Pondicherry Travel Diary

So I got another tick on my travel list. Sitting in Delhi it was such a distant dream to take a break from time to take out time to visit the beautiful French quarters in India. I am so glad I did it and I'm for sure going back again.


Staying in Delhi if you are tired of all the filth and dirt around you and your eyes are carving for "swachh bharat" and lungs for clean air, there is good news.I 'm not kidding. You just have to catch a flight to Chennai ,take a bus or a private cab and embark on a  three and a half hours journey via road to this place called Pondicherry..ok Puducherry. Voila! you are there. Its that simple.
                                                            Chennai Airport -Loved this art piece-vibrant & yet so simple

                                  Enroute to Pondicherry from Chennai. Volvo stopped hear for a break

I swear by the moons,stars and all the God damn solar galaxies out there , I have never ever had such scrumptious vadas & coconut chutney. This was Vasantha Bhawan ,mid-way from Chennai to Pondicherry

Now if you want to a peaceful beach experience away from the commercially made up couple worthy beaches of Goa, this is the place to be. Yes, I like this place better than Goa, somehow the Goan beaches remind me of Pahar Ganj. The place is like Pahar Ganj by the beach..hmm.

Ok , let's to back to Pondicherry. The beaches here-Gandhi, Serenity, Auroville and  Paradise are all quiet and pristine. Gandhi beach tends to get crowded as it is the most accessible one. But it is still not the kinds where you have to fight the crowds to find your place of serenity.
                                                                                   Auroville Beach


The one place you want to head straight to or stay-in if you get lucky is Auroville. Its a township based on the belief of universal citizenship and thus, you will see a lot, in fact mostly foreigners here. You can visit Auroville as part of your day trip but I think one needs to stay there to completely understand it. On the way to Auroville is this amazzzing place called Frites Corner,near Tanto (which is more popular). The fries, grilled sandwiches and mango lassi( yes lassi) were all outstanding. The place is a relaxed one much like entire Auroville and it is quite popular among the  locals ( I am referring to the foreigners who are locals..he..he..getting confused)
Back in Pondicherry, you will be in awe of the French Quarters. Lavish bungalows, cafes, designer stores and the cleanliness all together make up for a very relaxing and great travel experience. The French have a bias for sunflower yellow, most of the walls are done in the colour that make them pop!


Food in Pondicherry to my surprise was excellent. There are so many, literally so many cafes that make phenomenal food. You can actually spend a day cafe hopping:)

Went to Kaffee express for breakfast, was crowded at 9 am had a good cup of rose cappuccino 


Cafe Des Arts, is probably the most famous of all and the oldest I presume. We stopped over for lunch here, I'll be honest I was disappointed as there was nothing that really stood out, until I had -the banana waffles with Nutella .Oh my God! seriously I think I had a bit of a moment indulging in the large, crisp and freshly baked fluffy waffle served to us. It is a must try. The place has a homely vibe to it , is welcoming and the staff is friendly. They can totally do away with the designer store (rather room) they have and put the place to better use.

                 
It was the thirst , not the taste

Upon searching and asking Google Uncle you will find Cafe Xtasi as the go-to place for your dose of fresh salads, pizzas, pastas and shakes. However what made us visit the place was the fact that the pizzas here are wood-fired. We ordered for pasta, pizza and Dragon mushroom. Watching the pizzas being made in the wood fired pizza oven was fun though


Apart of these cafes we visited Rendezvous cafe restaurant, which had a beautiful all white ambience and live music in the evening and Surguru restaurant, which we visited on all days. If you get confused about where to go just head to Surguru, you will be sorted.

Pondicherry - Loved your simplicity. It is a must visit place. Whatelse do you want, an authentic Mediterranean experience without having to actually travel there ( and swachh bharat as a bonus)..Rush



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