Pondicherry

Top honeymoon locations in India A tiny town on the eastern coast of India, Pondicherry houses some of the country's most spectacular beaches and endearing backwaters offer interesting river cruises. The sparkling sandy beaches are absolutely isolated and tourists and honey mooners can enjoy endless miles of beautiful blue waters in solitude. Away from the hustle and bustle of big city, it is a quiet little town with the quaint colonial heritage buildings, the spiritual scene and a wide choice of restaurants provide a heady mix that draw tourists from all over the places. This place has a distinct spiritual vibration and a special ambience which makes it all the more unique. Places of attraction: Pondicherry has a wealth of heritage buildings of both French and Tamil architectural styles. The grid patterned layout of town divides the town into two distinct settlements. The French section is on the east of the canal while the Tamil section is essentially on the western side. As it is a small laid back place, it is pleasant to explore this place on foot. Aurobindo Ashram, since its establishment almost a century back has played a significant role in the socio-economic-spiritual fabric of Pondicherry. The Ashram and its various branches together occupy some of the best heritage properties in Puducherry. The 'Ashram Walk' covers the northern section of French Pondicherry, taking you through many grand buildings of French lineage, including the Raj Nivas, French Institute. The buildings in French section of Pondicherry are an enduring legacy of French history in India. The French Heritage walk will take you through streets that are laid out in a well planned grid pattern. The buildings in the Tamil streets are characterized by rows of tiled roofed buildings almost joined together by continuous wall to wall constructions. A synthesis of these two styles has resulted in a town that has a unique 'Franco Tamil' architectural identity. How to reach: The closest airport is in Chennai (135 kms) which has well laid connections with almost all cities in India and direction connection to Europe, USA, Middle East and South East Asia. Trichy (220 kms), Bangalore (320 kms) and Madurai are the other nearby airports. Though Puducherry is on the rail map journey by train to and from Puducherry is not very popular. Villupuram is the nearest station well connected to places like Chennai, Madurai and Trichy. It is best accessible by road, either by bus or by taxi. There are frequent buses to this place from places like Chidambaram, Thanjavur Trichy and Coimbatore. It is best accessible by road from Chennai, Bangalore, Tamilnadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Specialties: The city has a lot to offer when it comes to shopping and is fast becoming a favourite shopping destination. It is known not only for its traditional doll-making and textiles and silks but is also the birthplace of several world class brands in leather, pottery, aromatics, fashion and handmade paper of superb quality. Fete De Puducherry (Festival of Puducherry) is a cultural pageant, coincide with Independence Day. Government of Puducherry organize the fete features free evening cultural presentation in various places of Puducherry. In Chitrai kalai Vizha -(Summer Festival) during Mar-April, a wide array of Indian Classical music and dances are organized in various places of Puducherry.. Weather: The climate is generally humid as it is located in the coastal areas of South India. The climate is mostly warm and plain cottons or cotton/synthetic blends are the most practical and the coolest in summer. The time of monsoons is crucial. People watch the "setting in" or "onset" and the "withdrawal" of the monsoon with great interest.