The Union Territory of Pondicherry blessed with picturesque coastline is indeed a destination for beach lovers where they can enjoy multiple water activities. The colonial architecture compliments the beach life whereas the far situated Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville add another dimension to Pondicherry tourism. There are numerous places to visit in and around Puducherry especially beaches and it is good place to visit for a 3 day weekend visit. On the arrival instead o going to the usual Aurobindo Ashram tourist can start off by visiting other places.
On 1st day of arrival after an early breakfast tourist can start off tour of Pondy by visiting Statue of Dupleix, built to honour Francois Dupleix, who governed Pondicherry till 1754. Commissioned in the year 1870, this 3 meter high statue is situated at the Place du Republique over amazing granite columns. After visiting it tourist can tour the children’s park at the southern end of the Goubert Avenue. After that tourist can visit the cafes of Pondicherry that sell delectable range of French and Tamil mixed cuisine at an affordable price. In the evening tourist can visit the Promenade beach. It is a different kind of beach with less sand and more rocks.
It offers a very peaceful place to its tourists and visitors to sit and enjoy the waves. After that tourist can visit the local markets to do window shopping before retiring for the day. The tourist can start the 2nd day with an early morning visit to Rock beach, a beach filled with cobbled stone and little bit of sand to watch the sunrise. The best location is the jetty that extends in to the Bay of Bengal. After breakfast tourist can visit the Chunnambar Boathouse a spectacular boating and picnic spot located on the backwaters where Chunnambar River meets the Bay of Bengal.
Tourist can also play beach sports with family and friends. Ibn the afternoon after lunch tourist can visit one of the famous places to visit in Pondicherry the Pondicherry Botanical Garden. Spread across 22 acres of land, the lush green garden was built by the French colonists who brought exotic plant species from all across the globe and nurtured them here. The garden boasts of 1500 species of plants and there are placards that indicate the species’ names and their common name. The main entrance of the garden characterises the French architecture.
After spending a lot of time touring the garden tourist in the evening can visit the Serenity beach to take a stroll and watch the sunset. After that tourist can visit Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges, a gorgeous white chapel and is known for its statue of Mother Mary holding baby Jesus in her arms, after that tourist can retire for the day. The tourist can spend entire 3rd day visiting the Ousteri Wetland and National Park, it features a 100 year old man-made lake. A paradise for #birdwatching the park showcases a wide collection of flora and fauna that is a true delight to the eyes., several migratory birds flock here and can be spotted in different segments of the park.
Afterspending a good amount of time there tourist can visit the Sri Karaneswara Nataraja Temple if time permits, built like the structure of Great Pyramids of Giza, it is a prominent temple in Pondicherry tourist places dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple complex has three paths for pradakshina according to Indian traditions and certainly a sight to behold for both the devotees. After this tourist can arrive back at their accommodation to conclude their tour but not before visiting one of the famous cafes of Pondy.
