“Get ready to be burnt to a crisp in the heat” is what my friend told me on the day we finally completed the bookings for our Puducherry trip. She had a point — we were heading to India’s picturesque coastal town right in the middle of June. Most travel bloggers and influencers suggest October to March as the ideal time to visit. Even Google weather updates showed an ominous “excessive heat” warning for weeks before the trip but we paid no heed to all that. Kolkata, too, was melting under a heatwave, so we reasoned that we’d rather be “burnt to a crisp” near the ocean than in the middle of a boiling metropolis.
To be fair, we did consider escaping to the hills (the quintessential Bengali retreat that is Darjeeling) but one of us had just returned from Gangtok, and the other one had gone on a Kashmir trip earlier this year. So we both voted for the beach vacay, armed with our hats, caps and, of course, a reliable sunscreen.
While train journeys are definitely an option, the quickest way to Pondy is via a flight to Chennai and then a bus/car rental to the destination. Which brings me to the first benefit of travelling off-season.
Cheap flight tickets!
Flying off season is always cheaper, even when you’re booking last minute Pexels
Flying off-season meant that even though we booked our tickets just about three weeks before the actual flight, we managed to get flexi round-trip tickets for less than Rs 13,000 per head.
(A flexi ticket includes changing flight dates at no extra cost, as well as seat selection and a meal of your choice.) It takes about two-and-a-half hours from CCU to Chennai, following which you may choose to get to Pondy either by bus or car.
The drive to Pondy is picturesque, with roads lined with trees on both sides, occasionally interrupted by clearings with a view of the sea in the distance. We took it all in hungrily, treating ourselves to the luxury of cruising down roads with no traffic (yet another benefit of the off-season, you think?), and even dozed off towards the end of a three-hour-long drive.
When we opened our eyes, we were turning the last corner onto the road where our hostel was located. We got off, stretched our legs, looked around and smiled at each other. We were in Pondy!
Budget stay
The reception area at Mi Casa Hostel has books, board games and plenty more to keep you entertained Avipsa Dey
“No place is boring if you’ve had a good night’s sleep and a pocket full of unexposed film,” said American photographer Robert Adams. While unexposed films may now be a thing of the past thanks to digital cameras (I did have a Polaroid, though), a good night’s sleep continues to be paramount, especially if you have plans to go gallivanting around White Town the next morning. However, any seasoned traveller will tell you that is not the only consideration when you’re choosing where to stay on your vacation.
Your lodging must be clean and hygienic but it also needs to be well-connected so you can easily commute to all the popular sights. Scooty rentals are very popular in coastal towns like Pondy (and Goa) but neither my friend nor I can drive one, so we had to stay at a place from where we could either walk to the popular tourist spots or easily summon an auto to take us there. Having considered all this, we hit the sweet spot with Mi Casa Hostel, which is located right on the MG Road thoroughfare, a two-minute walk from the nearest auto stand.
Of course, if you’d rather stay in a hotel, Puducherry has plenty of those, too, for all budgets. And if you’re booking during the off-season, you might even get special discounts, especially via booking websites. There isn’t much rush this time of year, so rooms are generally available even if you’re booking last minute or wish to extend your stay for a few days.
After some rest and a quick change of clothes, we walked to our first dinner destination — Villa Shanti. A heritage hotel that is fairly popular among tourists and ranks high on the list of Puducherry’s best eateries, we were sure we’d have to wait a while before getting a table here.
But, you guessed it, we were seated right away.
Goodbye table reservations, hello prompt service!
The bar area at Villa Shanti Avipsa Dey
Puducherry is a food lover’s paradise. Not only do you get a variety of cuisines here but the food is fresh, flavourful and filling without being overwhelming. And the scrumptious seafood dishes are to die for. However, the renowned food scene here also means one either has to have a prior reservation or wait for a while before they get a table. Not if you’re travelling in the off-season though, when you can simply walk into any of the popular cafes and find a seat right away.
We began at Villa Shanti with an excellent prawn and pomelo salad, moved on to the cajun roasted snapper and finished with what turned out to be the best French creme brulee we have ever had.
Next morning found us at the infamous Bread and Chocolate in White Town, where, once again, we breezed in to find a table and were soon digging into a delectable mushroom quiche, a summertime tartine and the compulsory croissant. We settled on the almond croissant, with a mocha for me and a mango smoothie for my friend. The mocha and the smoothie were good but it was the croissant that stole the show with its buttery, flaky texture. (the next croissant to impress me as much will probably have to be from Paris). Needless to say, we skipped lunch that day.
(Left) Mocha, mushroom quiche, almond croissant; (Middle) Bread and Chocolate in White Town; (Right) Summer Tartine Avipsa Dey
Over the course of our stay in Pondy, we ate at several places but if I proceed to list them all down for you, we’ll need a whole other article. So, I’ll simply leave you with a comprehensive list of what you ought to try from where:
- Desserts from Eat My Cake in White Town and Le Petit Four
- Seafood spaghetti at Coromandel Cafe (also known for their cocktails)
- Chocolate Escargot at Baker Street
- Burgers from Canteen 18
- Kombuchas at Auroville
- Tuna salad and cold coffee at Auroville Bakery
(Left) Seafood spaghetti and Grilled fish at Coromandel Cafe (Right) Freshly-baked breakfast pastries at Baker Street Avipsa Dey
When strolling down the Rock Beach, we recommend you do it with a gelato in hand from Gelateria Montecatini Terme, also known as GMT. Available in both cups and waffle cones, these silky smooth gelatos come in a variety of fruity as well as chocolatey options and will definitely melt faster than you can devour them. (although licking your fingers afterwards is half the experience anyway!)
This brings me to the final benefit of booking your Pondy trip in the off-season.
Fewer crowds
The view from atop the New Lighthouse Avipsa Dey
Tourists are constant in Puducherry, particularly over the weekends, when young crowds pour in from Chennai and Bengaluru for a quick getaway. But this proportion is way lesser in the summer months, particularly May and June, when most prefer to stay indoors or escape to the hills. This means no long queues for tickets and quieter, emptier tourist spots in general.
Find a quiet spot and sit for as long as you wish at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, go up the winding steps at the New Light House, or simply watch the waves crashing onto the shore for hours on end at any of the beaches. Visiting Puducherry at this time of the year means dealing with the heat and the sweat but the rewards you reap make that hassle worth it.
There’s plenty of information available about tourist spots in Pondy but here’s a quick checklist of things you must do:
- Spend a day walking around (and posing for Insta-worthy pictures) at White Town
- Meditate at Sri Aurobindo Ashram
- Get custom-made sandals on the spot at Agan Leathers in White Town
- Take in the view from atop the New Light House
- Catch the sunrise at Serenity beach
- Go souvenir shopping at Craft Bazaar
- Try water sports at Eden beach
- Unwind at Paradise beach
- Take a boat ride through the Pichavaram Mangrove Forest
- Tinker with the various instruments at the Svaram Sound Garden in Auroville
Children frolicking in the water during sunrise at Serenity Beach Avipsa Dey
When in Pondy, you must not miss out on an opportunity to go inside the Auroville Matri Mandir. Many, though, struggle to get bookings. Here’s why — the portal for booking the tickets to enter the Matri Mandir is open only between 7am and 11am, which is something most people don’t know. Once you register with available dates, the authorities are expected to get back to you with a confirmation email, which is your ticket to the Matri Mandir.
The Auroville Matri Mandir Avipsa Dey
We were able to get bookings for just the day after (thank you, off-season once more) but typically, it is recommended that bookings are made at least a week in advance, especially during rush season.
While returning, we took a NueGo bus from the main bus stop to the Guindy Metro station, from where you can take a Metro directly to the Chennai airport. Once at the airport metro station, simply follow the trail of “Airport this way” stickers all the way to the domestic terminal.
A vacation simply does not get more hassle-free (or cheaper) than this, so if you’re still looking to sneak in a quick, last-minute summer vacay, Puducherry is the place to go!
