Monsoon Vacation to Pondicherry in Aug 2012 (first week)

Hi Friends,

Am back again with my yearly travel plan!

This time I will be travelling to Pondicherry (2 of us as usual - me and my wife), and have the following itinerary -

• 06th Aug - Arrive in Chennai at 10:55AM, start to Pondicherry at 1:30PM by Rathimeena Travels Volvo Bus. Reach Pondicherry at around 5:30PM. Check in to "Abirami Residency".
  
• 07th Aug - Undecided (Exploring Pondicherry)
  
• 08th Aug - Undecided (Exploring Pondicherry)
  
• 09th Aug - Undecided (Exploring Pondicherry)
  
• 10th Aug - Check out after breakfast and start for Chennai. Depart from Chennai at 3:45PM.

It would be great if you guys can help me out with the following (sorry for bombarding with soooo many questions) -

• Chennai Airport to Bus Stand: I have to board the bus from some place called Koyambedu. How far is this place from Chennai Airport, and what will be the suggested mode of transport from the Airport to this place?
  
• Going around in Pondicherry: I've heard that we get gearless 2-wheelers for rent at daily rates. Can you suggest a few places where we can get these, and what will be the average rate per day?
  
• Sigtseeing: Although not very fond of "touristy" places, still it would be good if I have a list of must-see places at least.
  
• Food: The most important thing . Being the avid foodies we both are, it would be great if we also have an idea of must-eat food joints in Pondicherry.
  
• General: How good is the itinerary? Any suggestions for the same?

Thanks in advance for your help!

All good but Chennai, Pondicherry do not get South West Monsoon but get more of North East Monsoon before Christmas time. If it does rain the we take it as bonus.

There will be local buses going from Airport to Koyambedu or you can take a prepaid taxi. Distance is about 17kms and they would charge around Rs300/-

Some restaurants which are popular are Randezvouz , Satsanga. A good hotel to visit is the Promenade(owned by Dilip Kapoor of HiDesign) A cafe which is popular is LeCafe near Aurobindo Ashram. Near the Auroville office (north of Pondicherry) there is a good Gujrati Thali place. There is also a restaurant called Renu's Cafe or some such near the office belonging to Vajpayee's niece.

Bikes you should be able to rent near the Park Guest House .

Thanks for all the tips Sardarji... good to speak to you again after a long time (last time was during my Dharamshala trip in Oct 2009)!

A few more questions (they simply don't end ) -

• Will reach Chennai Airport at around 11:00am on 6th - so would it be good to have lunch at Airport itself before I start for the bus stop - or I'll get some decent lunch at Koyambedu too?
  
• I wish to travel the much talked about ECR road while going to Pondicherry. I dont think the Rathimeena volvo bus will follow that route. So while coming back, would it be good if I take a cab from Pondi to Chennai Airport on my return journey - via the ECR route?

And yes, monsoon is just an excuse - am game-to-travel on a vacation in any season round the year

Dada I am not a Sardar; though I am a Punjabi hindu. From Koyambedu you can get ac volvo state run buses which go through the ECR. On the return journey you should book your seats in advance from the Government bus stand.The tickets are priced at Rs 180/- last when I went.Do not get in the bus if there are no seats as there will be plenty of non ac buses going too in which you can get seats!

Yes there are restaurants at the airport but they would charge more. Opposite the Koyambedu bus stand in the Arihant Apartments complex there is Sangeetha Restaurant which is part of a small food court which has decent variety of food available

Ha bhai, aamarke bhaalo yaad aache aapnaar Dharamshala trip taa ( I remember your Dharamshala thread).

For your return journey you can take state run transportation buses which run on the GST Road(as opposed to the one's going on the ECR) and get down at the Airport stoppage. You do not have to travel all the way to Koyambedu. But if you would like to visit Mahabalipuram on the way for lunch at Moonrakers or any other restaurant then you should hire a cab.

Also check up with the Aurobindo Ashram for return transportation as they have bus and cabs attached to them. Call up their Chennai office at 044-28569566 for information on transportation even for your onward journey.

Thanks once again for the tips! Will plan accordingly, and will get back here again (as usual) if I have any further questions

My sincere apologies... but haan, saying Sardarji spells out a lot of respect - and I love addressing as such!

Hey guys, can you suggest me a bus which will take me from Pondi and reach Chennai around 6/7 PM (I need suggestion for buses other than Olivea bus). Most online portals showing morning buses and nothing in the eve or noon.

Mods: I have posted similar queries in another thread. Hope it will not be considered as duplicate one.

This is what I got from the Rathimeena travels site. I'm sure there are others too with similar schedules.

Time Bus Type Destination Price Seats
06:00 AM 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 200 15
10:30 AM 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 210 21
01:30 PM MULTI-AXLE VOLVO A/C Pondichery 430 35
05:00 PM 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 200 21
09:30 PM 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 270 21
10:00 PM 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 270 10
10:30 PM A/C 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 380 18
10:30 PM 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 270 23
11:00 PM MULTI-AXLE VOLVO A/C Pondichery 430 31
11:30 PM 1+1+1 EXECUTIVE Pondichery 200 20

Also, a search on bus ticketing sites like or also yields similar results. The latter site gives 4-5 buses between 1:30PM to 7:00PM.

Just checked redbus, and it shows 1 from Kallada Travels at 5AM and 1 at 4PM from Olivea.

Thanks a lot and will definitely have a look at it and will update here accordingly.

Hi Friends!

Am long back from the wonderful vacation at Pondicherry, and here is the (overdue) trip report as usual

Itinerary:
---------
06th Aug: Flight from Hyderabad to Chennai, reaching Chennai at 11:00AM. Bus to Pondicherry at 1:30PM, reaching Pondicherry by 5:30PM.
07th Aug: Exploring Pondicherry, Aurobindo Ashram
08th Aug: Exploring Pondicherry, Paradise Beach
09th Aug: Exploring Pondicherry, Auroville
10th Aug: Took a cab to Chennai at 10:00AM, reaching Chennai Airport by 01:30PM. Evening Flight to Hyderabad.


Day-1
------
We flew from Hyderabad on the morning 9:55AM flight, arriving at Chennai at 11:00AM. We had our onward bus to Pondicherry from a place called Koyembedu Omni Bus Stand (Rathimeena Travels - we had booked the tickets online). From Chennai airport, we took the airport-city AC bus service (they have a counter near the exit gate, next to the prepaid taxi counters). Although the buses are a bit old - I would still recommend it because of its cost effectiveness for solo/couple travellers. The bus tickets were for Rs.110/- per person, whereas a prepaid AC taxi ride to Koyembedu would be in the range of Rs.300-350 (takes around 40 mins). Please do mention the bus driver that you need to go to the "Omni Bus Stand", and *not* to the Koyembedu main bus stand - so that he will drop you at the proper point. Had lunch at a nearby restaurant in the bus stand itself (food was rich, spicy & oily - but tasty nevertheless , and boarded the bus at 1:30PM. The bus travelled through the scenic East Coast Road (ECR), and reached Pondicherry at around 5:00PM. After checking-in to the hotel (Abirami Residency, booked through a leading travel website - will post the review soon in the "Hotels" section), we went straight to Mission Street for taking a 2-wheeler for rent. We took one from "Vivekanandhar Two Wheelers" (Opp. to Megamart/Diva store) - a brand new Honda Activa - for Rs.200/- per day. We needed to deposit an amount of Rs.1000/- (adjusted with the final rent total) & any one photo id card original (*not* your driving licence - as you'll need it while driving). Tip: Renting a two wheeler is absolutely recommended - as Pondicherry is a city which is best explored - and will be very very pleasant to do so if you have your own transport.

Day-2 / Day-3 / Day-4
----------------------
There is nothing called "sight-seeing" points in Pondicherry - it is a small city left to you to explore and discover. We took a two wheeler and roamed about on the streets, lanes and by-lanes. The part of the city which is closer to the beach side is less crowded and well planned, and there is a distinct French touch to the streets, buildings and all other artifacts. The heart of the city is crowded and commercialized, but fun nonetheless!

We found the city to be a culinary delight - with all sorts of international cuisine restaurants strewn across the town. I highly recommend visiting the French cafe "Le Kawa" on the first evening itself - not only for its amazing Coffee and French cakes, but for a full tourist guide map to the city (which lists ALL the best places to hang out and explore, ith their proper addresses and contact numbers).

Special tip: Do not miss "Rendezvous" if you are a fan of great Continental food, and if you like to have a romantic dinner - the restaurant at "Ocean Spray Resort" on ECR road is a wonderful experience. And finally if you do not mind the extra oil and unclean surroundings, then do try out Lachha parathas & Omlette Dosas at the unnamed busy street food joint on Anna Salai junction!

Auroville is another place which should be there in your must-visit list. It is a unique concept (too big to fit into this review - you can rather google it or read it on Wikipedia), and a place worth seeing. Do visit the place in morning hours, as there are very less artificial lights there (why? Read about Auroville in Wikipedia again )

Another Tip: Try to have your food at the very economical "Nana Mess" near Pondicherry University, on the day you plan to visit Auroville (as it is nearby). The food is spicy, but has a distinct Chennai flavour and is wonderful in taste!

Day-5
-----
On the day of our return, we booked a cab from the hotel itself - to drop us to Chennai Airport. It was an A.C. Indica, and he charges us Rs.2200 for the trip (should be 2000 if booked from outside, but it is convenient and safe if booked from the hotel). The cab took us through the Chennai highway, which is another great trip just like the ECR route.

Tip: Do not miss the special filter coffee on a shop on the highway. Not only the coffee was excellent, they served it in shining brass cups - which was a novel experience!

So thats it about the trip, here come the photos!

Nice reading your travel experience! Was the Koyambedu restaurant Planet M , Goldmine Hotels which houses the Sangeetha too?

Randezvous was a favorite destination when the ECR Highway was first inaugurated; it was a stand alone Restaurant ( Rahul Gandhi had been there too before it was closed) As you say , the new avatar is in Ocean Spray Hotel by the Pondicherry Toll. This may get it business but may not hold the same appeal to the old customers.

I dont remember the name, but it was just beside the Omni Bus Stand, and we had to go down a small slope to enter it!

For the restaurant in Ocean Spray, the best part was the serene and classy ambience - food was just the average fare (though on the better side ). And Rendezvous, now inside the city, serves lovely food!

Randezvous was always inside the city; I mistook your post to mean Randezvouz has opened in Ocean Spray.