48 HOURS

pondicherry

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rom its colonial architecture to its kepi-hatted policemen and the ready Bonjours of its shopkeepers, the former capital of French India still retains a good measure of Gallic charm. Often likened to a Mediterranean seaside town, pondicherryofficially puducherry, but more commonly known as pondylies within easy reach of Chennai (a two-anda-half-hour drive to the north) and offers a unique Franco-Tamil identity that beckons exploration. Heres how to make the most of a two-day visit.

french twist The 18th-century home of the Cluny Embroidery Centre, left. Below: Ratatouille la Le Dupleix.

DAY ONE Morning Wake up at the delightful Palais de Mah (4 Rue de Bussy; 91-413/234-5611; cghearth .com; doubles from US$185) and order a traditional Tamil breakfast of dosas and sambar just the thing to fortify you for a stroll around pondicherrys old French quarter (the backdrop for many scenes in the movie Life of Pi ). INTACH (intachpondicherry.org ), the local arm of the Indian national Trust for art and Cultural Heritage, leads informative walking tours through streets lined with color-washed villas sporting louvered shutters, wroughtiron grilles, and ornate cornices. among the highlights is the beautifully restored, salmonpink Church of Our lady of angels on rue dumas, built in 1865.
Afternoon Break for a lunch of Creole fish

PONDYS TOP PICKS

a breezy, laid-back town on southern indias coromandel coast, pondicherry makes an ideal long-weekend getaway
By Kalpana Sunder

curry at the Hotel de lOrients atmospheric courtyard restaurant, Carte Blanche (17 Rue Romain Rolland; 91-413/234-3067; neemrana hotels.com). From here, walk10 minutes north to the Puducherry Museum (1 Rue St. Louis; 91413/222-3950), which occupies a century-old mansion across from leafy Bharathi park. The holdings range from ancientpallava and Chola sculptures; roman pottery recovered from the nearby archaeological site of arikamaduto colonial, with French-era bric-a-brac interspersed among escritoires, comptoirs, and a bed once slept in by the18thcentury governor-general Joseph-Franois dupleix. Then unwind at one of Indias oldest botanical parks, the Jardin Botanique (West Blvd. and Lal Bahadur St.), laid out in1826 over some nine shady hectares.
Evening do what the locals do and stretch your legs along Goubert avenue, a seafront promenade lined with cotton-candy hawkers,
galilea nin

24 DESTINASIAN.com october/november 2013

48 HOURS

pondicherry

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just add water Clockwise from near right: South of town, the Chunnambar River is popular for boat excursions; a guest room at the Hotel de lOrient; inside the Domus boutique at La Maison Rose.

ice cream carts, and monuments including a four-meter-tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi. nearby, the circular Customs Office and an 1836-built lighthouse recall pondys faded maritime glory. end the day with an alfresco dinner under a 200-year-old mango tree at Le Dupleix (5 Rue de la Caserne St.; 91-413/2226001; ledupleix.in), a colonial-governors residence turned period-style boutique hotel.
DAY TWO Morning after breakfast in the garden courtyard at Caf de Flore (Maison Colombani, 58 Rue Dumas; 91-413/222-5868), head over the canal to the traditional Indian side of town, a district once known as Ville noir. Vysial Street, which earned uneSCO recognition in 2008 for its restoration efforts, is a well-preserved stretch of old Tamil courtyard houses featuring thinnais (sitting platforms), teak-pillared verandas, and exquisitely carved doors. a few blocks north is Maison Perumal (44 Perumal Koil St.; 91-413/222-7519; cghearth .com), a10-room hotel that inhabits a lovingly restored Chettiar mansion with rust-red stone floors and stained-glass windows. Stay for lunch: the kitchens organic appams (a sort of crispy crepe) and grilled seafood are superb.
26 DESTINASIAN.com october/november 2013

triP tiP pondys French legacy extends to its bakeries, the best oF which is BAkEr STrEET, where you can pick up clairs, quiches, baguettes, almond croissants,tarts, and just about anything else that will Fit inside a picnic hamper (123 bussy st.; 91-413/645-8888 ).

Afternoon Work off those calories with a spot of shopping. kalki (134 Mission St.; 91-

413/233-9166; maroma.com) stocks incense, candles, hand-painted silks, and accessories, while stylish stationery awaits at the Sri Aurobindo Handmade Paper Factory (50 S.V. Patel Salai; 91-413/233-4763; sriaurobindopaper.com), anoffshootof thefamed Sriaurobindoashram in nearby auroville. The Cluny Embroidery Centre (46 Rue Romain Rolland; pondy.sjcluny .org ) sells finely embroidered table linen; just up the street, La Maison rose (8 Rue Romain Rolland; 91-413/421-0806; lamaisonrosepondicherry.com) is a heritage villa with three boutiques under its roof: domus for home

decor, Oh la la! for looks by French fashion designer agathe lazaro, and amethyst for its bijou handcrafted jewelry.
Evening For something different, head

eight kilometers down Cuddalore road to Chunnambar, where diversions include backwater boat tours, dolphin-watching, or trips to paradise Beach, a giant sandbar stretched across the mouth of the Chunnambar river. Back in pondy, end the day at The promenade hotelsrooftoprestaurant, Lighthouse (23Goubert Ave; 91-413/222-7750; sarovarhotels.com), where youll be perfectly positioned to watch the night roll across the Bay of Bengal.

galilea nin (3); pascal reynaud