Saturday, February 2, 2008

The Dune







My first reaction to finding this place was that I couldn't believe it's been there all along sitting in my backyard, being fabulous.The Dune, located in Pondicherry is an Eco Beach Resort situated around 2.5 hours from Madras. This thematic resort houses 24 villas complete with stylised bathrooms and a lounge area. Check out more of it's features here.

What I love about this place is that it caters to so many different aesthetic leanings. Theres the serene all white room and the austere beach houses , the ethnic village houses and the bright kitsch rooms. The coolest thing however is that they have an artist in residence program with South Asian artists like Susheela Raman and Funky Bodhi performing. I have to say I'm a little upset about being in the dark about this place for so long (especially since I made a trip to Pondi not so long ago only to be sorely disappointed.) But all is not lost and it's not going anywhere so maybe I'll visit one of these days.

14 comments:

  1. very Van Gogh! that chair... the intensity of that blue, that red bath. (oh, what I would give, to sit in that red bath...)

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  2. HM : I'm totally loving the red bath as well. Tis fabulous

    wendyb: welcome! & Yes I agree, I have got to visit that place over a weekend!

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  3. ohhh very nice...makes me wanna leave my boring HDB flat and make a bee line to this fabulous eclectic place. sigh.
    Thanks for posting this...i know where to go if and when I do go to Pondicherry :)
    Vindy

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  4. Hey V,
    Yeah, this place looks fabulous from the website, & it's 2.5 hrs from my place :) Will send you pics when I visit !

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  5. WOW WOW and WOW! Its sooo strange- just tonight me and a couple of friends were planning a trip to Pondi- none of us have been & then to see this place! its kickass- and r u in chennai? I somehow thought u were a bombayite :)

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  6. Vineeta,

    I'm as South Indian as they come, A Mallu brought up in Madras ;) As for Pondi, I suggest you do your research first because if you try to do the aimless wandering that I did you will just end up with a heat stroke ! BTW I might be checking out this Dune place soon , one of the feb weekends.

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  7. :) more power to us :) I was planning on doing Pondi this coming March sometime- nothing concretised, but yes, research has to happen. We r also trying to figure out if we know someone from Auroville ashram to take us around. lets see...

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  8. Indeed, Mallus of the world unite! (Ok probably not) Well you can get to the Ashram and ask someone to show you around but thats mostly all the spiritual stuff, dunno if you're into that. Theres a lot of art/craft happening there. Ceramics, Paper etc . It's hippie town alright. The colonial part of it is very quaint. It's a very tiny place. You'll find a lot of Antique stores & since you have a thing for doors, you'll find an entire street full of them ! I suggest you combine it with Mahabalipuram for true Boho satisfaction.

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  9. Wow, those bedposts. The whole bed frame, really. Just wow.

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  10. Hey, how come all this discussion abt Auroville & Pondi is happening without me;-)?

    Can you believe it I actually found out abt 'The Dune' from Elle Decoration magazine U.K Edition??
    I checked on their site a while back and didn't have any images to post abt....but this is gorgeous Powerpuff:-))

    You are right Pondi/Auroville has the spiritual side ( Mother's ashram etc) and also I loved just walking along the French part of Pondi with all the amazing architecture, doorways,colours & restaurants!!

    I understand you can spend sometime with the people in Auroville who are into various activities like ceramics, incense stick, pottery, handmade paper etc

    Forest Pottery/Angad Vohra etc are big time into it:-))

    You chennaiite...we have to catch up!!

    Gosh have I written too much??

    Anyway..take care will try and get outta this lazy state quickly;-)
    Arch

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  11. Ambika,

    I know, I love the bangle thing. I find glass bangles extremely fascinating . I think it's an entire sensory experience with the whole colour & sounds & the coolness against your skin. (Notice I'm waxing poetic abt glass bangles)

    Arch,
    I'm also guilty of finding out about it from the UK edition of Elle Decoration , thanks to a magazine fair here last week :)

    Abt Pondi, It's a lot like Madras, you need someone trustworthy to take you to all the interesting sights . & I'm all about catching up, some chai & I'm there ( & maybe those delicious things you keep baking that you take warmfuzzy pictures of)

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  12. Oh The Dune! It's a lovely place. When I stayed there the rates started from 3100 onwards. Now I think they have hiked the rates. But it is absolutely gorgeous. And the service is too good. And at night I suggest you go for a walk. Get the services of Scooby (their resident Labrador) too. It is peaceful and has a rather lonely stretch of beach. The beach though closes gates at 7 pm. But do visit it when you go there.

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