I had hardly visited South India beyond the apparent over the previous few years of my travels, and in 2019 I set out to rectify that during my bachelor’s trip. It was the last week of September, and I arrived at Chennai International Airport at noon with my gang of college friends. We intended to leave directly for Pondicherry from the airport. I checked a few websites to book a Chennai to Pondicherry taxi and finalised one with the best customer ratings in Tamilnadu. The taxi driver was a knowledgeable guy who told us all about Pondicherry’s history and even recommended places for us to visit.
We chose to stay at Le Dupleix, a secret treasure in a peaceful neighborhood of White Town. Le Dupleix, an elegant and stylish designer heritage hotel, was once the home of Pondicherry’s last French Mayor.
On the first day of the trip, the boys wanted to raid all the famous beaches and it officially started my bachelor’s.Pondi Marina and the Rock Beach – A must visit spot
The end of Goubert Avenue is only a short stroll south of the Promenade. The Rock Beach is a wonderful spot to spend an evening with friends. There is quite a lovely audience, and the wind drives all your worries away! It’s a treat to walk from Seagulls Restaurant’s backyard to the ocean!Paradise Beach – It indeed is paradise
You’ve already been tanned in Pondy; now it’s time to get burnt. Seriously, it’s sweltering outside! The best way to cool down is to plunge into the shower. The waves are very high here, and it’s a lot of fun. We covered the entire length of the beach to Seagull’s restaurant just to learn that it has been closed for the holidays! The restaurant, on the other hand, had a pleasant atmosphere.Auroville – A unique experience
A day trip to Auroville has been one of the smartest things we did in Pondicherry. In reality, some people travel to Pondicherry for the sole purpose of visiting this spiritual site and I was one of them even on my bachelor trip!
This alternate culture is focused on the Matrimandir, a huge gold dome in the farmland constructed by The Mother, an Indian woman. When the world was fixated on the Cold War, there was a demand for a new world, a space outside of politics where citizens of all races, religions, and genders could be welcomed. This place was the answer to that daunting question.The underrated nightlife in Pondicherry
It was decided from the beginning that we would visit the various nightclubs of Pondicherry every night on this bachelor trip. And boy, did we explore the best the city had to offer!Pub Zipper – The bomb
All the excitement of the city is at Pub Zipper. We stayed in the Lounge Zone, Quiet Zone, and Smoking Zone just to try out all of the different areas, and the Lounge Zone was fantastic. The Lounge Zone played loud music while the crowd danced away; we partied all night and considered it to be one of Pondicherry’s finest dance clubs.Toxic – It was not!
We discovered Toxic to be one of the best spots in the French Town to enjoy Pondicherry’s lively nightlife. We welcomed the chilly evening breeze at this pub’s rooftop bar while sipping our favourite beer, Corona. From the tip, we got a great view of the town, and the restaurant even served some delightful seafood to go with our cocktails.Tantra – North Indian Pub
We also found a North Indian Pub in a neighbourhood full of European-style pubs. There is no doubt that the delicious North Indian food served at a bar enhances the fun of drinking with friends. Delectable seafood and barbecue grill choices accompanied the North Indian cuisine. The music was fantastic, with the in-house DJ spinning some brilliant tunes.Don’t forget to add these in your Itinerary
- Sunglasses – It is customary, we presume you don’t have any and hence plunder your friend’s sunglasses. Don’t worry, you can get one for as little as Rs. 50 in Pondicherry.
- Beach towel – We realise that you only purchased a decent set of Jockey and that it is already off-limits after diving into the sea. Get yourself a towel!
- Money – Another thing we found was that most locals in Pondicherry have really no clue what Paytm is. So I think you’ll have to utilize some Gandhis in this case.
After our Pondicherry trip, we decided to relax for a day in Chennai. We booked a call taxi in Chennai for some local exploration, but it turned out that we fell in love with the lively city’ old world charm. We extended our trip by another 2 days before heading back home with memories of a lifetime.
