Pondicherry
Experiences
A handpicked selection of experiences endorsed by our experts. If you can’t see what you’re looking for, let us know, as our extensive network of local contacts can open many doors.
French School for the Far East
Visit Ecole Francaise d’Extreme Orient (EFEO), or the French School for the Far East, which was founded in 1900 in Hanoi but is now headquartered in Paris. Meet with students studying Asian societies, the focus of the EFEO, and have tea with professors who have dedicated their lives to this academic field.
Ganesh Temple
Explore the Ganesh temple, which is usually bustling with locals wishing to get everything from their children to their motorbikes blessed by Lakshmi, a 19-year old female elephant that has been living in Pondicherry for nearly her entire life. Feed her some fruit and she'll tap you on your bowed head with her trunk!
Patisserie
Start off a Pondicherry morning by experiencing the unique intersection of French and Tamil culture at a local patisserie, where you can chat with the owner about his upbringing in Pondicherry, and how he came to learn his craft.
Salle a Manger
Have drinks and dinner at Salle a Manger, the restaurant of The Calve, a property in black town and a former home of a prominent Chettinad family. It was built 150 years ago and restored with authentic materials such as Chettinad plaster and Atangudi tiles.
Silk Shopping
Shop in Pondicherry’s booming commercial district, including the shop of a famed silk designer who Skypes with her clients overseas to show them her newest creations. Her shop has many fine examples of her table and bed linens and sari silk from various parts of India that she personally sources and carries back to Pondicherry.
Soldat Family Dinner
Have dinner in the home of a prominent Soldat family. Soldats were lndian veterans of the French military whose army pensions made them quite wealthy upon their return home. This is a great chance to learn about a little-known slice of East-meets-West history of the 20th century.
Sri Aurobindo Ashram
Visit Sri Aurobindo Ashram, a religious hermitage founded by Sri Aurobindo, who came from a prominent Brahmin, or first-caste, family. While there is no present guru, an enormous amount of spiritual works have been bequeathed to the ashram.
Walking Tour
Embark on a comprehensive walking tour of the town, passing by its quaint French colonial buildings, churches, and the war memorial commemorating the loss of French soldiers' lives in World War I. Walk through Ville Blanche (white town) and Ville Noire (black town), so named because the former was where most of the French lived and the latter was the Tamil side.
India Regions
Explore in-depth information, experiences and highlights by navigating to specific regions using the links below on the right.
Northern
Southern
North-Eastern
Rajasthan
Wildlife Parks
Western
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Central
- Agra
- Alwar
- Andaman And Nicobar Islands
- Arunachal Pradesh
- Assam
- Bandhavgarh National Park
- Bangalore
- Bhopal
- Calcutta
- Chennai
- Cochin
- Coorg
- Darjeeling
- Goa
- Gulmarg
- Gwalior
- Hampi
- Hyderabad
- Jaipur
- Jaisalmer
- Jawai
- Jodhpur
- Kanha National Park
- Karaikudi
- Khajuraho
- Kovalam
- Leh
- Madurai
- Mahabalipuram
- Maheshwar
- Mumbai
- Mysore
- Nagaland
- Nagarhole & Bandipur
- New Delhi
- Orchha
- Panna National Park
- Pench National Park
- Pondicherry
- Ranthambhore
- Rishikesh
- Satpura National Park
- Shimla
- Sikkim
- Srinagar
- Udaipur
- Varanasi
Multi-Country Specialists
India Goes Well With

Exclusively Asia
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
With Remote Lands you'll travel with people who have made Asia the solitary focus of their own lifelong adventure. As our guest, in the continent that our north American founders Catherine and Jay have adored and explored for decades, you'll discover Asia on a journey that is completely, authentically your own, adapted from our own remarkable experiences and adventures over the years.
Travelogues
An Asia-focused magazine brought to you by Remote Lands - a platform for adventure, luxury, and authenticity from experts and explorers around the continent.
ESSENTIAL INDIA: Gateway to Asia’s Most Dynamic Nation with Remote Lands
- Author
- Travelogues
Dramatic desert, charming villages, wildlife, beaches — the diversity of India’s varied cultures and landscapes provides endless options.
India Unexplored: Peace in Shimla
- Author
- Travelogues
Most travelers want to go to Shimla to relax, and for that there is the Oberoi Wildflower Hall and a myriad spiritual treasures to be found.
Watching Cricket in India for Travelers
- Author
- Christian Gibney
Nothing draws the people of India together like cricket and throughout the country the spectacle is on display for everyone — even Americans.
What Others Say
Here is a small selection of the kind words our clients have said about us recently.
