The Best Of Beaches, Temples & Food: A Roadtrip From Bangalore To Pondicherry & Mahabalipuram

We started from Bangalore at 7 am. Since we had packed our breakfast, we did not stop anywhere. But Krishnagiri is the best place to get some breakfast on the way if you are keen. It is around 2 hours from Bangalore. The journey was smooth with huge monoliths dotting the road sides.

On the way is Vellore, about 4 hours from Bangalore. Vellore Fort is worth exploring. However, owing to the inclement weather, we gave it a miss this time.

Finally we reached Pondicherry around 2.30 PM and checked into Hotel Atithi. It's in white town, located just around 700m from the Rock Beach, which is the main beach of Pondicherry.

In the evening, we headed off to explore Rock Beach. The walkway along the beach, called The Promenade, is the best place to take a stroll in the evening, when there's a cool breeze blowing.

While strolling, we came across this landmark.

Exploring the French Connection of Pondicherry further, we found this beautiful memorial built as a tribute to the soldiers of the First World War from French India.

The lighthouse could also be spotted from here.

Our final destination for the day was Aayi Mandapam, a beautiful but lesser visited French monument built in honor of an Indian courtesan.

Finally, we went to Villa Shanti for dinner. It is a heritage building converted into a hotel. and has a restaurant too. There's a mix of French and Indian food here. It is always packed, so go early or make a prior reservation. The prices are steep, and the menu is limited. We liked the food but found the place a bit overhyped.

The next day started with breakfast at the hotel. After breakfast, we went to Paradise Beach. We took the land route, and landed at Sandunes Resort. It was well maintained, and the sea looked gorgeous and inviting.

We were back to the hotel by 12 pm. After that we went in search of French Food, and found this hole in the wall place called Street French Café, serving really tasty crepes and other continental street food.

We had French Onion Soup, Mushroom Crepe, Bruschetta and everything was really tasty. Highly recommended for some French food.

In the evening, we went to the Promenade again for sunset. However, we considered 2 other options:

One was going to Pichavaram for a sunset ride through the world's second largest mangrove forest. The other was going to Eden Beach in Pondicherry which is a blue flag certified beach.

For dinner we went to Tantos Pizzeria near Auroville for pizza and risotto. Their wood fired pizzas and iced tea is a blessing for the senses.

On our third day, we checked out of Pondicherry. The plan was to visit Auroville on the way.

But it was extremely hot, and we had both visited Auroville before, so we gave it a miss. However, if you haven't visited Auroville, then it is a must visit place. Matrimandir, the golden globe is one of the most Instagrammable places, apart from being a haven for mediation. The bakeries in Auroville are simply superb.

From Pondicherry to Mahabalipuram, we took the East Coast Road (ECR) and reached in about 2 hours. The distance is around 95 km.

In Mahabalipuram, we opted to stay at Radisson Blu.

For us, the highlight of our visit to Mahabalipuram was a relaxing stay at this resort. It's a bit expansive, but has a meandering pool of 27000 sq ft, an infinity pool overlooking the sea, a private beach, a world-class restaurant, kids play area, a host of activities like ATV rides and canoeing on the pool, and a refreshing spa.

In the evening we went to Wharf, their sea side restaurant and had some snacks. Then we strolled around the beautifully lit up resort at night.

The fourth day was spent exploring the 7th century Monuments of Mahabalipuram. These monuments have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Our first stop was Shore Temple. The beautiful sculptures are a sight to behold. But it's really hot and sunny, so best to visit the monuments early in the morning. Also, carrying an umbrella really helps.

Our next stop was Krishna's Butter Ball, a huge rock balanced on the edge.

Just before entering we saw Arjuna's Penance, also known as Descent of the Ganges. It is the world's largest open air rock relief sculpture.

Just next to Krishna's Butter Ball is the Ganesh Ratha Temple.

The next morning, we checked out post breakfast and it was time to head home. We took the road that was through Kanchipuram.

We didn't stop here, but Kanchipuram is hardly an hour's drive from Mahabalipuram and is famous for its ancient temples and Kanchivaram sarees.

For all those looking out for a beach vacation from Bangalore, Pondicherry & Mahabalipuram are definitely great options to consider.

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