Why Pondicherry is different
Pondicherry is two towns separated by a canal. On the seaward side, the French quarter (White Town) keeps its grid of mustard and white villas, bougainvillea walls and boulevards. Inland, the Tamil quarter has courtyard houses, temple streets and markets. The Sri Aurobindo Ashram sits between the two, and Auroville, an international township, is a short drive north.
Most visitors walk the promenade and leave. We show you how these communities shaped one another: the Franco-Tamil (Creole) families, the craftspeople who still use GI-tagged techniques, and the fishing villages along the coast.
Things to do in Pondicherry with a local
- Heritage walk, cycle or rickshaw tour of the French and Tamil quarters with a storyteller.
- Backwater kayaking at Chunnambar or the Ousteri wetlands at sunrise or sunset.
- Franco-Tamil cooking and lunch in a local home.
- Craft workshops in pottery, terracotta, papier-mâché and weaving in nearby villages.
- Temple trails to 1,000-year-old shrines and jeeva samadhis.
Getting around
The heritage area is compact and flat, so cycling is the easiest way to see it. For the villages, backwaters and Auroville, we arrange transport or meet you at a pick-up point. Taxi supplements for excursions are quoted up front.
