« Le Petit Paris » of Tamil Nadu

If you happen to make your way to South India’s Eastern coastline, you’ll be pleasently surprised by the charm and rich history that is instantly apparent in Pondicherry. I won’t go too much into detail, you can do so depending on the amount of time that you have, and explore the town’s colonial past, but also its more contemporary revival as a chic riviera, that will give even Nice a run for its money :-). Well, that’s being a bit too flattering, but if you’ve been backpacking for days across South India, Pondicherry offers a gentle cocoon of « posh » European familiarity, and Hey! everyone needs a break once in a while, be it in form of a frothy cafe-creme, a crispy morning croissant, or a bit of shopping and casual « a la francaise » riviera dining.

« J’ai connu ma cherie a Pondicherry ».. I met my darling in Pondicherry

« La Promenade des Anglais » is a famous riviera boardwalk in Nice, very reminiscent of this beach strip that gets blocked off from traffic in the evenings to allow relaxing strolls in the fresh nightly breeze

Remnants of French colonial presence are everywhere

The town also breathes local Indian charm and is a nice juxtaposition of what you’d expect from a contrasting Indian contradictory flare.

Don’t miss some of the « posh » eateries that are bringing some of the best international flavors to Southeast Indian shores.

Some local attractions are worth a visit, but if you are a single lady traveller you may want to avoid the late hours of the evening, unless you are up for being propositioned in often a particular « french » accent ;-)