Hotel De L'Orient, Pondicherry

Address: 17, Rue Romain Rolland, Pondicherry, India.

Access:

Chennai Airport 160 km
Chennai Railway Station 175 km
Pondicherry Bus Stand 3 km

Neemrana's time machine takes you down south to another Indian time warp. When a comptoir of les Indes caught the imagination of the whole Occident. When the Orientalists painted picturesque landscapes and portraits of a colourful people as yet uncaptured by the camera.

Some marvellous architecture arose on the French coastline of Pondichéry. Today, one such mansion reopens, restored with furniture, art and comforts unknown to the 18th century. Sail the river of time. Flow back to a graceful era when Punkhawallas gently fanned the air and Tamil spices mixed with French restraint to give you the renowned Creole cuisine. Hotel de l'Orient opens its doors to discerning travellers as it captures the essence of coastal Pondicherry, once a French comptoir in les Indes which caught the imagination of the whole Occident. Many a ship sailed out to this destination whose picturesque landscapes and colourful people had been romanticized by the Orientalist painters. These very works of art now adorn the stairways, galleries and suites of the restored mansion - a veritable walk through the past three centuries.

You can open high glass windows into the internal court or on the street below. You can let your tall louvered blinds play with the tropical sun and wind. Or you can simply blank out the world with the wide teak shutters which turn day to night. Colonial furniture, both amusing and hybrid, fills the high-beamed spaces as you awake in four - poster beds or lounge in remarkable easy chairs which risk - all too often - a mixing of reading with intermittent siestas.

Walk barefoot on cool red or ivory floors. Tread the Savonnerie durries which have been revived on the pit loms of Jaipur. Admire the fine cotton blinds, the chintzes and indiennes, reprinted to orginal 18th century designs.

The artifacts of the area adorn the living and public spaces: Ravi Varma oleographs kitsch terracottas polychromed in garish colours, carved wooden bedlegs turned into lamps, dowry chests which serve as luggage racks. Large, old mirrors shows new faces as you wonder back though the time-warp tunnel that Pondicherry is.

Accommodation

Choose from 10 suites and rooms named after former French comptoirs, loges and factories.

Dinning :

In the Carte Blanche restaurant, savour the renowned Creole cuisine, where Tamil spices mix with French restraint, to take your taste buds on the route des Indes.

Activities::

Local sight-seeing, visit to nearby temples, Sacred Heart church, Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Heritage walks, boating, camp fire, swimming, roman treasure trail trip to Arikamedu , Sea cruise, trekking (on extra cost).

Excursion to Gingy Fort, Auroville and a visit of the Matri Mandir.