Pondichery, INDIA
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Once you have ticked off the French bungalows of the White Town from your list, prep for an unexpected sensory extravaganza in Pondicherry’s enchanting Tamil Quarter. Beyond the now-empty Grand Canal, in the erstwhile Black Town, thrives an alternative Pondy. Jasmine stalls outside colourful temples and historic Tamil homes with verandahs are an apt introduction to a neighbourhood rich in native culture and architecture. Take an engrossing heritage walk through the Tamil Quarter to soak up its vibrant spirit.
Centuries ago, a Grand Canal flowed between the French Quarter (White Town) and the Tamil Quarter (‘Black Town’) in Pondicherry. The empty canal still divides the two neighbourhoods, which are as diverse as chalk and cheese. The Tamil Quarter, further divided into a Hindu Quarter, a Christian Quarter and a Muslim Quarter, is studded with a wide variety of architectural styles and places of worship including temples, mosques and churches.
The most atmospheric street in the Tamil Quarter, Vysial Street (Chetty Street), is a visual delight with a row of historic Tamil residences. The discerning eye can spot some common elements in the traditionally styled facades, like tiled roofs, verandas with seating platforms, cylindrical wooden pillars and decorative cornices. Peek through the intricately carved wooden doors to see open courtyards, around which the other spaces are arranged. Seeing so much character everywhere, apartment living seems claustrophobic, even antiseptic!
During the walking tour in the area, uncover lesser-known secrets and learn about legends of local personalities. You are bound to recognize some of the locations from the movie ‘Life of Pi’. The city walk includes landmarks like the Old Clock Tower, Potters Street, Mahakavi Bharathiyar's ( a great Tamil poet) house and the old house of the saint Aurobindo along the trail. One of the pitstops is Grand Bazaar (Goubert Market), a riot of sights and sounds stocking everything from spices and flowers to seafood. Appetite whetted, end with a hearty Tamilian breakfast at a heritage hotel or restaurant. Mission accomplished.
Transport: Private Walking Tour 
Activity level: Moderate
Accessible to wheel chair: Yes 
Kid friendly: Yes 
Languages: English and Local Language 
Inclusions: Story teller (French or English) / 1 mini water bottle / Tamil Breakfast 
Exclusions: Personal Expenses and Souvenir. 
Gratuities: Not included in tour cost;payable at guest's discretion 
Meet up location: In front of Indian coffee house ( J.N. st) 
End of tour location: Perumal Koil street, Tamil Quarter Duration: 2 Hours Price: upto 2 adults ₹1320 | Price upto 2 adults | : ₹1,320 |
| 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!