On India's French Coast

Pondicherry is the Indian Côte d’Azur, a seaside town with French style and refinement. In this picturesque setting, we discovered eight delightful Airbnb stays that will give you a deeper experience of Pondi’s French flavour.

The French laid out their streets in a formal grid pattern. This was White Town. Over the canal, or Drain, the Tamil Quarter, Black Town, grew up in its own organic way—albeit with a great number of fine mansions built by wealthy traders. Hit the streets for a wander through Pondi’s charming French Quarter, which seems refreshingly sleepy; traffic and horns largely absent, replaced by colourful villas. As you get your bearings, you’ll discover beautiful churches and quaint former governmental buildings established by the French, many of which have been beautifully restored and painted in tropical hues of pink, yellow, and blue. Settled amidst these streets or on the waterfront, there are eight amazing Airbnb (airbnb.co.in) stays beautifully designed, full of character, in great locations and with wonderful owners.

A ‘FOREST’ GUESTHOUSE, AUROVILLE

Set amidst a lush garden, under massive trees, dotted by fish ponds, horses, butterflies, birds, dogs, and other beings of nature. Located in Sharnga community, one of the 150 settlements in Auroville, this is more of a retreat than a guesthouse. The community was established by Claude and Bernard on a barren piece of land in 1976, first as a farm, and then as a stud farm home to over 40 horses. It was in 1992, that the the horse sheds were converted into rooms that formed the guesthouse.