Desi-style Europe

FIND A LITTLE BIT OF FRANCE IN PUDUCHERRY

Puducherry (or Pondicherry) was under French rule until 1954. It makes sense then that the French imprint is as evident as it is – some people here still speak French (and English with French accents), restaurants serve up delectable French food and the architecture reveals a distinct French-subcontinental aesthetic. Over time, the Franco-Tamilian culture has also worked up a bohemian-chic New Age-meets-Old World vibe. Head to the older French quarter and stroll down its clean streets, lined with bougainvillea-draped Colonial-style townhouses – it’s easy to forget, for a little bit, that you’re in India and not a quaint, charming neighbourhood in France.

DISCOVER WHY COORG IS CALLED THE ‘SCOTLAND OF INDIA’

Rolling hills, lush (and expansive) coffee estates, long and winding roads flanked by towering teak and pine