Puducherry was earlier known as Pondicherry. It comprises of former French establishments of Puducherry, Kakaikal, Mahe & Yaman. All these regions of Puducherry were under French rule for 138 Years. On 1st Nov 1954, the French possessions in India were de facto transferred to the Indian Union & became a Union Territory. But only in 1963, it became officially an integral part of India.
It is also referred by names such as “India’s Little France” & “The French Riviera of the East”. It still has a large number of Tamil Residents with French Passports, whose ancestors were in French Governmental Services & choose to remain French at the time of Independence.
Best Time to Visit
October to February will be the right time to visit Puducherry as the climate is warm. As it is located near sea, humidity will be there for entire year but comparatively less during these months.
How to Travel or reach & Cost
It is well connected by Road. If you want to reach Puducherry from any part of India, best way is to reach Chennai Airport & then by Road to Puducherry, which is around 150 KM & takes around 3.30 Hours’ time to reach. We traveled by our own car from Bangalore to Puducherry which took around 7 hours of drive.
Number of Days Plan & Itinerary
For Puducherry, 2 Nights & 3 Days would be sufficient time required to experience the city. Below is the suggested itinerary based on our experience. Best way to experience the Puducherry is to take 2-Wheeler on Rent. You can also enjoy your dinner at Seaside Resturant.
1st Day: Arrival at Hotel & Rest. You can start by visiting French colony & later to to Promenade or Pondicherry Beach as both are nearby. Here apart from Seashore, there is walkway available, which gives a calm felling specially in evening.
2nd Day: You can start by visiting the Ganesh Temple know as “Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple” & Later to Aurbindo Ashram. Both are near Promenade Beach. Please note that at Aurbindo Asharm, child below 5 years of age is not allowed to enter. Post that directly heads to Auroville, which is around 15KM from Promenade Beach & takes around 45 Minutes of travel time. You can spend the rest of the day here. Auroville is an experimental township which focuses on Sustainable Living and was founded in 1968. Do visit Matrimandir, which is called as Soul of this City. You can view Matrimandir from outside all 7 days of week between 9 AM to 5 AM (On Sunday 9 AM to 1 AM). But the inner chamber is open to visitors except Tuesday & Sundays but needs to be booked minimum 3 to 7 days in advance.
3rd Day: You can visit Paradise Beach & Serenity Beach & explore local market for Shopping & local food.
Where to Stay
We chose to stay near Promenade Beach as all the visiting locations was nearby. Hotel Name was Hotel Annai Residence. Room Size was big & price was reasonable. Within walking distance multiple food options were available. There are other hotels also available best on the Budget you need.
