Day 1: Chennai airport to Pondicherry
Get a pick up from the airport head to Pondicherry which is 150kms from the airport. Four hours on the road will get you there. En route visit Auroville. There’s more to Auroville than just the Matri Mandir. Live and learn in this global city of ideas where its inhabitants perfect crafts like handmade paper (Auroville Papers), indigo-dyed clothing (The Colours of Nature), incense manufacture (Encens d'Auroville) and bodycare (Maroma Spa) to energy-efficient solutions.
Stay in the charming French Quarter. Pocketed away just behind the seafront is a series of cobbled streets, white-and-mustard buildings in various states of romantic dishevelment, and a slight sense of Gallic glory gone by. Catch an evening concert at Café de Flore, an informal garden restaurant at Alliance Francaise’s Maison Colombani.
Experience: Visit Auroville| Stay in boutique B&B in the French Quarter| Evening concert at Café de Flore
Day 2: Pondicherry
Start the day with a heritage walk to introduce you to the city. The heritage walk was designed to highlight Pondicherry’s rich architectural heritage. Today, tourists and residents can still enjoy this exploration of the Tamil and French Quarters. Guides were trained, and a brochure with a map of the old city and the various routes was published in English, Tamil, French and Italian. Watch an introductory video on the architectural heritage of Pondicherry.
For the adventure seekers, join a fun surfing class and learn how to ride the waves! An experienced surfer shows you the ropes and you can choose to extend your session for 2-3 days every morning. Enjoy a sea cruise and try spotting dolphins or take a speedboat to Paradise Beach with a picnic hamper. In the evening, walk along Beach Road and visit cafés from the Blueberry Curated list of cafes for dinner.
Experience: Heritage walk | Surfing lessons (Add On)| Picnic on Paradise Beach| Sea cruise and dolphin spotting (Add On)
Day 3: Pondicherry
A guided cycle tour is planned on this day which spans from 7am-9am. From the colourful houses of the Muslim area to the Ashram and the French Touch’ of Beach Road, come and discover Pondicherry in early morning, when only Pondicherians are up. Some stops will be organized to relax tired legs and make it possible for everybody to enjoy explanations. Along with a knowledgeable guide, you will hear the kind of stories people don’t find in travel guides!
Later, head out to the Pondicherry Museum to brush up on some of your history. Chill at one of many beautiful cafes around the promenade in the evening.
Experience: Guided cycle tour |Visit to local sites like the Museum and Botanical garden
Day 4: Pondicherry
Today we experience the other side of Pondicherry: The Tamil Quarter. Enter a little deeper towards the heart of town, away from the neat occidental geometries of the seafront, and you come into quite a different world. Your heritage stay is a sepia serigraph of another time - dusted off perhaps, but not retouched.
For your last night in Pondicherry, go on a walking food trail with the Blueberry coordinator as you experience the best that the many cafes and restaurants in Pondicherry have to offer.
Experience: Stay in the Tamil Quarter in a heritage hotel| Food trail
Note that the cost of food consumed on the food trail will be personally borne by travelers depending on what they choose to eat/drink.
Day 5: Leave for Chennai airport.
Make your way back home, with a bag full of memories
Inclusions:
- Breakfast on all days except Day 1
- To and fro airport transfers from Chennai
- Stays on double occupancy basis
- Guided heritage walk
- Guided cycle tour
Exclusions:
- Flight charges from place of origin to Chennai and back
- Meals not mentioned
- Entry charges, if any, for museums, local monuments eg. Auroville
- Activities which are Add Ons/optional
- Personal expenses such as tips, laundry, beverages, shopping etc.
- Local transport within Pondicherry including taxis, tuks tuks, boat rides etc.
- Any costs arising from flight delays, change in weather conditions, strikes etc. which are beyond our control have to be borne by travelers
- What is not mentioned in “Inclusions”
* Please note: Activities are flexible and depends on availability.
