READ MORE ON: TEN WAYS TO CUT YOUR EXPENSES AND SAVE MONEY FOR TRAVEL
ALSO READ: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE ON BUDGET TRAVELING WHEN YOU HAVE NO MONEY
We landed at the Chennai airport and took a car on rent for the rest of our trip. Meeting our relatives at Theni, we went to Velankanni to accomplish the purpose for which we were there. Velankanni Shrine is just 500 meters away from the Velankanni beach which was among the worst hit by the massive 26 December tsunami that was triggered by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It took months for the Shrine to get built again and it was back for its worshippers.
Pondicherry
After another 2 hours drive, we were in Pondicherry. We had our stay at Auroville. Auroville is an experimental community in South India with an aim to create a town where people from all over the world could live in harmony. Its focal point is the Matrimandir, a futuristic, spherical temple covered in gold discs which are still under construction. Auroville also has land with few homestays called Tanto’s far beach resort and a private way to the Auroville beach where you can sit and relax after a long tiring day. This space has French people working with them as a manager and caretakers who have traveled all over the world and have stayed here to live a peaceful life. You can book your stay with Tanto Far beach resort here.
Auroville
The next day we went to the Matrimandir taking a 1km walk from the base. At the base, you will get to see a video that talks about Matrimandir and the community, Auroville. You will also get to know about the building and the surrounding plan of Matrimandir which is still under construction. Auroville has a famous French cafe called Tanto Pizzeria that serves excellent French and Italian food. It’s also very famous for the incredible range of pizzas they make. I was there after my visit to the Matrimandir.
French Colony
Pondicherry also has the most famous French bakeries in the French colony. So let me go one by one. French colony or White Town is an area of French quarters that was built years ago, and many French people live there. If you are an Indian and you haven’t been to France yet, no worries, be here for now. The French architecture of the houses, of the hotels and the homestays, will make you go crazy and you would want to capture every window, every door, every home, and every lane. Just opposite the outer path of the French colony is the Rock Beach.
Paradise Beach
The next morning we went to the Paradise. Like other beaches, this beach is not easy to reach. You first need to buy a ticket for Rs 300 for your boat ride, then get on the boat for a 25 minutes journey to the beach, and you are there. This beach is the cleanest of all the beaches I have ever seen in south India, of course, because it has been preserved so well. From where the boat drops you, you need to walk a few meters to reach the sand area. The moment you reach there, you will see only three things, the clear sand, the clear water and the clear sky and trust me it’s heavenly just like its name, PARADISE.
That was all about my trip. Watch this video that summarizes my travel in 3.5 minutes. Get to know Velankanni and Pondicherry closely.
