PONDICHERRY
Pondicherry (now called Puducherry) is a former French enclave and is administered as a Union Territory within India and still maintains a ‘French’ atmosphere. The town has a long promenade and behind this is the French enclave with its attractive colonial buildings. Dining here is interesting as you can eat Indian French as well as straight Indian. Pondi has a more ‘international feel’ than most Indian towns and an unusually high population of foreigners possibly due to the proximity of a large ashram and Auroville, an international community project. The shopping opportunities in Pondicherry are excellent because many famous names have their products made here.