A Complete Guide to Pondicherry

Pondicherry or Puducherry, also referred by some as Pondy, is a Union Territory and has the perfect French vibe mixed with Tamil culture. The place is so bohemian and chic and the French part of the town is lined with colonial-style houses most of which have entrances draped in bougainvillea.

The things that I am going to cover in this post are –

• Things to do in Pondicherry
• Cafes and restaurants in Pondicherry that you should not miss
• Where to stay in Pondicherry?
• Getting to and around the town
• How much can a trip to Pondicherry cost?
• What is the best time to visit?

Things to Do in Pondicherry

If a laid-back vacation is on your mind, then Pondicherry definitely fits the description. But the beaches here have scope for indulging in activities like surfing for those who seek a bit of adventure. But here are some of the things that you should definitely put on your list if you are going to visit this pretty place –

• Explore White Town because it is so aesthetic and you will simply love walking in the streets after 4 pm when the Sun is not so harsh.
• Visit the Promenade in the evening or you can also go there early in the morning and watch the sunrise. (We didn’t really make it there in the morning but we enjoyed our evenings at the Promenade. You can simply sit on the rocks and enjoy the soothing sound of the waves crashing on the shore. And don’t be sad if you missed the sunrise because the sunset is beautiful too.)
• Visit the Our Lady of Angels Church. DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT MISS this one at all because this church is just so pretty with its pink and mellow yellow coloured architecture.
• Visit the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. This church was near to the place we were staying at and we passed by the church a lot of times but didn’t really had time to go inside. It is so beautiful from outside and I’m definitely going to take a closer look the next time I visit Pondicherry.
• Visit the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple. This temple is so colourful but unfortunately we went there around 3 pm and it was closed. So, I’m not sure whether it has any particular timings or not.
• Take a day trip to Auroville. But if you want to go inside the Matrimandir, you will have to take permissions at least two-days prior to your day of visit.
• If you want to learn surfing, then Serenity Beach is where you should go. We went there just to check it out but unfortunately it was too sunny and so we didn’t stay for long.
• You can also visit Paradise Beach. We didn’t get time to go there but our Airbnb property manager had advised us to as it is supposedly pretty. So, you can go there if you want to.
• Other places that you can visit are the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, French Memorial and the Lighthouse (which stays open to visitors from 3 pm to 5 pm). We really wanted to check out the Lighthouse but instead ended up not going because we were feeling a bit under the weather.

Our Lady of Angels Church

Cafes and Restaurants in Pondicherry That You Should Not Miss

• GMT Ice Cream or Gelateria Montecatini Terme – This place is a legit heaven for all gelato lovers. There are tons of flavors to choose from and the price is reasonable too. And you know what the best part is? It is right on the Promenade. Who doesn’t love gelato while enjoying the beach?
• Baker’s Street – You definitely need to come here for breakfast during you stay in Pondicherry. We ordered a Club Sandwich, a Chicken and Olive Quiche and a Chocolate Eclairs. I would suggest you to have the last two because they taste so good and they are all freshly baked. The eclairs is available in Vanilla flavour as well.

Chocolate Eclairs at Baker’s Street (Rs 80)

• PY Cafe – This cafe is my favourite one among all the others we visited. Not only do they have the cutest decor but they also have delicious food and board games. The place is located on Mission Street. They also have a bar which is super cute as well. We ordered an Iced Latte with Ice Cream ( Rs 230 ) and Summer Cooler ( Rs 120 ) from the drinks section. The Iced Latte was good but the Summer Cooler was okay-ish. From the food section, we ordered Calamari Rings ( Rs 250 ) which they make in beer batter and they were literally so tasty that I alone could have had it all. We also ordered Chicken Satay ( Rs 240 ) and this was good too but the Calamari had literally left such a lasting impression and anything else seemed bland.

Interiors of PY Cafe

Here are the drinks…

And here is the food…

• The Smoothie Bar – This place has smoothies with real fruit inside it and not any syrups or flavorings. They also have a simple food menu in case you are hungry and want more than just smoothies.
• Coromandel Cafe – The food here is not anything special and it is definitely overpriced too but the old-world charm of their decor and the entire vibe is amazing. We ordered a pizza and it was a thin-crust one. It definitely tasted good but was not anything special.

• Crepe in Touch – We had our breakfast here on our second day in Pondy. This place is known for its crepes and for good reason. We ordered some Cold Coffee and an Ouessant (which is a crepe having sauteed mushrooms and is their absolute specialty and it is priced at Rs 230). They also have a store along with the cafe.

Ouessant

• The Indian Kaffe Express – If you ever feel tired or are in need of some refreshments while exploring White Town, then this cafe can provide you with some good options. It is located close to the Our Lady of Angels Church.
• The Pasta Bar Veneto – We went here for dinner and it is safe to say that their menu is simply endless and has something for everyone. If you love French cuisine then this is one place that you should not miss. We ordered Virgin Colada (Rs 200) , Polpette Chicken (minced chicken patties priced at Rs 245), Ravioli di pollo con pesto (Rs 365) and Pollo Ripieno (chicken breasts filled with minced chicken, onions, bell pepper, basil and mushroom priced at Rs 385). We also ordered Tiramisu della Casa (Rs 185) from the desserts.

Pollo Ripieno

Ravioli di pollo con pesto

Tiramisu della Casa

• Les Saveurs – We ended up spending an hour and a half at this cafe. Basically we didn’t really have any heavy food for breakfast and we were very hungry by the time it was noon. We clicked a few pictures and decided to skip the rest of the plans and stay at this cafe and I didn’t regret this decision at all. This place has quite affordable dishes and all of them were equally great. We wanted some comfort food and so we began with French Fries and the amount of fries they served for Rs 150 was way more than what we get in Kolkata. After that, we also ordered Tequila Shrimps (Rs 390) and Chermoula Spiced Chicken Tender (Rs 260). The latter one was not that good according to my preference in food but the shrimps were too good and I would definitely recommend you to have that.

Tequila Shrimps and French Fries

Chermoula Spiced Chicken Tender

• Sky Garden – This is legit one of the best rooftop restaurants in Pondy but the place was quite crowded when we reached. We had to wait for about 15-20 minutes to get a table but it was worth it. We just ordered a BBQ chicken pizza (which was of 10 inches and priced at Rs 369). Overall, the food was good but what I loved the most was the windy rooftop dining experience.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

• Escape In – On our last night, we were craving for some North Indian food and we found this restaurant called Escape In on the Promenade. We didn’t really expect much but the place really surprised us with its food. In case you decide to come here, do order the Butter Chicken because it was quite different (more on the sweeter side) and I loved it. Moreover, you can get a direct view of the sea if you decide to sit in the balcony. The only thing that we didn’t like was the slow service.

Where to Stay in Pondicherry?

I would definitely suggest you to stay either on Mission Street or in White Town. White Town is closer to the beach whereas Mission Street is where you will have to come for hiring your Scooty or bike or even some street shopping.

We booked an Airbnb which was on Mission Street and we even had a terrace all to ourselves. I have left the link to the property we stayed in below but before that, if you want to book an Airbnb as well, use my invite link to create an account. Click here.

What’s in it for you? Well, you will get Rs 2200 off on your first home booking and you will also get an additional Rs 825 off when you book an experience amounting to Rs 3300 or more.

But remember, if you already have an account on Airbnb, you will not be able to use this link. So once you have signed up, you can book your desired property. Click here to get a direct link to the property that we stayed in.

Getting To and Around the Town

By Air: We didn’t book a direct flight to Pondicherry because it was twice the flight price to that of Chennai. So, we decided to take a direct flight to Chennai and then we took a bus to Pondy.

By Train: You can also book a train to either Pondicherry or Villupuram (approx 40 kms from Pondy). Not all trains go till Pondy so in case you do not get a direct train, you can book a train till Villupuram and then hire something from there. Though I’m not sure but I have heard that you can even get buses from Villupuram to Pondicherry.

By Road: The drive to Pondicherry is quite scenic as you literally drive on the coastal highway. So, if you are up for a scenic drive, then you can rent a car and go all the way till Pondicherry.

Getting Around: If you are staying in Mission Street or White Town, then you can cover the entire place on foot because walking on the streets of White Town is anyway a beautiful experience. But the more convenient way is to rent a Scooty/bike or you can even rent bicycles for that matter. You can find these shops on Mission Street. We didn’t really have to rent our bike ourselves because the property manager at our Airbnb was so good that he offered to do it for us and even got us a discount. Normally they can charge you anywhere between Rs 300-350 for a day (This price is for Activa. The price will vary with the model of the vehicle).

Note: You definitely need to have a license because the police officers usually identify who the tourists are and they will demand to check your license. You are also supposed to get one complimentary helmet with your bike. So, even if the shop doesn’t give you, you need to demand for it otherwise you might get fined (saying this from personal experience).

But the funny thing is, the locals don’t use helmets and yet they don’t get fined. XD

How Much Can a Trip to Pondicherry Cost?

Travel expenses are mainly of three types – Accomodation, Food and Transport.

Accommodation: The place that we stayed at costed us Rs 1600 per night (inclusive of tax).

Food: If you choose the cafes and restaurants properly, then you can easily get a good meal for two at Rs 500. Pondicherry has plenty to budget places to eat which are high on aesthetics as well.

Transport: As already mentioned before, you can get a Scooty for Rs 350/day max. The rest of the transport cost will depend on how you choose to arrive in the town.

Overall, a trip to Pondicherry is not a costly affair. You can easily spend a week here without breaking the bank.

What is the Best Time to Visit Pondicherry?

Pondicherry has a pleasant weather in the months of August and September and it does not receive that much of a heavy rain like the other parts of India. But if you want cooler temperatures then you should visit in the place in the winter months of November to January.

Have you visited Pondicherry? If yes, then I would love to know about your experiences as well. Comment down below your thoughts on the blog and don’t forget to ask me any questions that you may have.