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-   -   One day in Pondicherry. How best to spend the time ? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-travel-queries/68187-one-day-pondicherry-how-best-spend-time.html)

We are planning a one day trip to Pondicherry. The reason why it is confined to one day is because we are taking our 6 month old pug with us and hence we don't want to stay in Pondy. Tentative plan is, leave from house in Blr at around 4 AM ( hope I can meet this), reach Pondy by around 10-10:30.
We are planning to leave Pondy by around 5 PM so that we can be home by around 10.
That leaves us some 7 hours to spend in Pondy.Out of this, we have decided that a visit to a good beach is mandatory.
Hence, looking forward to suggestions as to how best can we plan the time to visit major attractions plus one good beach (any suggestions ?).

Seven hours in the city will mean about five effectively, after deducting time for moving around within the city and for lunch.

One combination could be a visit to the beach and then to Auroville on the outskirts of the city. Looking around Auroville will easily take up two hours or more.

Joe I think you are cutting it too fine. I doubt you would enjoy getting anywhere near the beach during mid afternoon. Also note that all the beaches in Pondicherry are about 10/15 kms away from the town towards ECR. What you could possibly do in the town is visit the Ashram, make a visit to the Chunnambar backwaters and possibly add a lunch in one of the boutique restaurants in Pondicherry.

Edit: Like straightdrive mentions Auroville also could be done but you would not do justice to the place if you do a flying visit to Pondicherry

I am sure you will find pet friendly hotels/resorts in pondy. Also this kind of trip could be bad for your 6 month old pup. Take a room in a resort & let the pup too enjoy the beach in the evening & early morning.

Pondi- one of my fav destination for short trips, head out of Pondi (not towards chennai but the other side) there is atleast one isolated beach and I'm so sorry that I cant recall the name of the location, its about 15 mins from Pondi, I think the town is called chinnaraya something and you need to go a lil inside the town to reach the beach.. heavenly not a sould on the beach the whole day and its clean.

Here you go, a few pet friendly hotels at Pondy

Holiday with your Pet in India at any of our pet-friendly resorts

If you are interested in the PO-002R, let me know. I know the place.

@Samurai Jack: the place is called chunambar. where you can go for an back water boat ride the isolated beach. i have heard their are some tree houses which belongs pondicherry tourism corporation. not sure though. check it.
Auroville is a must see i feel if you are their only for a day.

Cheers,
rosario

Hey esteem lover, i need the details of this place. please pm me your number

Its going to be hectic for you. However, along with the beach, i suggest you visit Auroville. And by the way i am off to Pondicherry tomorrow.

This was a 9 month old query posted on 27th October 2009.

Places to visit in Pondy are. On the way from Chennai 1.Aurovilee between 10-11. 2.Manakula Vinayager a great Ganesh temple 11-11.30. 3. The Aurobindo Ashram Near Manakular temple 11.30-12.30. Then the park and the Aayi manadapam. You can have a veg lunch in a crowded A2B restarent near Manakular temple. After lunch you can go for a boat ride in Chunnambar around 10Kms away towards Cuddalore. Come back around 4 to the Pondy beach and enjoy the beach and make a back trip to Chennai or wherever you like.

I would suggest the same places suggested by people in this thread.
1. Auroville (Check the timings)
2. Promenade beach (It's the rocky beach of the town). I would suggest that you visit this in the evening.
3. Aurobindo Ashram & Manakula Vinayager temple are famous. There are couple of famous churches as well.
4. Chunambar backwaters

One day looks too tight. Beaches and backwaters are best visited in the morning or in the evening.

Have a safe journey.

The *main* attraction in Pondy is Auroville. This should be your first priority. All else come a distant second. Once you are done with Auroville, time it such that you are on the main beach road by evening - the police band performs for a short while then. The beach by itself, is not usable, with rocks piled on top.

6 to 6&1/2 hours while going and only 5 while returning.
Not possible.
Morning drives always take less time.

Chunnambar Boat House is around 10km on the left side on EastCoastRoad south of Pondicherry.
There is a tree house at the boat house but is out of bounds since the wood has spoilt due to lack of maintenance.
Take a boat to Paradise Beach and enjoy the heavenly sand there.


There is a small shack selling some stuff on the beach but best is to carry your own namkeens and biscuits and juices.
Do not forget to carry some towels and change of clothes if you intend to go in the water.

Lastly, from Bangalore to Pondicherry, plan going on 1 day and returning on the next day. Else you may not get to truly enjoy the place.

Drive safe and extra safe on ECR!

For me a visit to Pondy is not complete unless I stay in the French quarter, laze around through its myriads streets and have a meal or two at Rendezvous.

Obviously all this is after visiting Auroville! And don't forget to visit Matri Mandir while there :)