"Pondi", a French Union Territory on the Bay of Bengal, has always had a charm and a style of its own, which is still visible in the old city beside the sea. As an outpost of the French Empire for almost 300 years, it was built on a grid system, neatly divided by a canal. It has pretty houses painted in Mediterranean colours, intimate gardens and many remnants of its colonial past. Its shopping is excellent (taxes are low), with particular specialities being doll making, silk weaving and papermaking. It is also home to the exceedingly rich Sri Aurobindo Ashram, whose buildings sprawl throughout the town: they also make paper and books, often beautifully bound in silk. The old seafront - Beach Road - makes a lovely morning stroll, there is a museum, several elaborate Catholic churches and 19th century Botanical Gardens planted with around 900 species of plants.