Camping Month

June is Camping Month, and time to stock up on marshmallows! Pack the tent or stock the caravan, and head out into the countryside. Get away from desks, television and the internet for a couple of days and experience the tranquility of camping out in the open world.Let us find out some of the interesting places to camp around Pondicherry.Auroville BeachAuroville or Auro beach is about 12 km from Puducherry along the ECR. The beach is right opposite to the road that leads to Auroville from ECR. Its a hotspot for Aurovillians and tourists alike. Weekends on this beach tend to get fairly crowded with people from nearby towns coming in for a relaxation. With the fishermen community closely located, sea food is quite popular here.Chunnambar/Paradise BeachChunnambar or Paradise Beach is 7 km past Puducherry along the Cuddalore main road. As the name suggests, its the Paradise on earth. The beach is accessible through boats from the Boathouse of Chunnambar which is located at Ariyankuppam. A 15-20 minute ride takes you to the clean and serene Paradise beach, a small stretch of island with blue sea and sky all around. The beach is the point where Chunnambar river mingles with the backwaters of Bay of Bengal. The sea is not very aggressive here and hence is ideal for swimming and safe for children. There are separate tickets for entering into the boat house and for boat rides. The ride to the beach takes a route surrounded by dense forests with hints of palm groves here and there. The sparsely populated beach is the perfect weekend getaway from your bustling busy city lives.Ousteri LakeOusteri lake is the most important fresh water lake of Puducherry, situated towards north of the town some 10 km away (on the Puducherry-Villupuram road). The lake was a primary source of drinking water for Puducherry town earlier. Now, it is basically a bird sanctuary and an internationally recognized wetland. The place sees many migratory birds during the migratory season starting in late August. There is a wide range of aquatic species too. There is a small childrens park which serves as a nice picnic spot. Boating facilities are also available.PitchavaramIt is one of the worlds largest mangrove forest spread out over 1100 Hectares consisting of numerous islands. The Pitchavaram mangroves attract a lot of local as well as migrant birds, the migratory season for birds here is between September and April. In February, one can participate in the Dawn Fest or Vidiyal Vizha, organised by the tourism department of Tamil Nadu. It is also a good picnic spot and you can entertain yourself in water sports like kayaking, rowing and canoeing.GingeeFamous for its fort, Gingee has become a popular tourist destination. The stone pillars and statues in the Bharathi Park and Gandhi Thidal on the Beach Road were brought by the French in Pondy from Gingee. The place is also popular due to the various temples here and its history. Gingee is located between three hills.Let us find some time and have a great Camping Month ahead