. U are so beautiful & glowing and don’t tell u r fat.

  23. Beautiful piccy Neha 🙂 your lil angel is so cute … all her pics are fab .. Including yours 😀 You have a fab skin & figure must say 😛

  24. Neha ur daughter is sho adorable, I have been wanting to go to pondicherry for a long time and your pictures are attracting me even more to this place. I loved how you compiled all the pictures so beautifully. Needless to say they are beautiful!

  25. I had been to Pondi once and really loved that place, Auroville was so peaceful.. i just went for a day returned with very bad tan 😀

    Chotu Neha is very very cute 🙂

  26. Nice pics 😉 I have been to Pondicherry recently. In september actually. Missed the ferry ride to the sandy beach, we went there at 4 o’clock in the evening and due to the tide, they closed it by then :'(

  27. i’ve been to pondicherry for a day 🙁
    vry sunny indeed,,,!!!
    nice collages and your daughter is very cute…..gulu gulu!!

  28. Hope u had a great time.I worked at Pondi for two yrs and enjoyed every bit of it.such a lovely town.I always want to go back there.Those were the golden days and I just have no words to explain my love towards Pondichery.take a long walk in the early morning on beach road is very pleasant experience.

  29. Finally read it and OMG!! you look soo pretty. Seriously, we are going to have a talk about this. 😛 and shomi has all grown up and looks soo cute. and you are making her a total fashionista. She is already carrying her hat in her hand. hihih I am dying to go to Pondi neha and now toh all the more. thank you for sharing this. :-*

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