Pondichery, INDIA
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Cocooned in the languor of a beachy vibe on the South-Eastern coast of India, Pondicherry has flowered into an unusual destination with a blend of colonial influences, including Dutch, English and especially French. From experimental community living at Auroville to architectural eye-candy at the old French town, Pondy promises heady doses of bohemia on every front. Capture the essence of the city and paint yourself in all its colours in this whirlwind tour.
Coastal cool and colonial charm come together to whip up a concoction of delights in Pondicherry, a breezy drive of 165 kilometres from Chennai. A slice of France is alive in the crayon-coloured villas of the French town, while traditional Tamilian architecture woos the heart in the Tamil town. Gothic churches to painted temples, baguettes to appams, and fishing boats to French boules, Pondy is an endearing blend of Franco-Tamil culture. What could be a better luxury honeymoon destination?
Wandering in the shady streets, slipping in and out of stylish eateries with the salty sea breeze mixing with the sweet aroma of flowering trees, can be more addictive than you realize. Expect to see pinks and corals of a sunset over the Bay of Bengal, black granite rocks defining the windy shoreline and a 1.5-km long waterfront promenade lined with historic buildings, including the French War Memorial, and the old Lighthouse.
The Sri Aurobindo Ashram, located on Rue de la Marine, founded by spiritual philosopher Sri Aurobindo is a worthy stop for its libraries and memorabilia. During your city tour, you can also look forward to visiting two churches, the famous Manakula Vinayagar Temple, a UNESCO awarded street and Bharathiar Museum.
On the outskirts, the town of Auroville is an experimental township set up in the vision of Sri Aurobindo and ‘The Mother’ to promote community life, based on a new social order. Spirituality seekers and curious visitors are welcomed with compassion to participate in a wide range of workshops, exhibitions, therapies and performances ranging from arts to earth. Can you ever get enough of this spot of sunshine during a trip to India?
Transport: Private Car 
Activity level: Easy
Accessible to wheel chair: Yes 
Kid friendly: Yes 
Languages: English and Local Language 
Inclusions: Guide / storyteller (English / French) / 1 Water bottle / Tea or coffee / Transfers / Entrance tickets / parking 
Exclusions: Personal Expenses and Souvenir. 
Gratuities: Not included in tour cost;payable at guest's discretion 
Meet up location: Hotel Pick Up 
End of tour location: Hotel Drop Off Duration: 8 Hours Price: upto 2 adults ₹3000 | Price upto 2 adults | : ₹3,000 |
| Children | : Complimentary for children below 10 years |
25% of the total cost will be charged, if cancelled 15 to 10 days prior to the tour date.
50% of the total cost will be charged, if cancelled 9 to 5 days prior to the tour date.
No refund if cancelled less than 5 days prior to the tour date.
For group size more than 4 adults, write to us at info@footprintholidays.com
We can arrange other language speaking guides based on your request and availability
The tour can be customised to suit your needs like change of time, change of pick-up point, etc. You can write to us to info@footprintholidays.com customise your tour as per your preferences.
I will begin by saying that I had a FANTASTIC time in India. It was one of the best trips I've ever taken and I'm truly looking forward to hopefully having you book other trips for me in India.
I must say everything was planned to perfection. Each guide in every city was knowledgeable; especially the guide you arranged for us in Udaipur. We really enjoyed getting to know our guides Musheer and Kishore. We experienced the real India and appreciated the detailed itinerary your team created for us. The hotels were fantastic! In every hotel, the chef paid us a visit to make sure that we had meals suitable for us. We also enjoyed all the extra shopping excursions that were suggested.
The trip was a mega success and your team did a great job. Thanks to Footprint for everything. The entire family had a great time! The exclusive kalaripayattu demonstration was absolutely engaging and we loved every bit of the special private stand-up by Alex Babu (of Alex in Wonderland fame).
Thank you for a great trip! We especially enjoyed driving through the desertland into Jaisalmer; we also thoroughly enjoyed Bikaner, its Havelis and the Fort. Catching the daily life in Mumbai was a unique and eye-opening experience! All the hotels chosen are excellent with wonderful staff. Thank you!
Thank you for a wonderful trip to Kerala. We loved the village life walk and Fort Cochin walk. The backwater cruise in a traditional country boat was an incredible experience. A meal with the local family, living on an island in the backwaters, offered us an excellent opportunity to interact, learn and share. We loved every minute of our holiday! Thanks!
As a solo traveller, I felt safe and was exceptionally well taken care of. The cooking class in Jaipur was extremely enjoyable. The food, chef, and his wife were all exceptional and made for a lovely evening. Also, our expectations were definitely exceeded at a private residence, spending time with the elephants and lunching. Thanks!!
I loved India and thank you very much for arranging everything. It was a fabulous trip. Big kudos to you and your team. The tour guides and drivers were excellent. I loved the artisan walk, discovering the artistic treasures of Udaipur, meeting local potters and painters.
Thanks for arranging everything to precision – it was super smooth and we had a very good darshan!
Thanks for organising a great trip to Lucknow and Varanasi. The hotels at both the places were excellent; we had a great guide in Varanasi who went beyond the designated tour route and showed us around. The food tour in Lucknow was amazing and re-discovering the Awadhi Cuisine was a great experience – the kebabs were out of the world!
It was a terrific experience to spot the King of the jungle in all their glory at Gir. We had a very good experience overall.
It was a perfect leisure getaway – thanks for organising this! We loved the French Connection Trail; the guide took us through the French quarter sharing some incredible stories from the colonisation. We enjoyed the hotel and the service!