We stayed at a wonderful, somewhat funky beach resort north of Pondicherry – “The Dune” Eco Beach Hotel. It’s an eco-friendly hotel/resort consisting of a bunch of different huts and houses scattered over 35 acres of lush landscaping. In addition to efforts to be “eco-friendly”, they are also art-friendly, playing host to a crafts and vocational school for marginalized Indians seeking to better their lives. It’s also a great place to bring your dog – you don’t have to endure disapproving looks from management if your dog is walking around off leash, because the resort has a few of its own hanging around the grounds and stopping by to visit any four-footed guests who stop by for a day or two.
Many of the houses are constructed from repurposed wood, in the style of local traditional houses and with an artistic touch here and there. We stayed in the “Kerala House”, and the gables on both ends give an indication of what I’m talking about:
The gardens are all surrounded by “natural fences” and everyone gets a couple of bicycles to get around.
The grounds have a nice dirt path about 1.5 km long where you can walk or jog, and admire the odd little works of art scattered around the grounds, like this one:
The resort also has its own private beach. Of course, the beach is not fenced off from other beaches, so there is the occasional visitor like this dog from the nearby fishing village.
While we were there, I wandered down to see what the fishermen were up to. Most of them were out to sea, but some, like this man, were working on their nets.
The boats were surprisingly simple, with all sorts of motors. Yet they seem to get the job done.
While I was wandering around the fishing boats, these three boys stopped me and insisted I photograph them in extremely fragmented English.
After I snapped the photo, they came for a look, and when they saw the result, they insisted I take another – but this time I should “zoom”! So I took another. This one, they proclaimed, was “beautiful.”
The resort was extraordinarily quiet at night, and if you wandered outside, there were endless stars overhead. In a country of 1.2 billion, it’s nice to know there are still lots of places you can get out and see the stars.
If you’re interested in learning more about this resort, you can read my review on TripAdvisor.
