A Weekend Getaway: Pondicherry

Hello Pondy!

Pondicherry Railway Station

Looking for a quick weekend away? Pondicherry is the answer. The small town offers a lot for a weekend. Pack your bags and catch the next train or bus to Pondicherry because this is a place that guarantees lots of opportunities for photographers, adventurers, travelers, foodies and most commonly, a combination of all.

The city is highly influenced by its past colonization by the French in the 1700s. The people of the city can communicate in Tamil, English and some in French too. Easy for those of you who are not familiar with Tamil. Furthermore, most of the architecture is European, with bright colours such as yellow; high ceilings and big windows.

Being a small city (town?), it has many advantages; people know the area pretty well to direct you, communication is easy, most touristy places are near each other, people are friendly and the environment is relatively clean. Adding on, you don't even need local transport if you're in for a good walk. Think it's worth it after eating all the delicious French, Italian and of course, South Indian food!

Let's establish, before you read further, that a weekend is more than enough to see Pondicherry. It's not that there isn't much to see. It's just that the place is rather small for you to spend a lot of time. Unless, of course, you like spiritual life and beaches. Then I'd say take 5 to 6 days to see the place and find your inner self.

Things to see, do and eat!

1. Auroville

Auroville "Welcome"

Auroville "Golden Globe"

Auroville is a small town about 8km from Pondicherry. The easiest way to get there is hiring a cab. What's there to do? They have a small visitors' information center for those of you who are interested in the history of this beautiful structure. Furthermore, all you architects, this is a must see for you! The structure started construction in the 80s and was completed around 2008. So go and find out what the deal is with the time taken to construct this massive structure.

If you want to go inside the "Golden Globe", you need to make an booking in advance (if this is your first time). I suggest you do it online as the chances of you getting a booking on the spot are really really low.

2. Paradise Beach

Paradise Beach

The peace of going to a beach, sitting and observing the waves as you drift away in your own mind. Sigh. This is the place to be if you want peace and quiet or just pure fun with waves! Paradise Beach is an island. To get to this island, you've to go on a 30 minute boat ride. Once you reach the island, chill with a good book or a drink or swim or just stare at the waves...as anything is legit on an island with a beautiful beach!

3. Aurobindo Ashram

Looking to discover yourself? Want to know more about the history of Pondicherry? Head to the Aurobindo Ashram - the most peaceful place to be when meditating. The place is filled with people sitting, cross legged, as they meditate for inner peace, discovering themselves or just for some relaxation. The place is worth exploring to understand the values and teachings of Sri Aurobindo and Mother.

Local Beach

4. The Local Beach

The beach in Pondicherry has no sand. It has been covered with rocks. But it is still worth a visit as Le Cafe is situated here. Furthermore, climbing down the rocks for some pictures is totally worth the view!

5. The Sacred Church of Jesus

Sacred Church of Jesus

Visit the Church to reconnect with God. Aside from this, the European combined with Indian architecture is admirable.

6. Eat outs!

There are quite a few options for people to eat. Being a vegetarian, I probably cannot help you non veg eaters. However, I'll give it a shot! Firstly, vegetarians, you have to eat at Surguru Hotel. They have the best veg food you can think of...from dosas to idlys to vadas to naans to paneer...sigh. They also have accommodation services.

Le Cafe's Cold Coffee

Le Cafe serves anything really...they have cold coffee, french fries and for those of you in search of a little bit of France, they have croissants!

Other than that, I cannot give more information in the food aspect of things. But you are sure to find signs directing you to various places to eat. The most common cuisines you will find are French, Italian and Indian...all authentic.

Plan your trip!

So if you're looking to travel to Pondicherry, there are many ways to get here. The bus, train or if you're the daring types, you could drive down on your own! Many hotels are available to accommodate you according to your comforts. The hotels are more than willing to organise a taxi for you to get around the city. Otherwise, you could always walk around or take an auto rickshaw.

It's the perfect place for a relaxing weekend away from a metropolitan city. Or just a break from the monotony of a fast paced life.

All Photographs taken by Author

Namibia 2012

A collage of videos/pictures from my trip to Namibia. The four places I visited were Swakopmund, Walvis Bay, The Sandwich Harbour and Windhoek. The video is a summary of what you can do when you are there. Very amateur in nature but worth a watch. Enjoy! :)

How can one visit a place in Africa and not love it? It is highly impossible and even if it is, I would probably assume that that one person is insane.

My visit to Namibia was a short one, literally. I was there for 4 days, but let me tell you; you’re lucky if you can even spend a day in such a beautiful country. One stereotypical notion of most people is that Africa is all about the deserts, wild life, safaris and languages. People also tend to forget that Africa is a continent.

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Day 1

Driving to Swakopmund from the Airport

Namibia is a country that is rich in beauty. I knew this immediately when I was driving from the airport to Swakopmund. With my flight having arrived in the evening, I got the advantage of seeing a beautiful sunset. As you drive from the airport to Swakopmund, you are surrounded by the wild nature of Nambia. Both sides are filled with small hills and mountains, complimented by the earthen tone of sand. The sight is like a preview of what the Namib Desert would be like.

Entrance to the Jetty

It was a 4 hour drive to Swakopmund with the most breath taking sceneries throughout. I decided to explore this small town. It was night and therefore getting a clear picture of the place was a bit difficult. However, one place that you have to visit at night is The Jetty. The Jetty is a place that you can walk onto and have a look at the tranquil sea. In Swakopmund, they have a restaurant, The Jetty, overlooking the sea from the very edge of the Jetty. If you’re not a fan of sitting right on top of water, you can always have a meal at the Tug Restaurant, right before the entrance to the long walk on the Jetty. The Tug Restaurant is located at the threshold of the waves of the sea, at a high point, overlooking the magnificent body of water.

Day 2

German Architecture

Today I went around exploring the beautiful town of Swakopmund. Namibia is a country that has a small population; therefore most of the streets are a quite deserted. However, this comes to your advantage when taking beautiful photographs of the ancient and modern German architecture that the town has to offer.

The Beach at Swakopmund

Swakopmund is also known for its view of the ocean. There is a beach side where you can go and relax, take a few pictures and perhaps have a coffee or 2 at the Beach Café. There is also a Small Museum, right behind the café that shows the history of the country and town. Opposite the Museum is the Lighthouse Restaurant which is apt for a relaxing dinner in the evening.

The same afternoon, I was taken to Walvis Bay. It is a half an hour drive from Swakopmund. On this drive, I had the beach on my right hand side and a few sand dunes on my left hand side. It was two extremes and a rare moment to experience a view such as that.

The Skeleton Coast view from the Dunes

Walvis Bay is a relatively crowded place compared to Swakopmund. The main reason people go to there is because of the view it has to offer. It has the beach with lots of cafes around. But Walvis Bay is the point from which people are taken to the Sandwich Harbour. The Sandwich Harbour, also known as the Skeleton Coast, is where the grand sand dunes meet the Atlantic Ocean, creating the most perfect photographic scene. This is a very rare occurrence.

The Ocean meets the Sand Dunes

The drive to the Sandwich Harbour is a rather thrilling and interesting one. Before actually going to the Skeleton Coast, I was shown how salt is processed and taken to large salt processing areas. After this, we proceeded to the Sandwich Harbour. As we approach the meeting point of the dunes and the ocean, I had a magnificent view of very large sand dunes on my left and a rather calm and tranquil view of the ocean on my right, with a few large waves and a few small waves. If you are lucky, you may even spot a few seals and dolphins.

Sand Dunes

At the Sandwich Harbour, I climbed one of the sand dunes, to get a few pictures of the beautiful mix of the earth and the water. After some tranquil time spent at the Skeleton Coast, I was taken on a thrilling drive on a 4 x 4 up and down the sand dunes.

Day 3

One of the Curio Shops in Windhoek

Today I was taken to Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. The city is much like any other. Not much sightseeing was done. 

However, there are many places where you can go on a shopping spree for souvenirs and curios. The place is rich in traditional Namibian markets and stores, but also has quite a few shopping centres with modern wear. Windhoek is a place where the traditional and the modern meet.

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Namibia on a whole was a wonderful visit. It was thrilling that I could cover so much in 4 days. However, I also know that I left out quite a few other places that would have been equally exciting to visit. Well, I always have next time. As for you, there’s always a first and Namibia is the place to go if you’re looking for a new outlook on the very stereotypical based continent of Africa.

© Anupama Subramaniyam

All Photographs were taken by the Author