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View from the treetop

For fun, sport and romance, says SOMA BASU

PHOTOS: SOMA BASU

IDYLLIC RETREAT Picturesque Chunnambar

Having heard and read about Chunnambar, I was curious to check it out during a trip to Puducherry. Unlike several other RLT destinations, this one is easy to reach. If you are short on time, hop into a cab and barely eight km down the main Cuddalore Road, you will hit this stretch, commonly referred to as "tropical paradise". All buses going to Cuddalore from Puducherry also take you right up to the main entry gate of Chunnambar in Ariyankuppam. It doesn't take long to realise that Chunnambar is indeed unique. It is flanked by a quiet flowing creek. You can sail across to reach the long crescent shaped seashore on the other end. Quite an exciting experience! On the way to the creek, a board announces "eatables from outside not allowed." So you are quite tempted to order food at the restaurant run by the Tourism Department, sit on the beach and eat. I walk through a park with some children's play equipment, a small aquarium inside a round but open thatched hut and most interestingly, a treetop house. The touch of eco-tourism undoubtedly adds charm to the place. There are three such tree houses available at Rs.1,000 a night. They have been built like a hotel room, equipped with all modern facilities to enhance the heady feeling of spending a night on top of a tree! Overnight stay is the maximum one is allowed, given the long waiting list. I reach the ticket counter for a boat ride on the backwaters, to the reach the sea. The rates vary from Rs. 50 to Rs. 500 depending on the type and size of the boat and the number of children and adults. But I am in for bad luck. The staff is on strike, docking all the brightly painted boats to rest. On the right is the main Chunnambar bridge and on the left, as far as your eyes can take, there's the aqua playground throwing different shades of blue against the falling rays of the sun. The other side of the bank is covered with thick coconut plantation. The mesmerising view inspires me to come back here the next morning. There are more people but the tranquillity still pervades. Without wasting time I scramble on to a motorboat, though a pedal boat is the best choice for the fit and energetic to enjoy the surroundings. Or even a row boat for taking in the sheer beauty at an unhurried pace. A handful of fishermen in their slender rafts cross by and sea gulls come swooping down, perhaps to feast on their catch. I then spot the sandy bar emerging at the mouth of the backwater. Beyond it, the sea and the sky merge.

The boat berths against a bamboo pier and as I step out, my eyes fall on thousands of tiny black fish in the blue water. Stretch out on the beach and enjoy the view of the pristine fawn coloured silken sand stretching for miles. The crowd gets scattered in this vast area enveloped in the soft gurgle of waves breaking on the beach. There are a few bamboo huts but no troublesome vendors. Choose your own spot and sit undisturbed for hours watching the amazingly clear waters of the sea hitting the shoreline like a swirling ghagra. The multitudes of stunning blue waves with a white foamy lining appear like a giant confetti spray. Climb up a small bamboo observation deck for a stupendous view of the sun, sand and the sea.

For those wanting to have unlimited fun, the tourism department offers many options. Play beach volleyball or pull out the garden chairs and picnic on the beach. Or borrow the beach umbrellas and get sun burnt or get the fishing rods for a catch. Hydroplanes are also available for those who want to skim over the water.

A treetop house

A stationary boathouse with chairs and teapoys gives you the pleasure of relishing your snacks or meals while staying afloat. All jaded souls can truly enjoy the mesmerising quality of sea here, not surprisingly it's also called the Plage Paradiso (Paradise Beach).

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