UST about any Indophile familiar with history and the French influences along the the eastern coast of the Indian subcontinent will be familiar with Pondicherry. This is where those in search of spiritual regeneration have headed to for decades, seeking out the calm, the yoga, the meditative peace, and the alternative lifestyle of Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville.

With 32km of beach, this Indian French Riviera has a style and pace redolent of the past, evidenced nowhere more keenly perhaps than in the clean, crisp lines and salmon hues of the small and inviting Indian heritage hotel, the Hotel de l'Orient from the Neemrana Hotels group. Step into the 18th Century to savour echoing corridors, timber-floored dining rooms, gleaming staircases, archways and four-poster beds. The place is a historian's delight, peppered with memorabilia ranging from etchings to postcards, created and painstakingly penned over three centuries.

Under high wooden rafters in the mellow luminescent spill of elegant lamps, sit down for fine Creole dining with a hint of subtle French and a lick of fresh Tamil spice to perk the most jaded palate. This is Carte Blanche, a splendid repast for the senses with its evocative collection of ancient maps and sailing charts. There's a Neemrana shop at hand should you wish to bring home interesting souvenirs.

The Union Territory of Pondicherry officially includes the capital, Pondicherry, 162km south of Chennai in Tamil Nadu state, as well as Karaikal, Yanam (in Andhra Pradesh) and Mahe (in Kerala). The French sailed into this tropical stronghold in 1673AD and stayed for almost three centuries leaving their imprint on the architecture, food and customs of the area. Tour churches, temples, ashrams, yoga centres, beaches and bustling markets from this fine heritage hotel. Says Conde Nast Traveller, UK, "The Neemrana Hotels group is India's best kept secret and offers a range of extraordinary places to stay."