Hyderabad To Pondicherry Roadtrip : सफरनामा

If you're a roadtrip enthusiast and if the idea of driving on smooth highways surrounded by lush flora excites you , then taking a Hyd to Pondi roadtrip can never be disappointing. Having explored many Getaways around Hyderabad in range 300km-400km, we wanted to stretch some extra miles and take our Roadtrip addiction to next level. Considering the fact that my husband loves car driving , we decided for Pondicherry which is 825 km (Via NH16) away. As they say "Roads were made for journeys, not destination" , our journey became more joyous amidst the nature with great music.

We started around 2 A.M, took the Nehru ORR and NH65 towards NH16. I would recommend to take NH16 route and experience travelling on those perfect soothing roads with lush green surroundings. Witnessing the sunrise during our journey was a cherry on the cake. Follow NH16, Chennai ORR and NH32 to your destination in Puducherry. On the way, we could find many Tapris and Food joints for taking a break. We arrived our hotel around 4 P.M. After a journey of long 14 hours, the first thing we wanted was to take a nap.

Around 7 P.M we headed towards white town. There are ample of exquisite Cafes in Pondi catering multi cuisine like Italian, Continental. We chose Cafe Xtasi , since we heard a lot about its specialty in Pizzas. Not to our surprise , we had amazing Pizzas and Mocktails over there. And then came my favorite part... Strolling through the streets of the French Quarter and along the Promenade beach, popularly known as "Rock Beach". Sitting along those rocks , admiring the beauty of stars studded sky, feeling the cool fresh sea breeze makes this place so perfect.

Who doesn't want to witness the iconic Sunrise at Rock Beach? Early morning , around 6 AM we rushed from our hotel and reached Rock beach. And there it was...This morning the Sun made me adore it. That beautiful, scenic orange and crimson Sunrise left me awestruck. I would strongly recommend to add this experience in your Pondi To-Do list. It inspires, it energizes, it renews, it gives hope.

Later, we had an awesome breakfast at the well known Le-Cafe , situated along the Beach. Again, its a place with great ambience you can't afford to miss. Came back to our hotel, we geared up for part2 of our day. We started for the very famous "Auroville".

Auroville - Also called the Universal town, is a peaceful experimental township where people from around the world , irrespective of their culture and religion, come and live together in harmony. Located around 15 km from the city of Pondicherry, Auroville is located in Tamil Nadu and was founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa, a disciple of Aurobindo. The main attraction here is the "Matrimandir" - The mandir is an architectural masterpiece. The structure is globe-shaped with a golden metallic plate-like design on the outside. The entry is free of costs, and you can only buy the tickets in person at the venue, not online. The walk from the entry gates to the center is rich in flora and takes around 10-12 minutes. On the way, do not miss the old huge Banyan tree which has many aerial roots from the branches towards the ground. Its something very interesting for a nature lover. Upon reaching there, the Matrimandir can be viewed as a large golden sphere which seems to be emerging out of the earth, symbolising the birth of a new consciousness. There are many restaurants and Cafes in Auroville serving multi cuisines, catering to thousands of tourists visiting the place. It was a day well spent peacefully in the lap of nature.

It was a breezy Beach Day for us.. After having breakfast at Coromandel Cafe , which is again a great place to hangout, we started for Paradise Beach. To reach Paradise Beach , you could either take the road route or boating through Chunnambar river. We went to Chunnambar Boat house, located on the Cuddalore main road, the backwater is situated at a point where the Chunnambar River meets Bay of Bengal. Paradise beach is usually reached by boat from Chunnambar Boat House. It has an entry fee and charges per person for shared motor boating. Also, separate speed boat can be hired, if needed. You can try some water sports too. The boarding point was bit crowded.

It took us 15 mins to reach Paradise Beach through Motor Boat. It was an enthralling boating experience.

Paradise beach is always a good idea, it's full of energy and blue clean sea water. People were enjoying Rain Dance , which definitely made the atmosphere more happening.

A day at the beach is just what my hubby needs. We swam, played beach volley...Just loved the time spent in the sea waves. Under the sun for almost 2 hours , I surely had an overdose of Vitamin D.. :p

We had our motor boat to take us back from Paradise. Again it was overly crowded and we had to wait at least 30 mins in queue to get into the boat. Boating during sunset in calm silent water was mesmerizing.

It's A memory to ponder..when we miss Pondicherry. It was time to say goodbye to one of the best places we ever visited. The jolly atmosphere, strolling in French colony, peace and tranquility in Auroville, Cafes hopping, Late night walk at Rock beach and many more moments of our trip filled us with positive vibes.

We drove back from Pondi to our "कर्म भूमि" .

Started around 7 AM , took some breaks in between and reached back Hyderabad around 9 PM.

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