By telling us your country of residence we are able to provide you with the most relevant travel insurance information.
Please note that not all content is translated or available to residents of all countries. Contact us for full details.
Shares
The sound of the waves crashing into the beach could be heard from a distance. I couldn't wait to get there — all I wished for was that the boatman rows a little faster. As I went closer, approaching this unknown piece of land, little did I know that an unexplored beach was waiting to welcome me! Much to my surprise, the beach was clean, and the water transparent, without any garbage or litter thrown around, which is a rare sight in most parts of India. But where was I? After a wonderful two-day vacation in Pondicherry, exploring the many beaches, churches, places of significance and local cafes, I was left with another day. Not wanting to repeat what I had already seen, I started on a quest to the unknown. A place I only heard about from the locals. My excitement woke me up early the next morning, so I could start the voyage soon, along with my friends in tow. A common question that might arise in your curious minds — how is this beach unexplored? Because you have to undergo more than an hour of journey, rowing on a boat, crossing a mangrove forest to get here. I reached here through the mangroves of Pichavaram. Situated about 60 km away from Pondicherry in the Southern part of India, Pichavaram is home to the second-largest mangrove forest here. You know you have entered Pichavaram when you see a rope tied across the road. Just when you start wondering what’s going on, you notice a little kid walking towards you, asking you to pay a toll of 50 INR to enter the town. I have taken a lot of road trips across India, but have never come across a toll-gate of this kind. Once my friends and I reached the spot from where we could hire a boat, and took a good look around, we didn’t expect the beauty that lied ahead. We paid 900 INR for a group of 5 people for the boat ride to take us through the Pichavaram mangroves. If you get bored with the idea of having to drift through the mangroves for over an hour, then you could opt for a speed boat. I would, however, suggest selecting a rowboat instead because then you are taken through the small pathways inside the mangrove — a sight you wouldn’t want to miss out on after having come this far. The boatman might ask you to pay an extra amount (we were asked to shell 75 INR per head) to take you through the small pathways, but of course, you can bargain. There are only a few things that one can do in Pichavaram – sit back, soak in the beauty, drift through the mangroves and take a lot of pictures. When we were not lost in the scenic beauty of the place, we were busy capturing it on our phones and cameras. The view is so breathtaking; it would leave one gasping for breath. After around 40 minutes of drift on the backwater, you enter a zone where you find overhanging branches and creepy sounds in the backdrop. It seemed straight out of a horror movie. That piqued our excitement level. Amidst the overhanging branches, through the small pathways, we were busy searching for snakes. Much to our disappointment, we did not find any. The boatman stopped near the shore and we had to walk for about 10 minutes to reach the beach. The beauty of what I witnessed can be understood the best only when you witness it yourself.