French memories in a Tamil town

Arrival:
I started my Pondicherry journey from Hyderabad. This was a very last-minute plan for me. Since I was travelling alone, I booked an a/c sleeper bus from MMT and boarded it from Panjagutta, Hyderabad. The travel time was around 14 hours. The journey was nice and the morning scene from the bus was also beautiful.
I booked an AirBnB in Mission Street, White Town. The property was spacious and in the heart of the French city. The famous Rock Beach and the Promenade beach were just a 5 minutes walk from the BnB. Many famous restaurants and cafes such as the Villa Shanti restaurant were also 3 minutes walk from the beach.
I reached Pondicherry around 9 in the morning and took an Auto from the bus stand only to reach the Airbnb (there are no Uber or Ola services in the town. One can either rent a scooter or take an auto to visit places).

Upon reaching the BnB, I freshen up quickly and went to explore the nearby places. There was a bike rental service just down the lane and so I rented a bike at 400 INR per day. After roaming around the city and visiting the picture-perfect lanes of the French town, I decided to go to Hotel Madurai Veedu on Bussy Street for my Lunch. I ordered Madurai Chicken Biryani (250 INR full plate). It was amazing.

Auroville:
Later in the day, I decided to go to Auroville. It is a 30-minute ride from White Town.
Upon reaching Auroville, I parked my vehicle and went to explore the community places. One of the main attractions of the place is the Matrimandir. It is in the heart of this modern village is the Matri Mandir, a huge golden sphere at whose centre is a great crystal. It is a meditation centre for the residents of Auroville. The whole area has a peaceful vibe to it and it brings a sense of calmness to one.
After spending some time there, I went to explore the shops and other attractions in the township.
There are cafes and shops where you can get clothes, jewels, hand art, incense, and house decor items.

After spending 4-5 hours there I decided to come back to White Town and spent the whole evening on the Rock Beach.

I started my day early and went to Promenade Beach to see the sunrise. Since it was a 5-minute walk from my stay, I reached it while it was still dark as I didn't want to miss anything. The sound of the waves amidst the minimum light was so peaceful that one can forget about the whole world. Moments before sunrise when the lights were just beginning to break the sky was breathtaking. After sitting there for a couple of hours, I went to a small cafe for breakfast.

Paradise Beach and Adams Beach:

At around 10 in the morning, I took my bike and went to the Paradise beach. It took me around 50 minutes to reach there. The beach was beautiful and clean. I spent the whole day in the sea. After that, I went to Adams Beach and was there for a couple of hours. They have paid shower facilities as well on the beach, which came in handy to clean off the sand.

There was a small shop 2 minutes walk from the beach where an aunty was cooking fried fish. It was so amazing I ended up having two plates. I also took Goli Soda which reminded me of my childhood.

After having an amazing day at the beach, I came back to the BnB and went to Promenade Beach for a walk.

On day 3, I decided to explore the lanes of Pondicherry. Every house and every lane has a picture-worthy look that brings life to the colourful town.
I explored cafes and restaurants like Shanti Villa, Cafe des Arts, Hope Cafe, and La Coromandel.
Cafe des Arts is a Bohemian-style restaurant offering the best crisp salads, baguettes & toasties, crepes, and the coffees & fresh juices of the town.
It is always wise to book a table in advance as these internet-famous cafes had a minimum of 45-minute wait time.
In the evening I went to explore the market near the Lighthouse and tried street food. It was amazing. After spending around 2 hours at the beach, I headed back to the BnB for the night. 

I checked out from the Bnb and went to the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. It is a spiritual ashram. It has a peaceful vibe to it and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Pondicherry for those who wish to attain peace and harmony. One can view the various exhibitions and watch videos on the life & works of Shri Aurobindo here.

After that, I went to the Arulmigu Manakula Vinayagar Temple. It is one of the most famous temples in Pondicherry. Once you step inside this iconic place of worship, you will notice that the interiors are decorated with different forms of Lord Ganesh.

After visiting nearby places, I decided to have seafood for lunch. I had no specific place in mind so I googled famous seafood cafes/restaurants and decided to go to De Bluefin Seafood for lunch. It is a multi-cuisine restaurant on Bussy Street. Although it was not on my itinerary, it turned out to be an amazing decision. I ordered a seafood platter which was finger-licking tasty.
After that, I went to the Promenade beach for the evening and later I returned my scooter to the shop and went to the bus stand to catch my bus back to Hyderabad.