A slice of French charm in the heart of Pondicherry’s White Town

Pondicherry has always been something of a lucky charm for us, especially when our travel plans go off the rails. After three postponed trips, Pondy finally came to the rescue, much like a knight in shining armour. The journey, however, turned out to be quite the long haul, with a 25-minute pit stop at a fuel station followed by a brief tyre-burst scare at a toll plaza. Thankfully, we soon realised that the unfortunate tyre belonged to another vehicle.

A French-colonial escape: Inside Pondicherry’s charming boutique stay

By the time we reached Petit Palais by Crossway, our home for the night, it was almost 3 pm. We were so famished that we could eat a horse. So, our first stop, obviously, had to be Feast House, the restaurant and bar on the hotel’s fourth floor. And, true to its name, we began our stay with a feast! We went for the Poisson de Pondicherry, delicately cooked fish with herbs, lemon-butter-garlic sauce, potato mash and veggies. Then came the tempting Kunafa prawns, followed by a fruit cocktail and Mexican churros.

The restaurant overlooks a swimming pool, which is open from 7 am to 6 pm. If you manage to bag a corner table, you may even catch a glimpse of the sea. One of the things we appreciate about Petit Palais is the ample parking space at a nearby warehouse, particularly useful if you are driving down. The real draw, though, is the hotel’s location. The boutique hotel is nestled on Rue Suffren, bang in the middle of French Colony,White Town, with the promenade just a few minutes' walk away. With 15 rooms in all, the property carries the unmistakable charm of French architecture.

Our room was cosy and just right for two. But it was the little things that won us over. The tea tray came stocked with actual tea leaves and freshly ground coffee rather than the usual sachets. We love a freshly brewed cuppa, so we happily took our time brewing our own tea and coffee. Our balcony opened directly towards the Alliance Française and a charming café. The next morning, we sat on the balcony, coffee in hand, and spotted a couple having their pre-wedding photoshoot outside. The entire lane seems drenched in sunshine yellow that feels synonymous with Pondicherry.

We were once the sort of people who could disappear into a book for hours, but somewhere along the way, life got in the way, and books were put on the back burner. The Garden Café on the ground floor offered the perfect setting to revive our dormant bookworms. We had brought Haruki Murakami’s Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World along and soon found ourselves bonding over the fictional Calcutec. Even if you arrive empty-handed, the café has a collection of books to browse through. We eventually settled into the evening with a Greek salad and a comforting bowl of chicken soup.

The next day, we were so eager to explore Pondy that we turned up for breakfast even before the staff had finished setting everything up. After a sumptuous spread, we set off for the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The hotel has bicycles available for guests, making them a lovely way to explore the town. At the Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother, Mirra Alfassa, the stillness was almost surreal. For a few moments, it felt as though time had slowed down.

From there, we darted to the nearby Manakula Vinayagar Temple. A temple hadn’t exactly been part of our Pondicherry itinerary, but this trip had already taught us to be a little more spontaneous. We decided to navigate the old-fashioned way—no Google Maps, just asking people for directions, the way we did as kids in the ’90s. The temple was bustling, evidently so for a Friday. At one of the idols of Lord Vinayaga, we spotted his vaahanam, the rat, happily gnawing away at a banana. Had we seen the same sight back home, we might have jumped out of our skins. Here, somehow, it looked oddly adorable. We also came across intricate engravings of Vinayaga from across South-East Asia, including Bali, Java and Cambodia.

Our next stop was the Live Art Museum, billed as the world’s first silicon-based live art museum. It was here that we discovered that our childhood teddy bears were named after former US President Theodore Roosevelt. A remarkably lifelike Roosevelt, teddy bear in hand, greeted us at the entrance, and we couldn’t resist a selfie with the former White House resident. As we explored the room, we spotted figurines of Robert Wadlow, the world’s tallest man, and Afshin Ghaderzadeh, the world’s shortest man, alongside a sea of teddy bears representing countries from around the world. And yes, we even spotted the world’s shortest teddy bear. The museum also showcases AP Shreethar's fascinating single-line art, a fish museum and an eclectic collection of lifelike figures, from Jesus Christ and APJ Abdul Kalam to Thala Dhoni. There was plenty to take in, and the visit felt well worth the money.

Our penultimate stop was Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church. With vibhuti still smeared across our foreheads, we trotted into the church and sat quietly for a while, soaking in the calm before making a quick dash to Alliance Française. After washing off the morning sun at the hotel, we ended our stay with steamed rice and Kovalam Meen Manga Kozhambu, easily one of the best fish curries we have ever tasted. We have always had a soft spot for Kerala-style fish curry, but the chef here gave our favourite a serious run for its money. It was the perfect final note to a trip that helped us find a little bit of ourselves again.

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