Away from the hustle and bustle of big city, Pondicherry is a quiet little town on the southern coast. The unmistakable French connection, the tree lined boulevards, the quaint colonial heritage buildings, the spiritual scene, the endless stretches of un spoilt virgin beaches, backwater, a surprising choice of restaurants serving a melange of cuisines, provide a heady mix that draw travelers from near and far. It is the perfect place to come to if you wants to take the pace of life down a few notches.

The closest airport is in Chennai, which is around 135 kms from puducherry (approx. 2 ½ hrs. journey). Chennai has excellent connections with almost all cities in India and direction connection to Europe, USA, Middle East and South East Asia.

Trichy airport is 220 kms away. Bangalore (320 kms) and Madurai are the other nearby airports.

Quiet beaches and peaceful resorts to the north and south balance the town's bustling, yet easy going life. But Pondicherry hasn't only its own special attractions to offer. It is a perfect base to explore the rich destinations around it
( T a m i l N a d u ) , even in daily trips: Auroville, the international City of Unity; theimposing Gingee Fort, the holy temple towns of Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai and Chidambaram, the heritage sculptures and magnificent rock temples of Mamallapuram, and the cool and lush hill stations of Yercaud and odaikanal.

Aurobindo Ashram since its establishment almost a century back has played a significant role in the socio-economic-spiritual fabric of Pondicherry. Therefore it is not surprising that the Ashram and its various Branches together occupy some of the best heritage properties in Pondicherry. The 'Ashram Walk' covers the northern section of French Pondicherry, taking you through many grand buildings of French lineage, including the Raj Nivas, French Institute. Also included in the walk are some shops that sell products manufactured by the different Ashram ancillaries.

Pondicherry has a wide choice of hotels for most visitors: beach resorts for the easy going tourist and families, heritage hotels for those who want to experience something else, high class commercial hotels for the corporate visitors and the neat Ashram Guest Houses for the spiritual seeker.And ambient restaurants serve a rich variety of French, Indian, Asian and continental food, with the latest pizza for an American bite.

For the shopper Pondicherry has a lot to offer and is fast becoming a favorite shopping destination of the southern metropolitan cities. Pondicherry is soft on your purse with taxes low or non-existent. It is known for its traditional doll-making and textiles and silks. But it is also the birthplace of several world class brands in leather, pottery, aromatics, fashion and handmade paper. These excellent products came to renown solely by their superb quality. A new trend is the proliferation of exquisite decor boutiques and export-quality antique furniture galleries.