PONDICHERRY CYCLE TOUR – EXPLORE THE HIDDEN GEMS PEDALLING THROUGH THE TOWN
The Pondicherry Cycle Tour also popularly known as the WAKE UP – PONDY CYCLE TOUR is one of the unique things to do in Pondicherry. Have you ever experienced cycling around a beautiful town amid colourful houses? Get to know about interesting places including its history and culture. The tour also covers some of the non-touristy places. In this Blog Post, I will be guiding you about how to plan a cycle tour in Pondicherry, the hidden gems I discovered during this tour, the cost of the tour and the place from where you take this tour.
PONDICHERRY THROUGH A DIFFERENT LENS
Pondicherry is a beautiful Union Territory of India. It is known for its Beaches, Cafés serving some relishing food, and the beautiful temples and Churches in the Town. It is also known for shopping. The local boutiques in the Town are interesting to visit with unique local products. You can also find the famous HI Design Outlet in Pondicherry.
Pondicherry is known for its unique culture. Well, it was ruled by the French for many years. There is a French influence in the architecture of the houses in Pondicherry especially in the White Town. You will also find French food at some of the Cafes and restaurants in Pondicherry. You will find a blend of Tamil and French culture. You can live the best of both Worlds in this beautiful town. This is a PERFECT 6-DAY PONDICHERRY ITINERARY to plan your trip.
WAKE – UP PONDY CYCLE TOUR
The small little lanes with beautiful houses with a blend of French and Tamil architecture, old temples, churches and friendly locals make Pondicherry an ideal place for cycling. Cycle in Pondicherry with a guided tour at the Sita Cultural Centre. You can book this tour from their website or give them a call to inquire. The Pondy-Cycle Tour cost is Rs. 1500/- The duration of the Tour is approximately 2 hours. You can enjoy this Unique Pondicherry City Bike Tour early in the Morning. In this tour, explore places beyond the Cafes and Beaches in Pondicherry.
Although the weather is pleasant early morning, you can carry a Cap. I suggest wearing comfortable clothes for cycling and carrying a Water Bottle as it is a 2-hour Cycle Ride. The Cycle Ride starts from the Sita Cultural Centre and ends at the same place. I recommend reaching the place 10 minutes before the Cycle Ride which will help you to interact with other members joining the tour and the tour guide. It is advisable to book the tour online in advance.
THE UNIQUE PONDICHERRY CITY BIKE TOUR
Manisha was my tour guide for the Cycle Tour. We went to many places in Pondicherry. The tour was filled with insights into the history and culture of Pondicherry. We rode along the Beautiful White Town, the Fishermen’s Village, the schools and the famous Aurobindo Ashram. We then took some stops at the Manakula Vinayagar Temple, the churches, and some other unique places which I will mention later in the article. One of my favourite spots was the beautiful Sacred Heart Basilica Church and riding through the beautiful White Town. I recommend capturing some beautiful Pictures of the Town during the Tour. You will get to walk around and see some hidden gems.
Places Visited on the Pondicherry Cycle Tour
FUSION HOUSE
Due to the French influence in Pondicherry, you will find beautiful houses with old French Architecture. Also, you will find some influence of Tamil culture in the architecture. The houses with a blend of French and Tamil architecture are known as fusion houses. Some of the unique things in such houses are the designs of Pillars and the tiles. You will mostly find houses with dual windows in the White Town.
MANDAPAM
Then we passed through a Mandapam. It is a place where wedding ceremonies take place. These are some of the local places which I could not have explored without taking this tour. It is a fun experience to learn about these places in this beautiful town.
PONGAL FESTIVAL
Well, I visited Pondicherry during the festival of Pongal. During this festival, the locals put colourful Rangolis outside their houses. It is a delightful experience to see the rangolis spread all over the town outside the houses. The locals here are friendly. They even invited me to see and click pictures of their rangolis.
BASILICA OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Then we visited the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. The Church also has an influence of ancient architecture with the old charm. My guide Manisha told me a lot of interesting facts about the church. The structure outside the church is known as the Neo-Gothic Structure. Also, the church has colourful stained glass inside the church built by an Indian Artist. I was lucky to visit the Church on a clear Day. The effect of the stained glasses due to sun rays on it looks nice. There is a play of colours inside the church. Then you will find a huge golden pillar outside the Church resembling the Garuda Stambha. It is for the positive vibes.
FISHERMEN’S VILLAGE
Then we went to the Fishermen’s Village. This place is located close to the sea. I saw a lot of small houses in this village. The place is full of small lanes filled with colourful houses. You will always find colourful houses in Pondicherry. Also, there were beautiful Rangolis outside these houses due to the Pongal Festival.
GOLCONDE BUILDING
We then saw this famous Building in Pondicherry. This is India’s first Modern Building.
MR EDOUARD GOUBERT
We then passed through the Statue of Mr. Edouard Goubert. He was the first Mayor and Chief Minister of Pondicherry. A Market in Pondicherry is named Goubert Market in his memory.
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHEDRAL
This is the biggest Church in Pondicherry. It is home to many churches.
OUR LADY OF ANGELS CATHOLIC CHURCH
Then we also passed through Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church.
WHITE TOWN PONDICHERRY
We rode along the popular area of White Town and passed through the Luxury Hotels and Restaurants famous for their vintage-themed interiors and Food.
AUROBINDO ASHRAM
We also passed by the Aurobindo Ashram which is popular in Pondicherry.
SCHOOLS
We also passed through the local schools. These schools are also in these ancient French Buildings with old architecture. The schools are very spacious. My Guide Manisha told me about how the schools encourage their children to study as well as participate in Sports activities.
There is also a French international School named Lycee Francais in Pondicherry. This school too has a beautiful campus and a unique curriculum to study for their students.
Although this was a 2 – hour long tour, I never got tired while riding. I was so engrossed in learning about this beautiful little town and exploring the place. Also, we took some stops and intervals to click pictures and visit some of the places. This balanced the time of riding and helped me to interact with the guide and ask a few questions.
I must say this is a one–of–a–kind experience. The cycle tour will always stay in my memories. If you are interested in knowing about the town and visiting places apart from the regular touristy ones, you should take this tour.
The Cycles at the Sita Cultural Centre are very well maintained. Also, the tour guide instructs and takes care of the cyclists while riding on the road. She will always be vigilant about the turns and crossing the road. The locals in Pondicherry are very good and make way for the cyclist to ride. I had a comfortable cycling experience on this tour.
UNIQUE PONDICHERRY CYCLE TOUR
This was one of the most memorable experiences of my life I had a great time interacting with the Tour Guide learning about some interesting facts and diving deep in knowing the history and culture of Pondicherry. I have collected a lot of memories through this journey. You should try this Cycle Tour and embark on this beautiful journey of cycling around the streets of the Town.
So, what do you think about this unique Cycle Tour? Would you be interested in taking this tour to explore the town? Have you ever experienced something like this before in any other place? Do let us know and share your thoughts in the Comment Section below.
Well, this Tour is organised by the Sita Cultural Centre in Pondicherry. They also conduct walking tours and other unique activities. You can have a look at their website for more details. Well, you find the Best Deals for Hotels in Pondicherry to plan a comfortable Stay during the trip.
As a travel enthusiast and a travel Blogger, I have always sought something unique and interesting to share my experiences. The Pondicherry Cycle Tour is one of the unique experiences among these. You can follow me on Instagram to learn more about my travel journeys.
Have a look at a detailed Video Tour for this Cycling Expedition in the link below