Weekend visit to Pondicherry

Food, sight-seeing and shopping
The main attractions are the beaches. Four of them: a) Serenity beach : a bit crowded and dirt, watch out for the strong waves b) Auroville beach : located near Auroville, lots of hippies around c) Promenade beach : The beach was been blocked with rocks and you can only sit and watch the waves d) Paradise beach : This is the best beach. Pristine sands and clear water and gentle waves. This is not a public beach though. You need to visit Chunnambar boathouse and take a boat ride to the beach, which is located on an island (Rs.75= per head). But this is definitely worth a visit. Not much of a crowd and well-maintained Aurobindo Ashram. Auroville and Vinayaka temple are the religious attractions. Shopping can be done on Mission street and MG Road. Adyar Anand Bhavan, Pizzeria, Le Cafe are some of the good places for food.

Activities & things to do
Playing at the beach or just relaxing and watching the sea is a good way to spend time. Take a walk on promenade or in the French quarter. Or visit the botanical gardens and enjoy the musical fountain show.

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc.
Pondicherry is accessible by road from Chennai and Bangalore. There are trains, but these take on an average 25 percent more time. If you prefer comfort, you can go for trains, but the timings are not suitable. Tips a) Local autorickshaws will fleece you. You can hire a cycle/bike on rental or better you can book a auto/taxi for the whole day, otherwise you will be cheated b) Veggies may have a problem at Paradise Beach, so better you can pack a lunch c) Don't sit on the rocks near Promenade, they are real dirty d) Choose a guesthouse to stay or one of the branded hotels. Guest houses are neat, but you need to book in advance