This last month, I have spoken to at least half a dozen people, helping them navigate their way in Auroville. On my last such call, I recollected how vague Auroville felt on my first visit. This post is to help you fit at least one of the puzzle pieces – the Stay in Auroville.
Can you Stay in Auroville?
Yes, you can. There are multiple stay options in Auroville but during season time esp. during December-January, almost everything gets booked out fast. So, once you do know the dates, reach out to the guest house and book finalize your stay. This usually means paying 50% of your bill upfront.
All the official Auroville guest houses are listed here – https://guesthouses.auroville.org/
Note: There are many guest houses around Auroville that are named with prefix 'Auro' but only the ones listed above are actually in Auroville and therefore gives you access to a certain places.
How to go about picking a Guest House?
There are over 70 guest houses/homestays listed at the official site and unfortunately, the prices aren’t listed. One way to guage the price is by seeing the ‘Comfort Range’ category when you click on the stay option. Unfortunately there’s no filter at the header level. Comfort levels are described here – https://auroville.org/page/guest-houses. TO summarize, A is the most basic level while D is the most comfortable with attached toilet, often attached kitchenette as well.
Tip: If you’re only visiting for a few days, I highly recommend looking at ‘To matrimandir’ category as well in your search results. A lot activities happen around this center area, so it’s a good idea to be around.
One can also drop an email to guestaccommodation@auroville.org.in with their critieria like budget, facilities etc. They don’t have the availability data but they do know the rates so they could help narrow your list down.
How to make a Booking?
It’s best to call the guesthouse between 9 am to 5 am. If you’re outside India, you could drop them an email and/or WhatsApp message.
This is work in progress. I'll add my recommended list of guest houses here soon.