Pondicherry

Pondicherry (Tamil: புதுச்சேரி Putucceri, French: Pondichéry), also known as Puducherry or Pondy, is a city and an enclave within Tamil Nadu, India. There is a strong French influence on the architecture of the city, especially in the old quarters, with rues and boulevards lined with Mediterranean-style houses and bakeries, although the city remains very much Indian. French is still understood, and the whole city makes for a pleasant mix of the East and the West.

Understand

French Memorial on Beach Road

Pondicherry, though small in geographical size, was the largest French colony in India. The city has a long and interesting history of trade and war. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est). If you have spent some time in Tamil Nadu and approached Pondicherry by land, you will very likely experience mild culture shock on discovering French architecture and restaurants serving steak and good wine. Pondicherry is very much a city with a dual personality: crossing the central canal from the east to the west reveals two different cities with very different characters.

Talk

Tamil is the main language spoken in Pondicherry. The city was essentially a French possession in the Tamil-speaking area of the region. You need to be able to speak Tamil if you wish to live in Pondicherry.

Expect to be able to get quite far in South Asia as an English-speaking tourist. Persons in Pondicherry with a university education may be able to converse with you in English.

French is no longer an official language or widely spoken in Pondicherry and has been largely replaced by English, but can still be heard among upper class elderly persons raised during French colonial rule. However, the city's French heritage is considered an aspect of life in Pondicherry that draws tourists from the surrounding regions. Telugu and Malayalam are also official languages, but their use is generally confined to specific communities.

Get in

Pondicherry has managed to retain its French flavour, as shown by this photo of a local traffic policeman on duty: Note kepi, the Charles de Gaulle-style cap

By car

Pondicherry is well connected from all sides. Chennai is 160 km north of the city.

You can also hire a taxi from Chennai International Airport (MAA ^IATA). It costs around ₹2,500 (Indian rupees), as of August 2018.

The road from Chennai to Pondicherry (the East Coast Road, commonly called ECR) is a scenic highway and a normal journey would take about 3 hours. Most tourists, however, cannot resist the seashore kissing the ECR and take a number of stops en route. This route passes through Mamallapuram, Kalpakkam, Pudupattinam, Idaikkazhinadu (Alamparai or Alambara Fort), Mudaliarkuppam, which has a boat house, Marakkanam (contains large areas under salt pans), and Kanagachettikulam/Kalapet.

Another road from Chennai to Pondy is National Highway 45 (NH45), also called the Grand Southern Trunk (GST) Road. This route passes through Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Madhurantakam, Melmaruvathur and Tindivanam.

The ECR Road and NH45 are tolled roads. The journey from Chennai to Pondicherry takes about the same amount of time on each road.

Pondicherry is about 320 km away from Bangalore. Drive down National Highway 7 (NH-7) till Krishnagiri, take a left off the main highway (road signs mark the route) and then take National Highway 66 (NH-66) to Pondicherry. This route passes through Uthangarai, Chengam, Tiruvannamalai, Gingee and Tindivanam. You can reach Pondicherry either through Tindivanam (via Gingee) or Villupuram (via Thirukovilur). Gingee Fort is also on the way to Tindivanam and worth spending some time at. It's an Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Heritage site. The total travel time should be about 5-6 hours. Pack some food or snacks for the way as there are no good restaurants en route.

Pondicherry is well connected to Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Velankanni, etc. to the South by National Highway 45A (NH-45A). The road is well maintained till Chidambaram.

Pondicherry connects to the GST or NH-45 in two places: at Villupuram by NH-45A and at Tindivanam by NH-66.

By coach

There are many coaches connecting to Pondicherry from a variety of cities. Getting to Pondicherry involves a 3½-hour road journey from Chennai by bus. One can board a bus from Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus (CMBT) in Koyambedu, Thiruvanmiyur or Guindy. You can be sure of getting a seat on the bus only if you board it from CMBT in Koyambedu, which is the main bus terminus in Chennai. However, the cheapest way of reaching Pondicherry from Chennai is taking the East Coast Road (ECR) bus from Tiruvanmiyur. The fare from CMBT is around ₹150 depending on the bus service. PRTC (Puducherry Road Transport Corporation) operates air-conditioned buses and the fare is ₹280. The ECR bus will drop you at the main bus terminal in Pondicherry, on Maraimalai Adigal Salai. Auto-rickshaws are available from outside the bus station. The fare can be bargained down to ₹50 to go to the French Quarter.

Nearly all cities in Tamil Nadu are connected to Pondicherry through cheap government buses that will stop at smaller towns and villages, though no centralized timetable exists and departure times and routes must be obtained from the nearest bus station to where you are. These buses will almost certainly arrive at the Pondicherry Bus Stand.

Private coaches will connect to Pondicherry from a variety of cities including Chennai and Bengaluru. The coaches along the ECR from Chennai are well frequented and a variety of coach types, from regular urban-city-bus to semi-sleepers and full-sleepers. There are long-distance coaches to Mumbai and other cities in India too. It is possible to find out which buses are available from the Redbus website.

By train

• 1 Puducherry  SR  (Pondicherry), South Blvd. Pondicherry is connected to Chennai by an electric railway line through Villupuram. There are 2 passenger trains running daily to Chennai Egmore Railway station and Tirupati and there is a weekly express train service to Bhubaneswar. In addition to this, there is also a daily express train to Chennai Egmore. Pondicherry is also connected by weekly trains to Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai besides Mangalore, passing through Kerala. (updated Jun 2023)

Bangalore Yesvantapur (YPR) to Pondicherry (PDY) is connected by a 3-tier AC train called Garib Rath Express. It covers a distance of 456 km in each direction however it takes 10 hr 5 min when operating as train number 12255 at an average speed of 60 km/h (excluding halts). It leaves Puducherry as train number 12256 on Saturday at 10:05PM and at the end of 8 halts arrives at Yesvantapur the next day at 08:25. It leaves Yesvantpur as train number 12255 on Friday at 23:15 and at the end of 9 halts arrives at Puducherry the next day at 09:20AM. Coach Composition comprises 16 AC 3 tier coaches and 2 luggage cum generator coaches taking the total up to 18 coaches.

By plane

• 2 Puducherry Airport (PNY  ^IATA, Pondicherry Airport). Pondicherry has an airport with facilities for the landing of small aircraft like Dorniers and Cessnas. SpiceJet operates daily flights from Hyderabad (with connections from other major Indian cities). Flights from Bangalore also operate on a daily basis. Cabs meet arriving flights at the airport and charge ₹350 to the centre of town. You can also take a 30-minute auto rickshaw from the airport to the centre of town. The rate for taking an auto rickshaw from within the airport complex to the city centre is about ₹150, as of Apr 2013. If you walk to outside the airport complex and flag down an auto you may be able to negotiate a better rate. (updated Jun 2023)

Chennai Airport is the nearest international airport, which is approximately 135 km from Pondicherry. Chennai airport is nicely connected to major cities in India as well as abroad. A one-way cab ride from Chennai airport to Pondicherry is approximately ₹1,500 and takes around 3 hours.

Get around

By bicycle or motorbike

Pondicherry has narrow streets reminiscent of Western Europe. It is highly advisable that you do not attempt to drive around in a car, and instead purchase or hire a two-wheeled transport vehicle, such as a bicycle or motorcycle. It can however be difficult to ride smoothly in Pondicherry due to the significant number of pedestrians on smaller streets, while roads would likely be used by cars and trucks. Pedestrians have the right-of-way in the city.

There are several rental outlets on Mission St and MG Rd. The prices as of January 2016 are ₹300/day for a gearless scooter (light motorcycle) and ₹500/day for a geared motorcycle and ₹40-50/day for a bicycle. You will need to provide some identification documents as collateral and an advance of ₹500 only in a few rental service shops while the rest of them provide without documents or advance. Make sure you check the cycle thoroughly before taking it on rent. Many of the rentals also provide delivery and pickup at the hotel which is very useful. Usually, the number of days for these vehicles is calculated 9AM-9PM. The motorbikes are easily available in a couple of two-wheeler rental shops on Mission Street.

By bus or shared auto-rickshaws

The Pondicherry Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has daily bus services for tourists and it covers all the important tourist spots to be seen in Pondicherry. It is the best and most economical way to tour Pondicherry.

There is a sparse network of buses and shared-auto-rickshaws that can be ridden for ₹5-20 per ride depending on the distance.

Shared-auto-rickshaws can be found at the bus stand, along certain points on Bussy Road and Grand Canal - the most common route is from the bus stand, along Bussy Road, around Grand Canal, and then back up Bussy Road to the bus stand - but be sure to ask if the auto goes to your destination as not all autos will follow this route. The services in informal and unorganized so it is impossible to centralise the timetables.

See

Aayi Mandapam, Bharathi Park

Gandhi Statue on Beach Road

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

• 1 Bharathi Park. There's a white monument at the centre of the park called Aayi Mandapam. It was built during the time of Napoleon III. The monument commemorates the provision of water to the French city during his reign. It was named after a lady courtesan named Āyi. She destroyed her own house to erect a water reservoir to supply water to the city. (updated Jun 2023)
• Chunnambar Boat House - (which is crowded on holidays and weekends) 10 km south of the city on the way to Cuddalore and connected by local buses. You can take a motorboat to Paradise Beach from here.
• 2 French War Memorial, Goubert Ave (opposite Gandhi Statue). A war memorial dedicated to the French Indians who died for the country during the First World War. A bronze plaque lists the names of soldiers who died during the First World War. Further plaques were added, listing the names of soldiers who died during World War II, the French War in Indochina and the Algerian War. The monument remains the property of France. (updated Jun 2023)
• 3 Gandhi Statue, Beach Rd. 
• 4 Lighthouses. new lighthouse 3–5PM. A lighthouse was constructed in Pondicherry in the nineteenth century by the French rulers. A new lighthouse was constructed in the 20th century by the Government of India. (updated Jun 2023)
• 5 Pondicherry Botanical Gardens (Entrance east), ☏ +91 413 233 9497. A nice park, though a little in disarray. An aquarium, maintained by the Directorate of Fisheries is also a must-see while in the Gardens. Entrance ticketed. Free. (updated Jun 2023)
• 6 Pondicherry Museum. An art and history museum with its collection of fine lost wax bronzes from the Chola period. (updated Jun 2023)
• Portuguese Governor's Mansion. (updated Jun 2023)
• 7 Puducherry Science Centre & Planetarium, Lawspet. The Science Demonstration Corner conducts live demonstrations and experiments to groups of visitors and students. The Children's Corner offers simple experiments for children. A workshop equipped with tools and tackles is provided for maintenance of the exhibits and development of new ones. (updated Jun 2023)
• Usteri Lake. The lake has boats run by PTDC. (updated Jun 2023)

Places of worship

• 8 Sri Aurobindo Ashram. One of the most common reason to visit Pondicherry is to visit this ashram of the spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo. It grew out of a small community of disciples who had gathered around Sri Aurobindo after he settled in Pondicherry in 1910. On 24 November 1926, after a major spiritual realisation, Sri Aurobindo withdrew from public view in order to continue his spiritual work. At this time he handed over the full responsibility for the inner and outer lives of the sadhaks (spiritual aspirants) and the ashram to his spiritual collaborator, Mirra Alfassa, better known as "The Mother". (updated Jun 2023)

Churches

• 9 Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Tamil: தூய இருதய ஆண்டவர் பசிலிக்கா, French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur de Jésus), South Blvd. An oriental specimen of Gothic Revival architecture. It contains rare stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ and saints of the Catholic Church. It is also one of the most famous pilgrimage spots for Christians. (updated Jun 2023)
• 10 Immaculate Conception Cathedral (Tamil: தூய அமலோற்பவ அன்னை பேராலயம், French: Cathédrale de l'Immaculée-Conception; also known as Samba Kovil (சம்பா கோயில்)). The mother church for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. (updated Jun 2023)

Temples

Most temples in Pondicherry were built during the Chola period, predating the French invasion in the area.

• 11 Kameeswarar Temple (Villianur Temple, Thirukameeswarar Temple). A Shiva temple where Shiva is worshiped as Kameeswarar and his consort Parvati is depicted as Kokilamba Amman. The temple has a number of shrines, with those of Kameeswarar, his consort KokilambaAmman and Ranganathar being the most prominent. The original complex is believed to have been built by Cholas, with later additions from different ruling dynasties. (updated Jun 2023)
• 12 Manakula Vinayagar Temple. Dedicated to Lord Ganesha, it is a popular pilgrimage site and tourist destination in Pondicherry due to its proximity to Promenade Beach. (updated Jun 2023)
• 13 Vedapureeswarar Temple. 6AM–12:30PM and 4:30–8:00PM. A Shiva temple, which was once destroyed be French invaders in 1748 and was later reconstructed by Dewan Kandappa Mudaliar with public contributions. (updated Jun 2023)

Do

There is not much one is expected to do at Pondicherry. You would understand this better once you get there and understand the pace of life. You can also do some serious meditation at the Auroville, the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, or go to Bharatanatyam performances that are often organized there by the Auroville Cultural Exchange in the local temples, or at major hotels. You can also go fishing in a Catamaran or while away your evenings at Rocky Beach. You can also hire scooters (mopeds) and go on long drives to the sandy beaches that dot the coastline.

You can also experience staying in a traditional 'Parapachai' house - an affectionate name given by connoisseurs to traditional green-coloured houses. First-class experience.

• Casablanca and Titanic, Mission St. The latter is a factory outlet of the former. 
• French Quarter Architecture, the another side of the canal road to the coastline. 

Beaches

• Paradise Beach. You need to hire a motorboat for pick up and drop to the beach from Chunnambar Boat house which will cost you around ₹200. (updated Jun 2023)
• 1 Promenade Beach (Pondicherry Beach). A 1.2-kilometre-long stretch in Pondicherry, which starts from War Memorial and ends at Dupleix Park on Goubert Avenue. (updated Jun 2023)
• Rock Beach. (updated Jun 2023)
• University Beach. (updated Jun 2023)
• 2 Uppalam Harbour Beach. (updated Jun 2023)

Scuba diving

• Temple Adventures, 9, Archbishop Gandhi Street, Colas Nagar, 1st Road Opposite Indira Gandhi Stadium, ☏ +91 99402 19449, dive@templeadventures.com. Scuba diving club. There is a great range of corals, lion fish, grouper, kingfish, moray eels, eagle and manta rays, parrot fish, sea snakes, triggerfish, butterflies, angels, bannerfish, crustaceans, and if you're lucky, even sharks, whale sharks, turtles and dolphins. (updated Sep 2016)

Stadiums

• 3 Indira Gandhi Sports Stadium. (updated Jun 2023)

Learn

• Kallialay Surf School, Thandryankuppam, Kottakuppam, Villupuram, ☏ +91 9442992874, ride@surfschoolindia.com. Offers surfing lessons and surf board rentals. (updated Sep 2016)
• The Healing Hands Center. Classes in ancient massage and Thai massage. The ten-day course and the one-month professional course run every month and are recognized by THAI (Thai Healing Alliance International) and by NHPC (Natural Health Practitioners of Canada). 

Buy

• Handmade paper - The range of colours and scope of textures of Pondicherry's homemade paper is marketed all over the world.
• Leather - Making leather meticulously is what separates Pondicherry from the rest of the cities in India. Well-polished and innovative products with quality brass buckles are available at reasonable prices here.
• Pottery - Pondicherry is known for artisan and ceramic work. Different shops offer distinctive styles such as Rhinestone Art and Golden Bridge.
• Textile and clothes - Pondicherry has been involved in producing garment textiles and household items for a long time. There are also plenty of stores which sell T-shirts and some well-known types of clothes at surprisingly low rates.

Shopping malls

• 1 Providence Mall. (updated Jun 2023)

Eat

Pondicherry is known for its wide variety of cuisines ranging from South Indian delicacies like idly and dosa to seafood like fried fish, prawn bajji and parota.

French influence can be seen to some extent in the local food. The best options are still the local delicacies; the excellent seafood. Good French food is available at restaurants around the French part of town.

• Anjappar, Near Jeeva Theater Signal. Open every day.
• Aristo, Nehru Street. Nice terrace on the roof of the hotel; good French and Indian food.
• Atithi, Kamaraj Road, Shivajinagar (In Hotel Jayaram). All Days. Fantastic south Indian food. Very reasonably priced. Try out the 6 feet family masala dosa ghee roast. 
• Batisto, ECR Road, Next to D Gowda Petrol Bunk, Behind Laloo's puntcher shop.
• Don Giovanni, Mission St. At the rooftop of Hotel Corbelli on Mission St, this authentic Italian restaurant's chef is from Bologna, and the food is fantastic. 
• Hot Breads, Nehru St, a pleasant European bakery.
• Indian Delights Veg. Restaurant, 493 Mahatma Gandhi Rd (opposite a hotel (the clock tower hotel)). Opens at 5AM, delicious variety of typical south Indian dishes. Very cheap, popular with locals, not touristy. 
• Karai, 100 Feet Rd. Nellithope. Multi-cuisine restaurant, good for Chettinad food. Also, try the French onion soup. 
• Marine Drive, Periyamudaliyarchavadi, ECR Auroville (opp to Auro Beach, on ECR, 5.5 km from Pondicherry), ☏ +91 413-2623939. Multi-cuisine restaurant. Open garden and covered area with sea brees. 11AM-11PM. (updated Nov 2018)
• New Banana Cafe, 36 Cazy St, ☏ +91 96 26 561259. Fresh french food in a peaceful environment. Free Wifi. ₹100-200. 
• Pizzeria Trattoria, Auroville Rd (on the way to Auroville). This restaurant serves Pizza and other Italian delights. Seems to be managed by a French person, food was good. Prices are reasonable, but the quantities are smaller. 
• Rendezvous, 30, Rue Suffren. Closed on Tuesdays.
• Satsanga, 30, Labourdonnais. Open every day.
• Sri Murugan Cafe, No. 160, Kosakada Street opposite Municipality Central Parking Place. Veg-only Indian restaurant with great dosas. You might be the only tourist here for weeks. ₹25-50.
• Surguru, at the corner of Sardar Vallabhai Patel Rd and East coast Road, in the basement of the hotel. Has delicious Indian food, At breakfast time try the delicious poori or paper roast (paper dosai).

Drink

There are a multitude of liquor shops and wineshops around the city, perhaps owing to the French influence. Alcohol in Pondicherry is not taxed as it is in Chennai and is therefore significantly cheaper. At a takeaway shop, a beer should cost around ₹80-100 (as of 2017).

Good branded liquor like Smirnoff, Bacardi and different Scotch whiskies are very inexpensive as there is no sales tax in Pondicherry.

Coffee

• Choco La, Mission St. Small, cosy, clean chocolate shop on Mission St. Also features chocolate cakes, coffees, etc. A bit on the expensive side. 
• Coromandel Cafe, 8 Rue Romain Rolland Street, ☏ +91 413 222 1100. A colonial era style cafe. Excellent coffee. Indian and continental cuisine 
• KBS Kofi Bar, 19 Chetty St (second left from Raja theatre signal near Bharathi street cutting). 5:30AM-8:30PM. Open since 1972. Excellent South Indian coffee. Mostly take away. Small sitting area. Simple veggie meals ₹15 for a coffee. 
• Le Cafe, Promenade Hotel, Rue Labourdonnais. Water-front cafe. Excellent coffee. Desserts. Meals 

Alcohol

• Le Club (French Italian Indian Vietnamese), 38, Dumas St (Near Park Guest house), ☏ +91 413 2339745. 7AM-11PM. Wonderful garden restaurant with a high class bar and chill out atmosphere, but slightly overrated and quite expensive. 
• Seagulls (Walk south down to the end of the beach. It's at the end of the first alley on your left.). Nice bar that organizes musical concerts occasionally. They sell imported beer. 

In addition to these listings, on the beach road abutting the French quarter enjoy fine dining in a good ambiance with continental and Indian cuisine, has a nice buffet on weekends. Mimicry artists will sometimes entertain you at your table.

Sleep

Budget

• Continental Hotel. Reasonable little place, quite well located for beach access / bars / wandering potential, and with a rooftop bar. Good selection of cheap beers: ₹80 for an 8% Tuborg. ₹400-500 for a single with fan, ₹550 for a single with aircon, ₹1000 on up for doubles. 
• Fullmoon Guest House (info@fullmoonguesthouse.com) (E Coast Rd), ☏ +91 9600210094. Check-in: noon, check-out: 10:30AM. The guest house has seven unique AC Double twin bed rooms with attached bathroom. Five out of the seven rooms come with an equipped kitchen (refrigerator, electric stove, kitchen utensils, free wireless internet, free self-service washing machine, hot water, etc.) It is possible also to rent a room or studio apartment for weeks or months. ₹600. 
• 1 Raj Lodge, 57, Rangapillai Street. Double room single occupancy: ₹250. 
• Sri Aurobindo Ashram (various guesthouses), bureaucentral@sriaurobindoashram.org. Book in advance, if you don't want to be disappointed. The guest houses are very clean. Very strict too. No liquor, smoking, or eating non-veg. Park Guest House is on the beach with nice lawns looking upon the sea while Sea Side Guest House is on the beach road and most rooms have a nice sea view. A choice of Continental and Indian breakfast is free in both guest houses. There is also a nice new budget guest house (New Guest House) very close to the beach, with a canteen. ₹600 to ₹1200 per day. (updated Sep 2017)
• Sri Krishnas Guest House, 29/31 Rangapillai St (3 mins west of GPO), ☏ +91 413 2334477, +91 413 2221818, +91 413 2221010. Check-out: 24 hrs after check-in. Large, clean hotel in the main shopping area. Rooms with TV with some English channels. French bakery 2 min walk. Sea 10 min walk. Regular single ₹350 AC, non AC ₹250; double: ₹750 AC, ₹500 Non AC; triple ₹900AC, ₹750 non AC (extra bed ₹100). 
• Villa Labourdonnais, 25 Rue Labourdonnais (in the French Quarter). This ten room guesthouse owned by a French expat has hot water and a mini-fridge in every room. Peaceful location, windows in every room, popular place for backpackers. Rooms from ₹400. 

Mid-range

• Flora Beach Resort, ☏ +91-09443249411, beachguesthouse.auroville@gmail.com. Check-in: 24-hr, check-out: 24 hr after check-in. Nice and clean hotel with all the basic amenities, coconut leaf cottages. Sea shore is 100 m walk. A/c rooms available. 
• Ginger Hotels. Excellent ambiance and very professionally run hotel. It's more of an IT company-like environment with utmost hygiene. Has a 24-hour coffee shop too. ₹1799. 
• Hotel Corbelli, 170, Mission St (Close to Casablanca on Mission Street), ☏ +91 413-2225301, fax: +91 413-2225303, hotelcorbelli@yahoo.com. Check-in: 24-hr, check-out: 24 hr after check-in. Nice and clean hotel with all the basic amenities. Centralised A/C keeps the heat at bay. Morning breakfast buffet is included in the cost price. ₹1350. 
• Hotel Vijayentra, 108, Kamaraj Road, Shivajinagar (500 m from Nehru street (main street), 1 km from the bus stand.), ☏ +91 413-2245316. 24 rooms on two floors, conference facilities, restaurant. (updated Nov 2018)
• MangoHill, Old Auroville Road, Bommayapalayam (10 km north from Pondicherry), ☏ +91 41326554 91-92-93. Check-in: 14/1, check-out: 24 hrs. 24 rooms (Thai, Luxury and Standard), spacious and clean hotel on hills planted with mangoes and cashew trees. Spa swimming pool and multi-cuisine restaurant added. 3500. (updated Nov 2018)
• Raj Residency, 26, Cheran Street, Mullai Nagar (Opp New Bus Stand), ☏ +91 413 220 220 1, rajresidencypdy@gmail.com. Check-out: 24 hr after check-in. A guesthouse with suites and rooms which are equipped with flat screen televisions, intercom and mini bars. Every room has an attached bathroom with hot and cold water facility and individually controlled air-conditioning. 

Splurge

• Atithi, No.126 S.V. Patel Salai (near Surguru), ☏ +91 413-2345000. Check-in: noon, check-out: noon. 60 rooms and suites. ₹4500. 
• Hotel Surguru, 104, Sardar Vallabhai Patel Salai, ☏ +91 413 222-7290-233-4377-233-9022. Check-in: to 6PM, check-out: 24 hr. Though not next to or at the Promenade/Beach or near Aurobindo Ashram or in the French Quarter, it is within 2 km of all places of interest. It has its own parking lot, good rooms and suites, 24-hour coffee shop, and one of the best South Indian restaurants in the city. ₹1,300 to ₹2,000. 
• Sunway GRT. Cleanliness and service up to nice USA/European hotel standards. Not in the centre/touristy area of Pondicherry. You must arrange an auto-rickshaw (for approx. ₹1700) to get to the tourist area by the beach. Nice tasty free buffet breakfast of South Indian foods for ₹250. 
• Zest Big Beach. Excellent resort, managed by the Mahindra Group, is 11 km from Pondicherry on the Cuddalore road. The resort also serves great food. (updated Nov 2018)

Stay safe

Always carry passport with you and put a sticky note inside it with phone number of your travel consultant. Never pay anyone upfront, especially to agents or drivers.

Never exchange money with unauthorized foreign exchange dealers. Ask for receipt after exchanging money with the broker.

Don't get trapped in the narcotics trading, as no one wants to end the journey in prison. Switch off your mobile phones while in museums, temples and churches or they will be confiscated.

Connect

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi can be difficult to find in Pondicherry. Many restaurants, even fancier ones, do not have Wi-Fi.

• Le Cafe - On the beach front near the Gandhi Statue, this cafe is more similar to Southern European cafes with wide range of food options in addition to drinks, and notably serves cold coffee. It has Wi-Fi for free, though note that it requires SMS verification to access and that some overseas mobile numbers may return an error (though this is genuinely a technical error rather than a restriction by BSNL).
• Gelato Factory- As its name suggests this cafe, located a couple of streets west from the Grand Canal on Bussy Street, serves a variety of ice cream and also drinks. It has free Wi-Fi too. 337, Mission St, MG Road Area.
• Cafe Coffee Day - This chain of coffee shops has three branches in Pondicherry, with a branch near the beach that you'll find if you keep heading north off Beach Road as it veers to the left. It provides high quality Wi-Fi but it also requires verification from an Indian mobile number. Sardar Vallabai Patel Salai.
• Le cafe Chaplin - This cafe provides free Wi-Fi though it's less of a cafe and more of a restaurant, and serves mainly North Indian food. 80, Grand Canal, MG Road Area.
• Citinet Internet Cafe and WiFi - An internet cafe that provides reasonable computers to surf the internet and notably paid WiFi (though only at ₹30 per use). Both the internet and WiFi speeds are reliable and good quality, especially good option if you need high quality internet and do not have an Indian mobile number. Opening times start at sometime around noon and end at sometime around 9PM. 78, 1st Floor, Nehru Street.

Cope

Hospitals

• Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), in the Gorimedu suburb of Pondicherry city on the way to Tindivanam. JIPMER is a Central government funded institute. JIPMER is both an educational institute and a working hospital that provides inexpensive medical care to a large number of patients.
• Rajiv Gandhi Government women and children hospital is on the 100 Feet Road. It offers regular and emergency medical services in the departments of Paediatrics, Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Immunisation. It also has a High Risk clinic.
• 1 General Hospital, Victor Simone street. 24 hr. It can take care of all emergencies including road traffic accidents which are attended mostly free of cost. 

Libraries

• 2 Romain Rolland Library. One of the oldest libraries in India. (updated Jun 2023)

Consulates

• 3 France, 2 Marine St, ☏ +91 413 223-1000. There's a French consulate as a special case, even though India's policy is generally to allow foreign missions only in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. 

Nearby

• 1 Villupuram (Viluppuram, Vizhuppuram). Known for the Laksha Deepam (hundred thousand lights) festival to mark the Tamil New Year. In that occasion, people say Chittirai Thirunal. A lot of people light oil lamps in Jai Bhajrangbali Temple and worship the god to provide health and wealth to their families and to bring peace in the world. Laksha Deepam in April is considered to be most famous event in every year in Villupuram. (updated Jun 2023)

Go next

• Auroville — Nearby township, often visited as part of a visit to Pondy. A tuktuk should cost around ₹200 and a taxi ₹400 (2017).
• Kanchipuram — The City of Thousand Temples and it belongs to 2nd or 3rd century. Today, it is mainly known for its high quality silks.
• Kochi — The financial and cultural capital of Kerala. Overnight sleeper buses cost ₹1000-1500 (2017) and take 9-12 hours.
• Mamallapuram — Nestled along the Bay of Bengal, it was seventh century port of Pallava kings. Several cave temples are carved here from Granite hill which belongs to fifth and eighth centuries.
• Tiruvannamalai — Known as fifth Hindu element of fire, it is located around 107 km from Pondicherry and ranks as one of the pilgrim city in Tamil Nadu. Its name meaning ‘Red Mountain’ came from the extinct of Volcano, Arunachala.