4 DAY TRIP FROM BANGALORE | BEST OF PONDICHERRY & YERCAUD

At a distance of 6 km Pondicherry Bus Station, Chunnambar Boat House also known as Plage Paradiso is famous for its backwaters and it's a popular boating venue and is. Located on the Cuddalore main road, the backwater is situated at a point where the Chunnambar River meets Bay of Bengal. Paradise beach is usually reached by boat from Chunnambar Boat House.

Chunnambar Boat House is ideal for boating and also a great picnic spot. The backwater houses a nice resort managed by the Pondicherry Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (PTTDC), known as Chunnambar Beach and Backwater Resort. The resort offers a range of fun and entertainment options include trekking, yachting, backwater boat trips and beach games. The boating options include motor boats, speed boats, sail boats, rowed boats, water scooters, paddled boats and pedaled boats. Accommodation facility is available on tree top houses.

Timings: 9 AM to 6 PM. Ferry .....

At a distance of 8 km from Pondicherry Bus Station, Paradise Beach, also known as Plage Paradiso, is an isolated beach located at Chunnambar. This is one of the most famous Pondicherry Beaches and also one of the best places to experience Pondicherry Tourism. Paradise Beach is another popular attraction not to miss in a Pondicherry tour packages.

The beach is extremely attractive as the sands are very clean and the water is crystal clear. The Paradise Beach is situated close to Cuddalore main road and it houses the famous Chunnambar resort.

Visitors have to cross the Chunnambar backwaters by boat to reach Paradise Beach. These boats leave from Chunnambar boathouse around 6 km from Pondicherry. The beach has shelters and palm trees for shade and protection from the sun and rain. There is one small bar which serves .....

At a distance of 3 km from Pondicherry Bus Station, The Manakula Vinayagar Temple is one of the famous ancient temples dedicated to Lord Ganesha and is a popular pilgrimage site in Puducherry.

Manakula Vinayagar Temple was in existence before the French came and settled in Pondicherry and the idol of Lord Ganesha is locally known as Vellakkaran Pillai. The French Jesuits and missionaries tried to demolish the temple several times, but every time local population saved the temple.

Facing the east near Bay of Bengal, the temple was known as Bhavaneshar Ganapathy, now called as Manakula Vinayagar. In Tamil Manal means sand and Kulam means pond near the sea. The temple is spread over an area of about 8000 sq. ft with outer mandapam, raja gopuram and outer enclosure. Measuring 18 feet in height, the gold plated kodikambam is a spectacular highlight of this temple. The outside wall of the temple depicts various forms of the Ganesha with its timelines and locations. The rich architectural .....

At a distance of 13 km from Pondicherry, Auroville (City of Dawn) is an experimental township in Villupuram district of Tamil Nadu. It lies on the East Coast Road and was founded by Mirra Alfassa in 1968 and was designed by the French architect Roger Anger. The word Auroville essentially means a universal town, where people can live peacefully, irrespective of nationality, colour, caste and creed. The purpose of Auroville, Pondicherry was to emphasize human unity, promoting message of the founder of Auroville, Mirra Alfassa. It is one of the best Pondicherry places to visit .

Auroville was officially inaugurated on 28th February, 1968 and was endorsed by UNESCO and the Government of India. During its inauguration, soil from over 124 countries was placed and mixed inside a lotus shaped urn, symbolizing universal oneness. Auroville was built to welcome people from all over the world to live together .....

At a distance of 3 km from Pondicherry Bus Station, Pondicherry Museum is situated in the Bharathi Park and is known for its unique collection of sculptures. It is one of the popular places in Pondicherry Sightseeing.

This museum has an excellent gallery with sculptures and has the remains of archaeological findings from the Arikamedu Roman settlement. This gallery is known to have artifacts belonging to Cholas and Pallavas rule of Pondicherry and Karaikal. Burial urns, French furniture, terracotta figures, crockery, guns, swords, paintings, mirrors and several other things dating back to different periods are preserved here.

The painting section includes Tanjore and glass paintings, colonial prints and contemporary oils, pastels and water colors. It has bronze statues of several gods and goddesses along with handicrafts, art work and temple lamps. The ground floor of the museum has a palanquin .....

At a distance of 3 km from Pondicherry Bus Station, Sri Aurobindo Ashram is a famous spiritual community (ashram) located in Pondicherry. Founded by Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa (The Mother) in 1926, it is one of the major highlights of Pondicherry and is visited by thousands of people from all over the world. The ashram is also the place of Samadhi of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother.

The Aurobindo Ashram is one of the most visited tourism sites in Pondicherry. This ashram comprises several buildings and there are around 1,200 members along with 400 students living in this center.

The serene Aurobindo Ashram comes alive during the festivals. Thousands of tourists, followers and visitors come here. Despite the large crowd the members maintain discipline within the complex, restoring its peaceful environment. The ideals of the ashrams are based on the teachings of Sri Aurobindo and Mira Alfassa. The ashram contains a library, printing press, playground, art gallery, a dispensary/nursing .....

At a distance of 3.5 km from Pondicherry Bus Station, The Bharathi Park, also known as the Government Park is situated in the central region of the old colonial town of Pondicherry.

Government Park was once the location of the first French garrison and Fort Louis which were destroyed by the British. In 2006 the park was renovated and several new sections were included to make it more attractive. It is a beautiful and peaceful park ideal to spend time with family or for a morning / evening walk.

The Aayi Mandapam or the Park Monument is a famous monument which lies at the center of the park. At one point, Aayi Mandap was the main water source for Pondicherry town.
The Mandapam is an imposing structure that flaunts brilliant Greco-Roman architecture. The presence of flowerbeds, well-manicured lawns and beautiful fountains around the monument make it an attractive place.

There is a wonderful children's play area with several playground equipment. This park is surrounded .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from Pondicherry Bus Station, The Statue of Mahatma Gandhi is located on the beach front of Pondicherry. Built by the famous sculptor Roy Choudhary from Madras School of Art and Crafts, it is one of the major landmarks in Pondicherry. It is surrounded by eight exquisitely carved monolithic granite pillars which were brought from Gingee Fort.

The statue stands 4 m (13 feet) high is the 3rd biggest Mahatma Gandhi statue. It was inaugurated on January 26, 1965. The square in front of the statue referred to as Gandhi Thidal, plays host to various cultural and musical activities through the year.

There is a tunnel below the Gandhi statue which is believed to be leading to Gingee Fort. There were some efforts to explore the tunnel. But, after a few people died of suffocation, the tunnel was closed.

At a distance of 3.5 km from Pondicherry Bus Station, Promenade Beach is one of the popular beaches in Pondicherry along the Bay of Bengal. It is a 1.5 km long stretch between War Memorial and Dupleix Park. This is one of the top places to visit in Pondicherry.

This beach is called by multiple names like rock beach due to rocks along the beach, Gandhi beach because of statue of Mahatma Gandhi and also as Promenade beach. Popularly this beach is also called Pondicherry beach because of its close proximity to the city.

It's a long stretch of rocky beach with benches and wide pavement for morning and evening walks. It is adjacent to Goubert Avenue, the historical section of the city which has several beautiful colonial buildings. This long stretch has statues of Jeanne d'Arc Dupleix, Mahatma Gandhi and War Memorial. There is also a 27 meter .....

At a distance of 2 km from Yercaud Bus Stand and 3 km from Yercaud Lake, the Rose Garden is situated on Lady's Seat road in Yercaud. Maintained by southern circle of Botanical Survey of India, Rose Garden is one of the top attractions in Yercaud.

Housing various exotic species of flowers and plants, the Garden is a major places to visit in Yercaud. The Rose Garden is divided in to different sections like foliage garden, topiary garden, bonsai garden, butterfly garden, herbal garden, rock garden, water garden and sensory garden. It is a must visit place for all nature lovers as one can come across the most beautiful, colorful and rare variety of plants.

The garden houses the Orchidarium and the green house. Spread across 18.4 hectares, the National Orchidarium is established in the year 1963. There are 3000 trees and 1800 shrubs grown in Orchidarium. .....

At a distance of 2 km from Yercaud Bus Stand, Lady's Seat is a cluster of rocks in the form of a seat on the South West of Shevaroy hills in Yercaud town of Tamil Nadu state. The Lady's Seat is one of the prime attractions of Yercaud.

The Lady' Seat has derived its name from a set of rocks made naturally. The natives believe that a white English lady used to spend the evenings watching the panoramic view from this rock. The viewpoint offers panoramic views of Salem town and Ghat Road. It is a nice place to watch the sunset.

There is a watch tower equipped with telescope so as to enjoy the beautiful view of Mettur Dam and Salem town. This viewing tower is open for visitors only during the day time. On the right of Lady's Seat are Sterling Resorts, Gent's Seat and Children's Seat. There is a mini park and it is a breath taking spot for a picnic. The view from Lady's Seat is more spectacular at night with thousands of light twinkling in Salem town.

It is a very pleasant .....

At a distance of 2.5 km from Yercaud Bus Stand & 500m from Lady's Seat, Gent's Seat is a wonderful viewpoint in Yercaud town close to Lady's Seat. The Gent's Seat is one of the prime attractions of Yercaud visited along with Lady' Seat.

The viewpoint offers panoramic views of Salem town and Ghat Road. It is a nice place to watch the sunset.

There is a small watch tower near the point offering breathtaking view of the plains below. The view from Gent's Seat is more spectacular at night with thousands of light twinkling in Salem town.

It is a very pleasant place and visitors can either travel by a private vehicle or just walk from Lady's Seat. It is a must visit place for nature lovers.

Timings: 7 AM - 7 PM

At a distance of 4 km from Yercaud Bus Stand and 3 km from Yercaud Lake, Kiliyur Falls is a spectacular waterfall situated in the Servaroyan hill range of the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu, India. This is one of the beautiful waterfalls near Bangalore, and among the must include places in Yercaud holiday packages.

Kiliyur Falls is formed by the overflowing waters of Yercaud Lake, one of the most prominent Yercaud tourist places. The waterfalls drop into the Kiliyur Valley from a height of 300 feet (91 m). The view of the falls is breathtaking, especially in monsoon season. This is a seasonal waterfall and the best time to visit this place is immediately after the monsoons. It is an ideal place to spend a weekend away from the busy life.

The 2 km trek to the falls is a bit tough and may .....

At a distance of 1 km from Yercaud Bus Stand, Big Lake or Yercaud Lake is a natural lake situated in the town of Yercaud in Tamilnadu state. Popularly known as Emerald Lake, this lake is the only natural lake among all the hill station lakes in South India and also one of the top Yercaud places to visit.

Flanked by lofty hills and natural shoals, the Emerald Lake is a wonderful site and looks stunning with a beautiful garden along its banks. There is a floating fountain in the lake which increases the appeal of the garden. Tourists can also enjoy boating facilities at the lake as part of Yercaud packages. Tamil Nadu Tourism Department manages the boathouse. Visitors have to pay a caution deposit for boats. The 20 minutes boat ride in the cool waters is a memorable experience.

The Deer Park and Leisure Park located on the banks of the Big Lake also .....

At a distance of 1 km from Yercaud Bus Stand, Anna Park is located adjacent to the Big Lake in Yercaud. Maintained by the Horticulture department, Anna Park is one of the major Yercaud tourist places.

Anna Park is a well preserved garden and is a combination of four small parks known as Lake Park, Deer Park, Gandhi Park and Children's Park. The park houses a wide collection of natural plants and trees around Shevaroy hills. Inside the Anna Park, there is also one Japanese park, in which plants are grown in Japanese style. The park also has a wonderful Horticulture Farm with a Rose Garden. The Rose Garden has various varieties of roses that include button rose to very big rose. One part of the park is seen decorated with red grass which looks like a spectacular red colored carpet. The fountain in the park center splashes nicely enabling visitors to enjoy the thrill of sprinkling water.

The park is .....

At a distance of 4.5 km from Yercaud Bus Stand, Pagoda Point is a viewpoint located on the eastern part of Yercaud Hills.

Also known as Pyramid Point, the place has got its name due to the presence of four piles of stones that have been arranged in the shape of a pyramid which resembles the temple towers and is said to be built by the local tribes. Away from the bustling life of Yercaud, the Pagoda Point is the perfect getaway to embrace the mind with solace and tranquility.

There is a Sri Rama Temple situated near the Pagodas which is an important pilgrimage site for local people and tribes. Apart from attracting the devotees, Pagoda Point is also known for the heavenly beauty and wonderful surroundings, where one can relax and enjoy the beauty of the nature. The Pagoda Point offers amazing sunrise and sunset views. Tourists can enjoy beautiful views of the town of Salem along with Kakambadi village. It is advised to visit .....

At a distance of 7 km from Yercaud Bus Stand, Shevaroyan Temple is a hill temple situated atop Shevaroyan hill in Yercaud town of Tamil Nadu. Situated at an altitude of 5326 feet, this is the highest point in Yercaud Hills, and among the must-visit places during Yercaud trip.

The Shevaroyan temple is a cave temple. The main deity of Shevaroy temple is Lord Shevaroyan, worshiped by tribal people of the region. This temple can be best described as narrow and dark caves which are adorned by idols of Goddess Kaveri and Lord Shevaroyan. The male deity is believed to be the god of Servaroyan hills while the female deity is considered as the goddess of River Cauvery. It is a common belief among people residing in the area that Goddess Kaveri is believed to be the guardian deity of the 67 villages located around Yercaud.

This cave temple is believed to be 2000 years old as per the locals. The cave extends beyond the temple and the .....