Pondicherry Weekend Getaway- Best 5 Off-Beat, Romantic Places to Visit and See in Just 3 Days

We took a morning flight and flew to Chennai from New Delhi. The best route to reach Pondicherry is via road, so we rented a car from zoom car rentals. Pondicherry is about 3 and half hour drive from chennai and the preferred route to take is via ECR which is the East cost road. The drive was smooth and serene.

1. On our way to Pondicherry we explored Mahabalipuram.

Mahabalipuram can be a good refresher stop while traveling to Pondicherry. The place is quiet and beautiful.One of the main attraction at Mahabalipuram is the Krishna’s Butter Ball which is 20 feet high and 5 meter wide rock estimated to weigh over 250 tons which pulls off a balancing act like no other. This rock Ball stands on an extremely small and slippery area of a hill.

Another interesting place in the area is the Sea Shore Temple – The Shore Temple is named because it overlooks the shore of the Bay of Bengal. The sea shore structural temple is built with huge blocks of granite stone. The temple is very old and is believed to be dated back from the 8th century AD.

2. Pichavaram Mangrove Forest

The beautiful Pichavaram mangrove forest is known to be the second largest mangrove forest in the world. This place is about approx. 2 hr drive from pondicherry which is about (70 km). The forest is separated from the Bay of Bengal by huge sand bar. The area is covering about 1100 hectare of land. This place is serene and very romantic. Experience the smooth boat ride in the mangrove forest.

Here are some Quick facts about the The Pichavaram mangrove forest

1.The back water is not so deep, it just around 2 to 3 feet
2. The water is salty and is not fit for drinking
3. There are no good restaurants nearby. Pack your food if you plan to stay longer

3. Tranquebar – The Mini Denmark in India

Tranquebar is about 65 Km from Pichavaram Mangrove Forest and about 118 km from Pondicherry. Tranquebar also known as Tharangambadi, is a former 17th century Danish colony. Tharangambadi means ‘place of the singing waves’. The Danish people had this colony under them for about 225 years until they ceded it to the British era back in 1845. The Tranquebar fort was busy but later lost its importance after a railway revolution. This place holds the old danish charm and surrounded by lovely churches.

4. Auroville, Pondicherry

Auroville is the universal town. The idea of this behind this place is to build a community where men and women of all countries can live in peace and progressive harmony. Auroville is a universal city in the making dedicated to the idea of human unity based on the vision of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. To imbibe humans to rise above all politics, nationalities all creeds. The purpose of Auroville town is to realize the strength of human unity. If you are looking to find peace within then this place is just for you.

5. Cafes In Pondicherry – The Heart Of French Cafes

Quaint, cheerful and immensely welcoming, these charming restaurants offer the perfect way to experience Pondicherry via its culinary offerings
Pondicherry has a great cafe culture. All along its colorful streets, you’ll spot cosy cafes that serve up caffeine concoctions, croissants and that too – the french way.

So here were 5 best places to visit when in Pondicherry.

Till then Live love laugh & Happy Travels.