Planning a Trip to Auroville but Not Sure Where to Stay? A Guide to Hotels and Guest Houses at Auroville & What to See and Eat (2019)

Auroville is an interesting and complex form of experimentation and one that has been in the works for decades. This complex spans over 20 sq.km with distinctive settlements set amidst a forested, semi-urban and beach area. If you are visiting Auroville, it is best to start with the Auroville Visitors Centre, when you arrive and spend sufficient time on understanding how to get around Auroville. From introductory guest tours to other relevant programs, Auroville has a variety of offerings which can help you understand the centre's different philosophy of living and gaining the best from it during your visit.

If you’re just visiting Auroville for a few hours, a quick trip to the Visitor’s Centre to get familiar with the cabs and ricks in Pondy and Kalapet area is advisable. The visitors’ centre offers a detailed tour of the city’s activities and objective and is stocked with several brochures and handouts explaining Auroville’s numerous cultural and educational events, in addition to shopping sprees for some unique souvenirs at the Auroville boutiques and a variety of multicultural cuisines at its popular restaurant, a cappuccino bar and more.

If you have a day with you, then begin your trip with the visitors’ centre, then get a token for visit to Matrimandir between 9am-12pm/2pm-4.30pm. You can get to Matrimandir by a 15-minute shaded walk from the Visitors’ Centre or use a shuttle.

For an onward sightseeing trip, you can connect with Inside India at +91 413 2622047, 2622555 for a guided tour.

Auroville is a people-friendly destination, however, it isn’t your typical tourist spot. It is an experimental global town place where people from all parts of the world live and call home. It is a place that calls for personal reflection, spirituality and peace. Auroville Guest Service is designed to help the public and provide information & guidance to visitors and volunteers about their stay in Auroville. Located above the terrace on Solar Kitchen, the AV Guest Service assists can help you with details on workshops, therapies and different programs which you can be integrated into your life easily.

From a wide range of interesting publications, information on Auroville, recommendations on different aspects of staying here, and details on different activities, the Guest services in Auroville can be contacted for all of this and more at avguestservice@auroville.org.in/ +91 413-2622675.

A popular misconception surrounding visitors to Auroville is that other than the Visitors’ Centre, no other place accepts cash. However, Auroville aims at a ‘no money circulation’ objective and as such offers an arrangement through which all financial contributions & distributions are registered. You can make the most of this system by registering for an Aurocard, which is available at the guesthouse and 2 branches of Auroville Financial Service (Town Hall and PourTous). There are some banks and ATM machines for the ease of short-term visitors.

When staying at Auroville, it is good to know the general cost you’d end up incurring, which may be subject to change. For instance, a meal at the Solar Kitchen for visitors with auto cards costs Rs.240 for lunch (Monday-Saturday) and Rs.250 on Sunday. Renting a cycle costs Rs.60 a day, while a motorbike/TVS may cost Rs.80-200 a day. An Auroville Bus operates frequently during a day, costing Rs. 60 or so to and from Puducherry. Healthcare and fitness sessions, including hatha yoga, aerobics, training, massages, water treatments, etc require a usual contribution of Rs.100-2,500 from guests via an Aurocard.

The best way to move around in Auroville is on a motorbike which can be arranged by the hotel/resort/guesthouse you’re staying at for over Rs.100 a day. Auroville has a not-for-profit transport service for Aurovilians, volunteers, guests, visitors and newcomers, which provides pollution-free and safe transportation.

You can contact ITS (integrated transport services) for options like shared taxis, electric scooter on rent, local pickups and drops via electric vans and scooters. For more details you can contact: +91 8098776644 | + 91 9442566256 | +91 9840983080. For booking electric bicycles, you can contact: Kinisi e-mobility at +91 8300460679 and 8300460680; for shuttles from Auroville to Puducherry, there’s an Auroville Public Bus with 12 seats that operates between 8.20am to 9.05am (Monday to Saturday)/ 4.20pm to 5.05pm (Wednesday & Friday)/2.50pm to 3.35pm (Monday & Saturday). One way ticket costs Rs.60.

There are ITS operated taxi services and you can avail more information from here or call any of these numbers: +91 8098776644, +91 9486991643 and +919840983080.

The Annexe Room at Dancers Cottage is essentially a private room at a Bed and Breakfast Cottage, suitable for 2 people with 2 beds and 1 bath. Set on the ground floor it is a small room in an independent construct of earth building in Skandavan's garden.

The annexe room is built to be naturally cool with water storage above and other facilities here include a common living room, a pantry/kitchen with basic cooking facility, an outdoor dining table and an open sky bathroom with shower & 2 semi-open toilets. The room is ideal for single occupancy and best suited for long stays. A night’s stay here costs Rs.1,100 exclusive of taxes. You can contact the host at rekhatandon.com

Equipped well for long stay with WIFI, washer and free parking amenities, Beyond Community is a greenscape for people and offers glamping home tents at a farmland, set in a tranquil spot, far from public roads, yet close enough to cafes, restaurants and shopping areas.

A Bedroom Tent comes with a double bed, priced at Rs.765 a night. Located approx. 8kms from Puducherry, Beyond Community has a patio with garden views, a car rental service available at the tented camps with an outdoor fireplace, picnic area, outdoor furniture, packed lunch facility and laundry services as well. You can contact the host Rima at airbnb.co.in.

Flowing Grace a serviced apartment suitable for two people. Equipped for a long stay, the apartment is spacious with a large living room, balcony, a king size master bedroom at the 3rd floor with a lift as well. The kitchen is well-found and includes a refrigerator, water filter and washing machine. There’s air conditioning with 24 hours power backup and television. There’s a pool and Wifi service as well. The minimum stay requirement is 3 nights priced at Rs. 3,000 per night. For more details you can contact the host Kanda at: airbnb.co.in.

Located 3km from the Puducherry Airport, Green’s Guesthouse is in Auroville and comes with an onsite snack bar, free WiFi, free parking, seating area, a terrace in some rooms, an ATM on-site, a water sports facility, bikes on hire, and a range of activities around the premise, like windsurfing, cycling & horse riding. The guesthouse has a single room with attached bath, a double room with attached bath, a family room with balcony, a junior suite with balcony, a Family Suite and a 10 Bed Mixed Dorm Room.

For more details, you can cost Green’s Guesthouse at +91 413 262 2299/ greensguesthouse2@gmail.com

Situated in the heart of Auroville, amidst the hurried pace of a shopping centre and entertainment, the Olive De Villa is a retreat away from the chaos of everyday life with sprawling landscapes, well-maintained lawns, lip-smacking food and well-designed & spacious rooms. This small hotel has a blossom jumbo family room, a blossom premium deluxe, olive crown, olive twig, ring club, ring family club and terrace room in the tariff range of Rs. 2,666-9,529.

For more information, you can contact Olive De Villa at 9585554736 / 9585554737/ info@olivedevilla.com.

With 9 rooms onsite, the Selvasi Beach Cottage offers soundproof rooms in Auroville with 24hour front desk assistance, room services, WiFi, a safe box, a speaker phone and well equipped bathrooms. Located 2km from downtown Auroville, the cottage is just off the Kanniga Parameswari Temple, 20 minutes from the Serenity Beach Bazaar, and 20 minutes from Pondicherry Museum by car.

The Cottage offers a budget twin room with 2 single beds suitable for 4 people, a standard double room with 1 double bed apt for 5 people, and one bedroom chalet suitable for 4 people. For more details you can contact Selvasi Beach Cottage at: +91 99446 05508/ Auro beach, East Coast Rd, Periyamudaliarchavady, Auroville.

A hostel near Auroville, Rusty Rabbit Travellers Home is one of the cleanest and well maintained private hostels for long stays. Located strategically, the hostel has easy access to most significant spots in Auroville, well-connected to main roads and is yet tucked away in the quiet lanes of Auroville.

A budget backpacker’s hostel, 10 minutes from the Auroville Visitor Centre and International Township, the hostel shares close proximity to Auroville Bakery, and other popular food joints and cafes at a distance of 500m. Besides, clean air conditioned and non-air conditioned dorms, and private rooms the hostel has an in house laundry, a common area equipped with board games, television and a library, a full kitchen with all basic amenities if someone would like to cook and a terrace overlooking palm trees and the Bay of Bengal.

For more details, you can contact Rusty Rabbit Travellers Home at: +91 99948 51267/ II Floor Blossom Apartment, Auroville Main Road, Periyamudaliarchavadi

Bonjour French Resort, a boutique resort with the capacity to accommodate 72 guests at a time with 24 rooms, this French Resort offers a classic French style accommodation. Since Puducherry has a little bit of France, the place reflects a strong essence of the French culture with its buildings and lanes exhibiting a colonial charm.

The warm and welcoming ambiance of this French Boutique Resort sets an example of luxury with its amenities and services. With an ensemble of classic rooms, there’s complete privacy in the cottages with French styling and the resort also happens to be the first resort cum restaurant to manufacture the finest quality of authentic natural cheese including cheddar, blue cheese, feta, Colby, borsalino and more.

There are additional facilities of a swimming pool, a number of Ayurvedic treatments and delicious food to keep you onsite for long! The resort has standard cottages for double occupancy, classic rooms with a double and a single bed, suites with a double and single bed, all in the tariff range of Rs. 5,900-9,440 a night. For more details you can visit: wandertrails.com.

A specialty hotel, Le Tamarin offer air conditioned stays in Auroville with a restaurant onsite, a 24 hours manned front desk, free WiFi and a beautiful garden. Each room in the hotel is equipped with a wardrobe, a flat screen television and an attached bath.

With an ala-carte or Asian breakfast menu, the hotel is 13km from Puducherry and provides a paid airport shuttle service. Le Tamarin has standard double rooms and Deluxe rooms starting at Rs.2,249 a night. For more details you can contact the hotel at: +91 9585553757/ Isaiambalam, Main Road, Alankuppam, Auroville, Royapudupakkam, Puducherry.

With an open terrace that gives you captivating views of the setting sun and has a range of dwellings from sea view huts to independent cottages this offbeat resort has a variety of standard huts, non-sea view huts, treehouse huts, deluxe huts, and cottages equipped with double beds, living space with cozy furnishings and fully equipped attached baths for long stays.

Each hut comes with at least a double occupancy and a complimentary breakfast. This is pet friendly resort with free WiFi, room service and dining facilities. The room tariffs range from Rs.1,500-4,500 a night. For more details you can visit: wandertrails.com