When we decide on a family vacation with my little daughter, we generally do a lot of research and planning in advance. But Pondicherry was an impromptu destination for us, as it was on our way to Vellankanni, a pilgrimage centre in Tamilnadu. Hence, we were a little skeptical.
Pondicherry with Family – A Laid-Back, Culture-Rich Holiday
Pondicherry (officially known a Puducherry) is a Union Territory of India. In its unique culture, you can see the influence of the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh (as Pondicherry is tucked between these states), and also French, Dutch and Portuguese influence (due to its colonial past).
Every traveler will find something that appeals to them in this beautiful town brimming with character and natural beauty.
Artist and architects are drawn to its vintage buildings and architectural marvels. Nature lovers are lured by its serene beaches and greenery. The spiritual traveler comes to soak in its calmness and serenity, the shopaholic for its attractive markets, and the foodie comes to feast on its local and international cuisine. And the littlest among us revel in its sand, sun and beaches.
Picture source: live.staticflickr
My daughter was 3.5 years old when we visited Pondicherry. This was her first exposure to the sea and she was ecstatic! She had a wonderful time playing on the beach, running on the sand like a free bird and trying to hold water in her tiny hands!
Where we stayed:
We chose to stay at Le Pondy on Paradise Beach. It’s one of the best beach resorts in Pondicherry. We had zeroed down on this place purely because we wanted to get an experience of staying by the sea.
This resort is at an estuary between Chunnambar River and the Bay of Bengal, in Pudukuppam a calm and quiet fishing village.
As we entered the resort, we could see a gleam in our little one’s eyes, just wanting to dash away to explore the beautiful world around her.
The resort has lovely poolside, seaside, and lake side cottages with all the modern amenities. For a good view of the sea, opt for rooms on the 1st floor.
For meals, you have the choice of local, Indian, French, Continental and Chinese cuisines. For sea food lovers, you can sample fresh catch from the sea at the resort.
On request, they can also arrange for a visit to the main market and to nearby places.
Le Pondy for kids:
At Le Pondy, there is a separate kid’s play area, and indoor games are also available. If your kids want to spend time at Le Pondy’s private beach, be assured that they will always be accompanied by the resort’s life guard. There’s a library too for the book lovers.
Picture source: lepondy
If you want any specific food to be made for you child, the chef will gladly oblige. Even otherwise, there are many options for the kids to choose from.
Picture source: lepondy
The only drawback (if it can be called that) of Le Pondy is that it’s a little far from the main town, approximately 8 km.
For nature lovers and for travelers who just want to relax, this should be an ideal spot. But if you want to experience the real essence of Pondicherry, then you must stay in the vicinity of the town.
Here are some other family-friendly resorts in Pondicherry –
Mango Hill resort:
This beautiful resort with a French touch is between Pondicherry and Auroville. It’s perched on a hill and gets its name from the vast number of mango and cashew trees surrounding it. They have spacious rooms, a swimming pool and all other facilities to spend a good holiday with kids.
Picture source: hotels.com
Club Mahindra:
This resort with a private beach is on Mahatma Gandhi medical college road and is known for its hospitality, good food and tropical greenery. It’s one of the best beach resorts in Pondicherry for family.
Ocean Spray:
It’s a luxury resort built around a beautiful manmade lake with lush green trees and lots of birds, rabbits and ornamental fishes. One of the more popular resorts in Pondicherry for family, Ocean Spray has an open-to-sky Jacuzzi, a swimming pool, a spa and all modern amenities. It is approx. 5 kms from Kalapet beach.
Picture source: booking.com
Windflower Resort and Spa:
Situated in a small town called Veerampattinam, this resort is just a 6-minute walk from Paradise beach. Located amidst lush natural surroundings, The Windflower resort has a swimming pool, a multi-cuisine restaurant, well-furnished villas overlooking the garden, an activity room with board games, and many other facilities.
Picture source: tripadvisor
Ashoka beach resort:
This resort on Kalapet Beach has a swimming pool, kids’ pool, beach volleyball, horse riding and many indoor games. You can enjoy delicious food at Pondy restaurant and Baywatch Coffee Shop.
Places to visit in Pondicherry with kids
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Beaches:
The beaches in Pondicherry are known to be cleaner and less crowded compared to other popular Indian beaches. Auroville beach, Paradise beach, Promenade or Rock beach, Serenity beach and Veerampattinam beach are some of the popular ones.
There are many shacks, cafes and eat-outs along these beaches which offer good sea food and local cuisine.
My little one enjoyed running barefoot in the sand, playing, and picking up little pebbles and broken pieces of shells. Getting her away from the beach was a struggle!
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Promenade:
The promenade (which means a pathway along the seafront) features prominently on the list of things to do in Pondicherry. It is a 1.5 kilometer long stretch starting from the War Memorial and ending at Dupleix Park on the Goubert Avenue.
There are several landmarks on the Promenade like the statue of French Governor Monsieur Dupleix, the 4.25 meters tall statue of Mahatma Gandhi, surrounded by eight monolithic 17thcentury stone pillars, and a War memorial which commemorates the soldiers of the French army who sacrificed their lives in the First World War.
Watching sunrise and sunset at the promenade is a surreal experience.
Along the side of the Promenade is the Promenade beach which is touted as the best beach in Pondicherry. It is also known as Gandhi beach or Rock beach, because of its rock lined sea shore.
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Auroville:
A unique experimental town, Auroville is one of the must visit places in Pondicherry. About 10 km from the city, Auroville was created by Mirra Alfassa or ‘The Mother’ as she is fondly known to her followers.
According to Mirra Alfassa – “Auroville wants to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity”.
In the middle of a beautiful garden at Auroville stands a golden dome-like structure called Matrimandir – it is also called the soul of the city. It’s a marvelous piece of architecture in itself. The upper part of the large inner chamber of the Matrimandir is adorned with white marble walls. In the centre sits a large glass globe that radiates natural light in the inner chamber.
To enter Matrimandir, you need to get passes in advance. Kids below 10 years of age are not allowed here, but if you’re keen to have a look at the inner chambers you can take turns with your spouse while the other one spends time outside with the child.
You can also take in the view of the dome from the Matrimandir Viewing Point. This is a raised garden area, from where visitors get a beautiful view of the dome and its surroundings. My daughter enjoyed running freely in the open space of the garden.
The visitors centre at Auroville has many outlets selling beautiful handmade items that can make for good souvenirs. Cheese lovers can try rich, handmade farm cheese locally made in Auroville sold under the name La Ferme Cheese.
Auroville has many restaurants and cafes too for a quick bite or a nice, relaxed lunch. Try some cakes, muffins and masala chai at Farm Fresh which is a bakery, cafeteria and grocery store all rolled into one. Or head to Auroville Bakery for some fresh bakes, breads, pizzas and more.
Set aside at least half a day for Auroville on your holiday to Pondicherry.
Ganesh Temple – Manakula Vinayagar Temple:
This glorious temple built long before the French arrived is one of the must visit places in Pondicherry. It is dedicated to Lord Ganesha. .‘Manal’ means sand, ‘Kulam’ means pond and Vinayaka is another name of Lord Ganesha which translates to Lord Ganesha temple near the water body.
In this colorful temple you can see graphic representation of Ganesha in its various forms.
My daughter was amused to see an elephant ‘Lakshmi’ – the temple elephant at the entrance of the temple. Whenever anyone offers food or money, it blesses them with its trunk. A rather savvy elephant I say!
Basilica of The Sacred Heart of Jesus:
This gothic architectural beauty situated on Mahatma Gandhi road was built over a 100 years ago. The church is famous for its exquisite stained glass panels depicting events from the life of Christ and Catholic saints.
French colony also known as White Town:
White Town is like a charming piece of France transported to Pondicherry. With cobbled streets, artsy cafes and quaint French-style houses wearing vibrant colors, it’s easy to forget that you’re in India. Many of the houses have been converted into little art galleries, restaurants and boutiques.
No Pondicherry itinerary is complete without a visit to French Town!
Sri Aurobindo Ashram:
The Ashram was started by Sri Aurobindo in 1926. It is also where Sri Aurobindo and “The Mother” (Mirra Alfassa) lived. Today, the Ashram attracts thousands of spiritual seekers (and tourists) from all parts of the world.
At the centre of the courtyard in the Ashram’s main building lies the “Samadhi” or the mortal remains of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.
The Ashram might seem like an unusual place to bring kids (kids under 3 years are not allowed anyways), but we liked it because it offered an other-worldly respite from the cacophony of our busy lives. Serenity engulfs you when you’re in the Ashram.
Aurobindo Ashram also boasts of an art gallery that displays artwork from a collection of over 2500 paintings by Ashram artists.
Various craft workshops like pottery, embroidery, weaving, and batik are also organized in the premises. You can also shop for perfumed candles, handmade papers, incense sticks, greeting cards and other handicrafts made at the Ashram.
The visiting hours are from 8 A.M to 12 noon and then again from 2 P.M to 6 P.M.
Chunnambar Boat House:
Picture source: pondicherrytourism
To get to Paradise beach you need to take a boat ride from the Chunnamber Boat House. It’s situated 8 kms from Pondicherry (on the way to Cuddalore), where the Chunnambar river meets the Bay of Bengal. Kids especially love the boat ride on these calm backwaters.
Be prepared for long waits for the boat ride in peak season though.
The boating time is 9 A.M to 6 P.M.
Shopping in Pondicherry:
Pondicherry is a shopper’s delight and topping the list of things to buy in Pondicherry are leather products. One can get beautiful leather bags, coats and other items at lower prices at the factory outlets. You should visit Hidesign’s flagship store on Mission Street, where you can lay your hands on some exclusive designer bags.
Picture source: holidify
As you move around Mission Street you’ll see boutiques, leather shops, handmade items, handlooms, perfumed candles, oil, incense, terracotta toys, ceramic ware and lots more. I picked up some very soft cotton traditional dresses and handloom garments for my little one.
On Nehru Street you’ll find shops selling clothes and handicrafts from various parts of the country alongside silver, bronze and brass artifacts.
Foodies delight:
Picture source: tripadvisor
Pondicherry is a culinary paradise. It’s a melting pot where east meets west. French, German and Indian cuisines jostle for the attention of your taste buds. Sea food lovers can feast on a wide varieties of fish, crabs, squids and more.
Take your pick from these popular restaurants in Pondicherry:
- Café Xtasi on MG road for wood fired pizzas
- Baker Street on MG road for bread, cheese, croissants, brownies and chocolates.
- Thancos on MG road for its natural ice cream
- Le Café on Beach road, (near the Gandhi statue) for its gorgeous sea-front location
- Zuka Choco-la on Mission Street for the chocoholic in you
- Richy Rich in White Town for ice cream and fast food
- Rendezvous in White Town for their continental & French cuisine
- Café des arts in White Town for French cuisine
To be safe, we still got food packed for my daughter from our Resort whenever we ventured out.
Best time to visit Pondicherry:
Winter is the best time to visit Pondicherry, for kids especially, as all other seasons are quite humid. The temperature from October to February is pleasant; it ranges from 15 degree to 25 degree Celsius. Carry light woolen clothes during this period for your kids. In case you decide to travel during non-winter months, carry light cotton wear.
Being along the coastline, Pondicherry has sultry days and cool, windy nights.
On our visit to Pondicherry in August it was sunny and humid and it did get a little difficult to venture out with our kid.
Recommended duration of stay:
On our trip we stayed in Pondicherry for 3 days. You can ‘cover’ the key attractions in Pondicherry over a weekend too, but 3 to 4 days are ideal if you’re looking for a leisurely holiday of exploring the different facets of Pondicherry.
Getting there:
By Air: Pondicherry has a small airport that currently receives flights coming from Bangalore and now from Hyderabad too.
Chennai is the nearest international airport, which is 135 kms from Pondicherry. The road trip from Chennai to Pondicherry takes about 3 hours by taxi.
We were travelling from Hyderabad. We landed at Chennai airport and took a private taxi. The road trip to Pondicherry was very comfortable. We stopped at a few places to freshen up and grab a snack. For my kid, I carried some non-perishable food like homemade cakes and cookies, bread rolls, fruits, and some packets of fruit juice for the drive.
By Rail: The Villupuram Railway Junction is the nearest railway station which is 35 km from Pondicherry.
By road: Pondicherry is connected via the National and State Highways, so the infrastructure is pretty good if you plan to travel by road. You can either drive down from Bangalore or Chennai or opt for bus service. Many buses ply from Chennai, Madurai, Trichy and Bangalore.
We returned from our Pondicherry family holiday with excess luggage (thanks to all the shopping that I did for all), lots of memories and a momentous first experience of the sea for my little one.
