Pondicherry or Puducherry, as the French influenced locals like to call it, is a great place for a quick sneak out, situated along the eastern coastal line about 300Kms away from Bangalore. Yes! I visited during the unlock post the stringent COVID-19 lockdown protocols were lifted and with all the right safety measures. It was a much-needed break from the constant 12-14 hours ticking working life.
We were a group of 4 friends; Kamal and his wife Shwetha and Pradeep and I; we decided to drive down. An early start was necessary to avoid the morning city traffic; we comfortably reached Pondy by noon with pit stops for breakfast and bio breaks. It would be an understatement to refer Kamal as a foodie; he is remarkably passionate about food and currently his new Jeep Compass is competing with Shwetha (his wife) for Rank 2. Needless to say, even before I had the itinerary ready for our trip, he had picked out places to eat on the way and through our stay in Pondicherry.
It was oddly humid this time around being the shoulder season; with monsoon transitioning into winter, we were sweating our butts off the minute we landed in the pretty White Town in Pondy. We were graciously received by our Airbnb host who showed us around the freshly sanitized apartment and after a quick fresh-up, we headed out for lunch and thus began our hike on foot. Hotel Kamatchi is a very regular looking restaurant from outside but hosts Audi Q7 owners to dine in; needless to say the food was brilliant. It was finally our turn to satiate the local seafood craves after a brief 20 mins wait.; lunch was followed by a much-needed long walk. (Please read through for food recommendations)
Airbnb Foyer
White Town is essentially a quirky charming area which was built during the French invasion and is still maintained in the French colonial style, lined with colourful villas and eateries at every nook; every wall is insta-worthy! After umpteen no. of stops to click pictures, we reached the rock beach; this beachfront promenade is hugely popular for gorgeous sunrises and evening strolls; small Franco-Tamil cafés and craft shops dot the cobbled lane.
The Promenade
The tourism department has decorated the lane with tall Ficus Lyrata which are just the right amount of goblin green forming a gorgeous backdrop against the blue ocean. The wall murals are the showstopper on the Promenade and they indisputably breathe life into this place; they are modern, edgy and range from old colonial art to new food for thought. Pradeep played victim while I gorged on pictures with them.
Mural wall
Mural wall
The war memorial is built in French architecture and centrally located on the Promenade; iIt was built to honour the martyred soldiers of World War I.
War Memorial
We landed at the original building of Le Café after a few minutes of walk; they, however, no longer operate out of that place. The owners have bagged a sweet location and is currently the only seafront café in Pondy; you would certainly be sipping on your cold coffee a sneeze distance away from the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean.
Old Le Cafe building
We perched ourselves on the well-banked ridge after the long walk with hefty helpings of soda to wash down our lunch. It was deeply soothing to behold the waves bump against the dark corniche rocks; one after the other in a rhythmic manner and one would invariably roll down in deep thoughts. But, how far could us brats go into thoughts after spotting crabs on the boulder rocks? Shwetha and I carefully climbed down the slippery gravel in the hopes of catching some; with zero luck with crabbies, we landed up with another series of crazy pictures.
At the Rock Beach
This was my second visit to Pondicherry and unfortunately most of the little cafes and dessert parlours around the nooks, which bring vigour to the evenings in Pondy were closed due to COVID. Few of them have shut shop for good and some are awaiting better tourist traction to re-open. We headed back to our bnb after a slow stroll through MG Road and sat down to chalk out the rest of the trip as Pondicherry did not have much to offer at the moment. We decided to skip Auroville as Matrimandir (meditation centre) required prior bookings to visit and had restricted visit timings; it is a golden metallic sphere surrounded by perfectly manicured garden and is considered as a symbol of Divine’s answer to mankind’s aspiration to perfection.
Café Xtasi is one of the most recommended eateries; so, Pizza it was for dinner. Needless to say, we treated ourselves with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian flavours and trust me when I say this, I have not tasted better woodfired pizza. The bread was baked to perfection, with just the right amount of crunch; topped with fresh veggies and roasted meat; even the feta cheese was on point. We called it a night after a gossip-loaded episode of Big Boss; I think my first episode ever at a go!
Kamal had pinned down Baker’s Street, a famous confectioner, for a morning breakfast as soon as one of us had just mentioned Pondicherry as a possible trip option; consequently, we landed at the confectioner’s at 8 in the morning. I don’t dare complaint; the delectable rich aroma of butter wafted through the shop as soon as we stepped in. They served the freshest and most luscious chocolate twisters and cinnamon rolls; the quiche was to die for. We gorged on warm buttery croissant with a side of cheese omeltte; I can feel the warmth even while penning this down. This place is an absolute heaven for bread-lovers; they sell a variety of sourdough breads and baguettes.
We hopped onto the car and drove out of Pondicherry; following a very impromptu plan chalked out the evening before. We were well stocked on munchies and beverages for our day trips. So, stay tuned for more exciting road trip stories.
Expense Summary
Trip duration - 2 nights and 3 days
Car - INR 1,250 per head (INR 5,000 total)
Stay - INR 1,275 per head for twin sharing rooms for 2 nights (INR 5,100 total)
Food - INR 2,250 per head (INR 9,000 total)
Basic expense total - INR 4,775** per head
** This cost is inclusive of all the food and activities during the 3 day trip, not for 1 day. I shall share the itinerary in my forth coming blogs
Recommendations:
We chose to stay at an Airbnb, primarily as we wanted budget stays which are good. But also, you have the liberty to read reviews and chose a place which is well sanitized.
Link to Airbnb stay - Rayon du Soliel
Carry your own towels and toiletries while travelling during this time
Eat only at well rated restaurants and eateries
Baker Street is famous for authentic French confectionery items, both savoury and sweet. The Quiche along with cinnamon rolls and chocolate twisters are must try.
Do try Hotel Sri Kamatchi Biriyani Veedu for lunch, they offer authentic coastal Biryani. Fish Kamatchi and Mutton Sukka are highly recommended.
Cafe Xtasi offer only woodfired pizza. I personally liked the vegetarian pizza flavours better than the non-vegetarian ones, except the one with Pepperoni. Do try.