Nathalie Chanvallon

Peachy Bawa

Lavina Desai

Gautam Bulchandani

Purvi Harlalka

Rajani Rao

Nicolas Guyan

Amit Nag

Ishani Pandit

Sakthi Alagappan

Sadhana Nigroo

Simon Hessel

Nainy Madaan

Sunaina Gupta

Prateek Kumar Gupta

Jeevitha J

Monica Iyengar

Nithin Gregory

Aayushh Desai

Priya R

Jawahar Mahi

Harshit Anand

Harsha Skanda

Rahul Sharma & Anuj Goel

Olam Agri

Jorn Daems

Trishul

Divya Silberman

Magda Ouanes

Vipin Antony

Sneha Ramesh

Saloni Dhir

Shrinidhi V

Neena Rao

Sabina Panday

Harminder Singh Swani

Dr Erika Patel

Mark Lacey

Christine & Mark Zimmermann

Nimrita Genomal

Michelle Bonnici

Sayathi Dutta

Lisha Kareer

TNV Ayyar

Nitin Bansal

Neha Bagaria

Niroop Gunapati

Bharath Parthasarathy

Annapurna Mamidipudi

Shovir Irani

Pondicherry

India

Pets Allowed

Bedrooms

King Size Bed

High-Speed Internet Access, Wi-Fi Connectivity

Air Conditioning

Hot Water

Complimentary Soap/Shampoo/Conditioner

Bottled Water

Cashless Payment Available

Ceiling Fan

Chair Provided with Desk

Double Bed

First Aid Kit

Garden

Hair Dryer

Iron & Ironing Board

Outdoor Parking

Paid Parking on the Street

Parties Allowed

Security Services

Towels

Wardrobe

RentalsUnited

Staah

Maison Twenty-Six is in the heart of the French Quarter of Pondicherry, less than a 5-minute walk from the promenade, popular shops, and restaurants. An innocuous set of unmarked brown doors lined with greenery leads you into a magical garden courtyard. Plenty of parking space is available in the municipal car park located right opposite the house.

This suite comprises a large bedroom, a spacious lounge, a balcony, an ensuite bathroom and a small pantry. The bedroom is luxurious with two sets of slatted double French doors that open into the lounge. A beautiful Tree-of-Life tapestry adorns the eastern wall. Sitting beside it is an exquisite period Rosewood dresser.

A romantic canopy bed forms the centrepiece of the room, a charming Dutch-East Indian study desk with a restored lithograph of Fort St. George overlooking it. The AC lounge of the Madras Suite has a sitting area with a flat-screen TV and cable. An old photo print of the Meenakshi Temple in Madurai fills one wall. A painting by Rekha Rodwittiya adds mirth to the room.

Madras Suite 

This large suite comprises a bedroom, bathroom and air-conditioned lounge. Themed with hints of Bombay and Gujarat, the bedroom has a queen bed with a large pichwai painting as a backdrop. An Anglo-Indian carved sofa from Gujarat sits in one corner. Tall French doors lead onto a wraparound balcony overlooking the courtyard and road. A set of metal chairs and a small table make it ideal for a morning cup of coffee. The lounge has a flat-screen TV with cable.

A beautiful Bourne-and-Shepherd photo of colonial Bombay with Flora Fountain harks back to an earlier era. A sofa-cum-double bed accommodates one adult or two small children.

Bombay Suite 

Themed in shades of Shanghai Red and decorated in all things oriental, this bedroom leads off from the northern side of the Living Room. Its high romantic four-poster king bed is accessible with stepping stools. Flanked on both sides are Chinese side consoles, topped with oriental lamps, and the walls are decorated with fragments of original headboards from a daybed of an opium parlour.

There is a decadent, maroon-themed bathroom with a decorative chandelier hovering over a cement-smoothened bathtub.

Indo-Chine Bedroom

Accessed from the north of the garden courtyard, this room is themed in indigo blue and filled with art and textiles of East India. A small queen four-poster bed is framed by a blue Tree-of-Life-themed Chintz tapestry. Bedside tables have Kalighat paintings above them, with Art Deco mirrors expanding the visual space.

A large reprint of a Bourne and Shepherd photo of colonial Calcutta adorns one wall. The room has its own ensuite bathroom with contemporary fittings.

Bengal Bedroom

This small, foliage-filled courtyard is enveloped on three sides by a bedroom, air-conditioned lounge, kitchen and covered verandah. The centre of the courtyard is a pillar of foliage symbolizing the Tree of Life. In the southeast is a gazebo that houses a powder room.

Garden Courtyard

The verandah is also the alfresco dining space, flanked by giant white plastered columns on one side and the formal living room on the other side. A striking black-and-white cement-tiled floor complements a seven-seater cane and metal dining table, which can be extended to seat more people.

Covered Verandah

An enormous, 18-foot-high room with raftered ceilings and flooring set in the early 20th century, uses Belgian tiles imported from Vietnam. Careful restoration of the walls has revealed the original lime-green and red plaster. Sit at a quaint 3-seater marble-topped table under a magnificent chandelier or relax in any of the multitude of corner sofa arrangements.

A beautiful and original Pondicherry buffet sideboard, doubling up as a bar counter, is topped by an exquisite artwork by UK-born Indian contemporary artist, Desmond Lazaro.

Living Room

This small air-conditioned common space is located adjacent to the courtyard. It has comfortable seating and doubles as a cool respite from warm summers for drinks or even a meal.

Indoor Lounge

This space is on the south side of the courtyard. The contiguous laundry room-cum-kitchen is equipped with a washing machine and ironing facilities. The large refrigerator is perfect for chilling your favourite beverages and storing perishables. The kitchen is fully equipped with gas burners, an oven and microwave and plenty of space to cook up a meal of your own.

Laundry, Kitchen and Staff Accommodation

The covered verandah upstairs has two comfortable seating clusters with lovely views over the railing into the courtyard. Ideal for morning get-togethers!

Upper Verandah

ALL DAYS | AM/PM | 2-3 HRS | EXPERT-GUIDED TOUR

The colonial past of Puducherry is hard to miss even by the casual walker. The Portuguese have been here, so have the Dutch, the Danes and the English. By the 18th century, this tiny fishing village had turned into a grand port city. 

The French first set foot here in 1670 and left a part of them when their undisturbed rule finished in 1954. Not much has changed since. The history has become punctuated. Come walk around Pondicherry’s heritage town with our interpreter who will take you around the town telling interesting stories about the Franco-Pondicherian culture and how he enjoys life locally. 

Share your interest with us and we will suggest the best route. The tour covers the White Town, Sri Aurobindo Ashram Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Notre Dames Des Anges Church, Tamil & Muslim Quarters, & the Goubert Market.

Please Note:
- Price includes the services of a storyteller expert and tuk-tuks for transportation

The colonial past of Puducherry is hard to miss even by the casual walker. The Portuguese have been here, so have the Dutch, the Danes and the English. By the 18th century, this tiny fishing village had turned into a grand port city.

Slice of Life Tour

MON - SAT | 9 AM - 4 PM | 4 - 6 HRS | EXPERT-GUIDED TOUR

On this day trip, you will be personally led by a 2nd generation Aurovillian who is eager to share what makes Auroville such a unique place to live & visit. 

To get a first-hand experience of how this community has flourished, learn from and about those who chose to join, build and live this unique lifestyle. Listen to the stories of the next generation that were born here & decided to stay.

Please Note:
- Price includes the cost of a 2nd-gen Aurovillian storyteller

On this day trip, you will be personally led by a 2nd generation Aurovillian who is eager to share what makes Auroville such a unique place to live & visit.

Impressions of Auroville

ALL DAYS | EARLY AM | 2 - 3 HRS | EXPERT GUIDED TOUR

The best time to visit Auroville is the morning, before the crowds come, even before Aurovillians get to work! And no better way to experience this amazing community than on a trusty e-bike, the way most residents get around. 

With your expert 2nd generation Aurovillian leading you, first learn to use an e-bike, and then set off down tranquil red-gravel roads, littered with dried leaves, shaded by lush planted forests.

Get off-road and navigate through little-used paths deep inside the community visiting areas inaccessible by day visitors. All along, stop and get a first-hand insider’s look at how Auroville started life and the journey along the way. End at one of the resident cafes for a sumptuous and organic breakfast.

Please Note:
- You do need to know how to ride a bicycle!
- Minimum 4 guests
- Price includes e-bike rental, an Aurovillian expert and breakfast

The best time to visit Auroville is the morning, before the crowds come, even before Aurovillians get to work! And no better way to experience this amazing community than on a trusty e-bike, the way most residents get around.

Auroville E-Bike Tour

Go on a private guided heritage walk of Pondicherry accompanied by a representative from an award-winning non-profit organisation recognized as being singularly responsible for the revival and renaissance of the city’s heritage skyline and urban landscapes. 

The walk takes visitors on a leisurely stroll through the boulevard area offering a chance to enter some old heritage buildings like the Cluny embroidery centre and Hotel de la Orient on Rue Romain Rolland, the Old Court Building on the promenade, the Alliance Francaise building on Rue Suffren and the École Francaise building on Rue Dumas.

Find out how adaptive reuse is securing the architectural heritage of Pondicherry. The walk takes approximately 2 hours and you can choose between a walk through the French Quarter or the Tamil Quarter.

Go on a private guided heritage walk of Pondicherry accompanied by a representative from an award-winning non-profit organisation recognized as being singularly responsible for the revival and renaissance of the city’s heritage skyline and urban landscapes.

Pondicherry Heritage Walk

FORESTS & FARMS IN AUROVILLE | Mon-Sat | AM | 4 hrs | Expert Guided

This is a quintessential immersive experience within Auroville, visiting two of their most recognised sustainability projects led by founder experts or their team. We take a tour to a forest and farm and meet people working with afforestation and natural farming projects.

This replanted forest is an outstanding example of regeneration, an educational outreach center, and a pioneer in the conservation of indigenous practices. It has impacted the environment and community livelihood of several villages in the Auroville bioregion. 

At the farm, connect with nature and a native lifestyle. This organic farm advocates for and practices permaculture and sustainability methods. Crops are grown from indigenous seeds and part of the harvest is used in the organic restaurant they run. End your tour with a farm-to-fork vegan lunch.

Please Note:
- Price includes cost of expert-led visits, projects, and lunch

Visit a forest and a farm in this quintessential immersive experience within Auroville, visiting two of their most recognised sustainability projects, led by founder experts or their team.

Forests and Farms in Auroville

Maison Twenty-Six

Bombay Suite

Madras Suite

Accessed from the north of the garden courtyard, this room is themed in indigo blue and filled with art and textiles of East India. A small queen four-poster bed is framed by a blue Tree-of-Life-themed Chintz tapestry. Bedside tables have Kalighat paintings above them, with Art Deco mirrors expanding the visual space. 

A large reprint of a Bourne and Shepherd photo of colonial Calcutta adorns one wall. The room has its own ensuite bathroom with contemporary fittings.

- Arrive in Pondicherry, drop off your bags at the villa and head to the French Quarter for lunch
- In the evening, explore the French Quarter with a guided architectural walk by INTACH
- Enjoy a scrumptious dinner at the villa prepared by our chef on-call

Day 1

- Breakfast at the villa
- Discover Auroville’s uniqueness with the guided Impressions of Auroville tour, led by a 2nd-generation Aurovillian
- Lunch at one of Auroville’s many chic cafés
- Return to Pondicherry and do some shopping, using our curated list of its best stores
- Sit down for a delicious dinner at a restaurant in the French Quarter

Day 2

- Breakfast at the villa
- Check out at 10 AM and leave bags in the villa
- Learn about Pondicherry’s colonial past with the Slice of Life tour, customised to your interests
- Eat lunch at a local cafe
- Depart Pondicherry

Day 3

Break from the doldrums of your routine with a couple of nights off in Pondicherry.

Short Weekend in Pondicherry

- Arrive in Pondicherry. Drop off your bags at the villa and head out for lunch in the French Quarter.
- In the evening, take an architectural walk with an INTACH expert to learn about about Pondicherry’s heritage
- Dinner at the villa by a chef on call

- In the morning, beat the crowds and explore Auroville with a guided e-bike tour
- Breakfast in Auroville
- Return to Pondicherry and relax
- Lunch at the villa
- Afternoon Slice of Life Tour of Pondicherry
- Evening dinner at a restaurant in French Quarter

- Breakfast at the villa
- Morning sailing trip in the Bay of Bengal.
- Return to villa.
- Lunch at a local restaurant.
- Shopping in Pondicherry on your own using our curated list of stores.
- Dinner at the villa

- Breakfast at the villa
- Depart Pondicherry

Day 4

Come to Pondicherry for a revitalising long weekend, spent doing watersports, e-biking around Auroville, and taking architectural tours of the areas surrounding your villa.

Rejuvenating Long Weekend in Pondicherry

- Arrive in Pondicherry 
- Drop off your bags at the villa and head out for lunch in the French Quarter
- In the evening, join an INTACH expert for an architectural tour of Pondicherry
- Dinner at the villa by a chef on call

- In the morning, take an e-bike tour of Auroville to explore the town
- Breakfast in Auroville
- Return to Pondicherry and relax
- Enjoy a delicious lunch at the villa
- In the afternoon, drive to Auroville for an immersive experience in two of Auroville’s most recognised sustainability projects. Walk through a scrub jungle and natural sand quarry, take a swim in the pool, and finish with a farm-to-fork vegan dinner before you return to the villa to retire for the night.

- Breakfast in the villa
- Learn to surf in Pondicherry
- Visit Chez Pushpa for a traditional Creole lunch
- Afternoon Slice of Life Tour of Pondicherry
- Evening dinner at a restaurant in the French Quarter

- Breakfast at the villa
- Morning sailing trip in the Bay of Bengal
- Return to the villa
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Shopping in Pondicherry on your own using our curated list of stores.
- Dinner at the villa

Day 5

Spend a relaxing week at Pondicherry and immerse yourself in the culture of the city.