A Pondicherry Trip, Prateek Kuhad, And Instagram-Worthy Pictures

After much planning and cancellations of long journey trips my best friends and I finally decided to go to Pondicherry earlier this year, in March. We three have been friends for more than 15 years now, and it took us quite a while to take a long trip. We would plan big things, but would end up going to Alibaug or Lonavala😂 

We had actually planned our Goa trip in May 2020, however, because of COVID, we had to cancel our trip. But this year, we were determined. We had to make it to some place out of Mumbai, out of Maharashtra in fact, and have fun. For me personally, planning this trip seemed like a breeze particularly because just a month before our Pondicherry trip, I took a guided solo trip to Kerala along with other strangers. Some time later, I will write about my Kerala trip too. All in all, this Kerala trip made me more travel confident and I became more proactive on planning trips. 

We were visiting in March, when this place would be hot and sunny so we had to pack in early summer travel essentials like instagram-worthy sundresses, light & breathable outfits, comfortable shorts, sun glasses, a few kurtis for religious visits, sun glasses, a wide-brimmed hat, smart skincare like pre sunscreen facewash, and ofcourse, sunscreen. We also carried a jacket for cooler evenings.

Pondicherry Was The Best Highlight of 2023

All my close friends know that this Pondicherry trip was an emotional, and a soul-enriching experience, for a lot of reasons. Firstly, it was our first long journey outside Maharashtra. Secondly, it was with my closest friends, and our bond became stronger with this trip. Most importantly, it was in a beautiful place favoured by Mother Nature, and inhabited by kind and helpful locals. 

How could I forget about the IG-worthy backdrops in Pondicherry! That was literally the main reason why we went there😀 Pretty cafes, and pretty walls, what else would an aesthetics want?!

ChatGPT really helped us figure out our packing essentials like smart skincare  pre-sunscreen facewash, kinds of dresses to carry, and itinerary. We made a workable day-wise itinerary by ourselves in a way that we could cover more places in a convenient way – without too much hassle.

Reaching Pondicherry By Air & Local Transport 

You can reach Pondicherry by boarding a flight to Chennai, Tamil Nadu and then taking an AC bus to Pondicherry. You can also take a direct pre-booked cab to your hotel from Chennai airport. We stayed in a beautiful AirBnB property called, ‘Blissful Stay’ in Auroville Road, Candappa Nagar.

Return air ticket: Rs. 6535 per person

Airbnb: Rs. 4666 per person

AC Buses from Chennai Airport to Pondicherry: Rs. 750+

Only 1 of us knew how to ride a scooty or bike so local travel was not in our favour! We had to travel through an auto rickshaw that would not charge us any far below 100! So, we recommend that you and your friends learn to ride a scooty or bike! We incurred a total expense of Rs. 15000 per person including food, travel, transport, and stay for our 3 nights 4 day stay. 

What I really loved about our pretty AirBnB property is how aesthetically driven it was. Upon entering the room, we were greeted with white sheet clad sofa and curvy diagonal shaped chrome coloured floor tiles. I believe most AirBnB properties have an aesthetic appeal, as that is what is special about Pondicherry. The bedroom had a 2 storey seating / sleeping arrangement attached to the wooden Almirah style decorated bed. Our property was close to the Auroville Road, which had an array of cafes and restaurants, along with grocery stores selling farm grown produce. 

Vibing To Prateek Kuhad

One of the best things about this trip was my friend and I figuring out that we like the same artist! I started listening to Prateek Kuhad just a few days before our trip and I was spellbound. I had heard only the reels version of Kasoor, but when I heard the complete song, followed by Cold/Mess I was like…why didn’t I experience this magic before in my life? And then I was just hooked to his music.

My friend had carried her bluetooth speaker (that’s a must!). I just happened to loop in the Kasoor song, and my best friend and I just looked at each other with pure joy. “You listen to him?!” She said, and then we unfolded a sweet chapter of our friendship. We listened to more Indie music, by Prateek Kuhad, and Anuv Jain. We carried our Bluetooth speaker to beaches, and grooved to the magic of his music.  Our other friend didn’t quite love his music, but simply appreciated the calmness it had 😀

A Visit To White Town

This was also a memorable chapter in our Pondy trip. White Town is like ‘every photographer’s dream’. Whether it is vintage bicycles against vibrant yellow walls, or attractive doors outside cafes,  the instagrammable walls of Cafe Des Artes’, you’ll find the most IG Worthy snaps in this place. We took so many solo pictures that I still use for my WhatsApp and Instagram display pictures! You’ll notice that the locals here can speak French as well (since Pondy was a Portuguese colony)

P.S. Make sure you apply your smart skincare pre-sunscreen best facewash for women and sunscreen before you go out in the sun! 

The Beaches Of Pondicherry

The Serenity beach was close to our property. It was outlined by rocks and had a beautiful skyview. We found strange types of dead fish on the sea shore that included puffer fish too. Another pretty beach is the Pondicherry Promenade, which is filled with famous attractions, shopping places and statues such as that of Gandhiji’s. This entire stretch confirmed that this Union Territory was God’s favourite! The trees, the simplicity, the picturesque views, the entire place was beautiful. 

We also visited the ‘Eden beach’, which is the first blue flag beach of Pondicherry. When you go to Eden beach, you are greeted by the backwaters of Chunnabar river, and thick palm groves. This place has a pristine shoreline, serene view, and a lively atmosphere. We saw a couple of people shooting TikToks and reels. You can’t go close to the beach after 6:30 PM. Police officials will request you to move away from the shoreline after this time. 

Remember, don’t go out without applying smart skincare pre sunscreen facewash and sunscreen 😀and yes, take your sunglasses too! Be absolutely sun prepped.

Auroville’s Experimental Township

Auroville actually offers numerous activities like pottery workshops, Yoga, dawn fire gatherings but you can participate in these activities if you are staying there as a tourist. Since we had just gone there to visit, we just got to scroll around the nature-filled landscape, view the magnificent Matrimandir, and touch the delightfully orange bright soil of this township. We had Paneer Makhani, followed by milkshakes in a cafe set up in Auroville. I spoke to a few locals and they were quite sweet! One of them was a teacher, who grew up in Auroville itself. 

We also visited the visitor center from where I packed in gifts for my friends and family. I bought aromatic incense sticks, candles, organic notebooks, and cute miniature dolls. We also bought cakes from the Auroville bakery that tasted yum!

There was also a kitchen in our property, where we’d cook maggi, ready to eat meals, and toast bread. It was quite fun cooking, doing smart skincare OR best brand for skin care and make-up along side friends. The Pondicherry trip made our bond stronger, and sweeter and it will always be a part of my heart, even more so as one of my best friends moved to Canada recently. Hence Pondicherry, you shall be remembered 💟