Aurovillentine💌

Planning a Pondicherry trip? This firsthand journal reveals things you need to know - from how many days is actually enough to which places are worth your time.
Your blueprint to Pondicherry's best-kept secrets starts here. Read more

Follow Insights Calendar Photos Share

Trip start
February 13, 2025
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 7:11 AM
☁️ 22 °C
Altitude: 10 m
India Puducherry 11.940385, 79.82834611°56’25” N 79°49’42” E
First things first: Finding a ride 🛵
February 13 in India ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
I always rent a bike when I travel. It gives me independence.

Pondicherry has plenty of bike rental shops, and while online options like Royal Brothers exist, booking directly from local shops is cheaper.

The moment we got off our bus, I started searching for ‘bike rental shops near me’ on Google Maps. But before we could even call one, an auto driver approached us. Upon learning that we are looking to rent a bike, he offered to drop us at a rental shop 1.5 km away for ₹50 (UPI accepted). After a little bargaining, we settled at ₹30 and left with him.Read more
3 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 7:37 AM
☁️ 22 °C
Altitude: 11 m
India Puducherry 11.947894, 79.8314611°56’52” N 79°49’53” E
The 3-Day Plan
February 13 in India ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
We planned 3 days and 2 nights in Pondicherry. Our return bus was on March 15th night.

We booked our first night in Auroville. For the second night, we planned to book directly at a hotel in Pondicherry.

To make the most of our trip, we rented the scooter for 3 days at ₹600 per day. Cheaper options were available for ₹500, but we chose a newer model that matched the Pondicherry vibe. Total cost: ₹1800 (plus ₹1000 refundable deposit).Read more
3 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 8:14 AM
☁️ 23 °C
Altitude: 48 m
India Auroville 11.994487, 79.80384811°59’40” N 79°48’14” E
Our unique stay in Auroville
February 13 in India ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
We stayed at SoulZone, which offers unique sleeping pods and is located at the very beginning of Auroville Road.

After approximately 30 minutes of scootering from Pondicherry, we reached SoulZone around 8 am and checked in to our cozy capsule home.Read more
5 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 9:00 AM
☁️ 24 °C
Altitude: 48 m
India Auroville 11.994487, 79.80384711°59’40” N 79°48’14” E
No time to waste
February 13 in India ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
Since we had the whole day ahead of us, lingering at this cute little property wasn't part of the plan. We immediately began freshening up from the tiredness of the overnight bus journey, and within an hour, we were ready to explore.Read more
5 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 9:07 AM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 40 m
India Auroville 11.992312, 79.81767211°59’32” N 79°49’4” E
Auroville Rd
February 13 in India ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Since it was just 9 AM, we figured this was the best time to visit Auroville Beach before the sun became unbearable.

The 7 km ride via Auroville Road was peaceful, lined with lush greenery, cafes, and boutique stays.

However, upon reaching Auroville Beach, we weren’t too impressed. The sun was already blazing and we were hungry, so we headed back to Auroville road for breakfast.Read more
2 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 9:21 AM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 31 m
India Kuyilāppālaiyam 11.9911, 79.826811°59’28” N 79°49’36” E
Café Hunt
February 13 in India ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Our first stop was 'Bread & Chocolate', one of the most popular cafes in Auroville. But there was no seating available. Instead of waiting, we kept exploring since there were plenty of options.

That’s when we stumbled upon Alra Café whose beautiful exterior caught our eye. While the ambiance was perfect, the food wasn’t that great.Read more
2 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 10:25 AM
☀️ 27 °C
Altitude: 31 m
India Kuyilāppālaiyam 11.991072, 79.82673711°59’28” N 79°49’36” E
Planning over breakfast
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
While eating breakfast, we planned our day. We also asked the café owner about nearby attractions.

He recommended:
- Youth Centre (experience Auroville’s unique culture)
- Matrimandir (the golden sphere building)
- Auroville Visitor Centre (entry point for Auroville)

Matrimandir requires booking one day in advance for interior access. Otherwise, you can only see it from outside. You must walk there from the Visitor Centre.

We skipped Matrimandir (no prior booking & not too keen on a yoga temple visit) and decided to check out the Visitor Centre to decide next steps.Read more
2 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 35 m
India Auroville 12.0038, 79.80069712°0’14” N 79°48’3” E
Auroville Visitors Centre
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
It's like an information and reception centre for visitors to Auroville and Matrimandir, it comprises several exhibitions, information desk, garden, auroville styled garments and book shops and eateries. The core function of the centre is to inform the visitors about the purpose of Auroville. Also, the walk to Matrimandir starts from here. You'll need to park your vehicle here and proceed to Matrimandir on foot.

We spent about an hour here exploring, then we relaxed at the restaurant area planning our next move.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 11:45 AM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 52 m
India Auroville 12.0037, 79.80059812°0’13” N 79°48’2” E
Change of scenery: White Town calling
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Realizing we had covered most of Auroville's highlights and it was too early to return to our accommodation, we decided to head back to Pondicherry, specifically to the charming White Town.
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 12:48 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 20 m
India Puducherry 11.92573, 79.83232111°55’33” N 79°49’56” E
White Town & it's charming streets
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
The first thing you ever hear if people talk about Puducherry is the White Town/French colony which is the main attraction of this town.

White Town transported us to a different world with its French colonial architecture, yellow-white buildings, and bougainvillea-lined streets.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 2:12 PM
☀️ 30 °C
Altitude: 17 m
India Puducherry 11.9313, 79.83411°55’53” N 79°50’2” E
Lunch at Coromandel
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
After exploring many cafés, we chose Coromandel Café for lunch. It's one of Pondicherry's best. A relaxed afternoon with good food, chilled beer, and slow conversations made it one of the best moments of our trip.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
☀️ 30 °C
Altitude: 17 m
India Puducherry 11.928428, 79.83367211°55’42” N 79°50’1” E
Pondicherry's iconic Starbucks
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
As we rode back toward our stay, a cool wall with eye-catching graffiti caught our attention - one we had saw in several Instagram reels before. It turned out to be Pondicherry's famous Starbucks café. It was too Instagrammable to ignore, so we stopped for pictures! 📸Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 3:28 PM
☀️ 28 °C
Altitude: 48 m
India Auroville 11.992517, 79.81762811°59’33” N 79°49’3” E
Just one more turn
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
Heading back to our property, instead of going straight back to our stay, I couldn't resist continuing forward on Auroville Road since the tree canopy and winding path were relaxing.

Just when a beautiful building on the left side of the road suddenly caught our eye - Conscious Café.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 48 m
India Auroville 11.994487, 79.80384711°59’40” N 79°48’14” E
Small break
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We finally got back to our pod, thinking we might sleep. But then we realized that if we did, we'd wake up after dark with nothing to do and we weren’t even feeling sleepy.

After an hour of lying in bed, scrolling through our phones, we figured it was the perfect time to visit Auroville Beach since we’d reach just in time for sunset.

So that’s exactly what we did.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 5:53 PM
☀️ 27 °C
Altitude: 9 m
India Bommayapālaiyam 11.987305, 79.84945711°59’14” N 79°50’58” E
Auroville Beach revisit at Golden Hour
February 13 in India ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
This time, the beach was actually enjoyable. The weather was perfect, and the place was lively with people enjoying the waves and bathing in the ocean. Small beach shops were open too, adding to the vibe.

We took a mattress from our pod, laid it down on the sand, and just relaxed. With fresh fruits from the beach stalls, ocean views, and good music, it was the perfect way to unwind.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 1
Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 7:53 PM
🌙 24 °C
Altitude: 44 m
India Auroville 11.99433, 79.80374111°59’40” N 79°48’13” E
Night bites
February 13 in India ⋅ 🌙 24 °C
On our way back from Auroville Beach, we stopped by Hope Cafe on Auroville Main Road. At night, the ambiance was amazing with open seating, greenery, and fairy lights. But there was one major downside—mosquitoes. It was unbearable, so we had to leave.

Back at our stay, we checked Zomato and Swiggy and found that both were available in Auroville. So, we decided to order dinner at the property and ate in the dining area while watching a horror movie. Though the movie disappointed us, WOW! Momo didn't.Read more
2 likes
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 8:56 AM
⛅ 23 °C
Altitude: 48 m
India Auroville 11.994583, 79.80383311°59’40” N 79°48’14” E
New day, new adventures
February 14 in India ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C
The next morning, we woke up to a complimentary buffet breakfast at our stay. After enjoying the meal, we checked out and headed to Pondicherry.
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 12:16 PM
☀️ 30 °C
Altitude: 13 m
India Puducherry 11.925305, 79.83308411°55’31” N 79°49’59” E
Dual purpose
February 14 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
Next, we headed straight to Anthe's Restaurant for a light brunch in White Town, one of Pondicherry's most beautiful cafés. This spot served dual purposes - cafe exploration and providing a peaceful setting to plan our next move. We also used this time to check out hotels for our stay that night.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 1:21 PM
☀️ 30 °C
Altitude: 13 m
India Puducherry 11.92537, 79.8330711°55’31” N 79°49’59” E
How to reach the Paradise?
February 14 in India ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
While researching our next stop at Anthe’s, we came across two popular beaches: Promenade Beach and Paradise Beach.

We had already seen a glimpse of Promenade Beach the previous day while exploring White Town. It’s a rocky beach located right next to the town. Paradise Beach, on the other hand, sounded more interesting as it was described as a private beach.

Many online forums mentioned that a boat ride was required to reach the island, but when I checked Google Maps, it showed a bike route. So, we decided to ride our scooter as far as possible and take whatever transport was needed from there.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 2:51 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 8 m
India Chunnāmbu Ār 11.872205, 79.82055711°52’20” N 79°49’14” E
Private beach, private experience
February 14 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
We found out that the online information about needing a boat to reach Paradise Beach was incorrect. We were able to ride directly to the beach and park our scooter there. It was a relief to avoid the boat charges mentioned online, though we did have to pay a small ₹70 per person entry fee.

This was the first time I had to pay for beach access. Being a private beach, it was noticeably cleaner, less crowded, and had restaurants right on the shore. There were also shaded areas with benches to sit and relax. We laid out our mattress under the shed and unwound, enjoying the peaceful vibe.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 3:23 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 12 m
India Puducherry 11.933272, 79.83418311°55’60” N 79°50’3” E
Reflection Point: Perfect trip duration?
February 14 in India ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Back in White Town, we started searching for accommodation for the night. But a thought kept nagging at me—what would we do the entire next day? Honestly, neither of us felt like staying another night.

Out of curiosity, I opened the Paytm app to check the cancellation charges for rescheduling our return bus from the 15th to the 14th. To my surprise, I had accidentally left the 'free cancellation' option checked while booking, which meant we could change our plans without any penalty.

Without a second thought, we ditched the hotel search and decided to head back that very night.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 5:23 PM
☀️ 28 °C
Altitude: 14 m
India Puducherry 11.928258, 79.83246611°55’42” N 79°49’57” E
Making the most of remaining hours
February 14 in India ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C
With our early departure decided, we had a few hours left to enjoy the city and complete necessary tasks - returning the bike, having dinner, and booking our bus tickets. For the bus, we chose to book directly from a travel agency shop since plenty of options were available online.

Next, we sought another beautiful café to enjoy coffee during the evening hours. Villa Helena beckoned with its charming atmosphere.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 6:40 PM
🌙 26 °C
Altitude: 17 m
India Puducherry 11.925792, 79.82716411°55’33” N 79°49’38” E
Local Flavors: Beyond Café Culture
February 14 in India ⋅ 🌙 26 °C
After an hour or so of leisurely coffee sipping, we headed out for food. We wanted to sample some street food, as Pondicherry's cafés offered limited menu options compared to the vibrant street cuisine scene.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 7:51 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 14 m
India Puducherry 11.928517, 79.83351111°55’43” N 79°50’1” E
Dinner Dilemma
February 14 in India ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
With no rush (most buses departed after 10 pm), we still needed to plan carefully to avoid complications. Two tasks remained: returning the scooter and having dinner.

The scooter needed to be returned first before the shop closed, but we wanted to find a suitable dinner spot while we still had transportation. We checked several pubs and cafés but found none that impressed us after experiencing the best the city had to offer. Finally, we decided on Madame Shanthe, conveniently located across from Starbucks.Read more
1 like
Aurovillentine💌Suraj Ka Safarnama
Show trip
Add to bucket listRemove from bucket list
Share
Day 2
Friday, February 14, 2025 at 8:00 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 11 m
India Puducherry 11.947894, 79.83145911°56’52” N 79°49’53” E
The cost of changing plans
February 14 in India ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Knowing our post-return destination, we headed to the rental shop. I explained that although we had booked for three days, we were returning after just two, but the shopkeeper refused any refund, citing the "No refund policy". Unable to negotiate further, I accepted the refundable ₹1000 deposit and departed.

Local auto-rickshaws wanted ₹200 for the 800m journey to Madame Shanthe, which to me seemed like an outrageous price, so we opted to walk.Read more
1 like