Vishakhapatnam travel guide

The gentle breeze blowing my hair onto my tanned face; soothing whispers of the waves lapping softly against the shore in the glimmering sunlight. It all seemed to melt into me as I stood – the soles of my blistered feet planted into the golden sand. I’d never seen or experienced anything like it. Those cunning tides, as if beckoning me closer – glided over the smooth black rocks that seemed to play hide and seek in the waves.

Visakhapatnam – a serene conurbation located on the far eastern coast of India – was truly one of a kind. The vast Bay of Bengal is omnipresent, no matter where within the city you are. We arrived at this gorgeous abode only to be greeted by the breathtaking scenery, a churning and frothing ocean that stretched on far beyond all we could see, and lush green giant hills that seemed to run on forever, sounded simply sublime, didn’t it?

The moment we arrived at our beachside resort – Novotel, which was the literal definition of ‘overlooking the sea’ – I felt something different. Something uniquely calming, which was most possibly to do with the undulating waves and the never-ending splashes of the tide smashing against the rocks and sand. Perhaps it was the endless variety of luxuries at the hotel, or it was the evening tea on beanbags by the beach – but my mind had gone into a phase of relaxation that I hadn’t felt much before. I’m sure you’ve all been on beachside vacations – but honestly? Beach holidays are often associated with hot, wet winds and prickly, tight swimsuits filled with sand. Therefore, by default, we had this very mindset when we set off on our journey to Vizag. But wonder of wonders! We were met by chilly breezes and glorious swims in the Bay of Bengal! Starting from a glamorously organized dinner at Novotel for our first night, till the last croissant we managed to sneak in for breakfast the next day – every moment of our journey was utterly surreal.

Those four days of my life were simply exquisite – nothing but me, my beloved family (consisting of my parents, uncle, aunt, sister, and paternal grandmother), the ocean, and of course; the wonderful beachside resort with its infinity swimming pool! On the first day – we lounged on beanbags by the beach as we sipped ice-cold tea from transparent glass cups. Just imagine the most amazing lemon tea you’ve had. Then, triple the flavor, and add a tangy zest to it that simply makes your brain go – ‘pop’ – that was the kind of iced tea we had at Novotel. It was simply exquisite.

We did nothing but enjoy the comfort of each other’s company so greatly – that we seldom needed to be reminded that we had any worries left in the world. I’ll be completely honest – we barely even visited any renowned landmarks of Vizag; only the spellbinding ruins of a Buddhist monastery at ‘ThotlaKonda’, and the R.K beach. But it wasn’t very concerning for us that we’d missed out on these things – because in my opinion, the purpose of this trip (which was to rejuvenate), has been fulfilled!

All in all, it was a fabulous experience – an undulating journey indeed, as we’ve had our ups and downs. But it was exceptional- despite our disappointment at the famous restaurant that held great nostalgic significance dating back to 2019 – ‘Kamat’ closing down for renovation. We had traveled for quite some time and were positively famished. So you can imagine our chagrin when we discovered that ‘Kamat’ had closed down. But we didn’t let our spirits fall too low – no way! So what if there was a minor setback in our trip. We wouldn’t give up so easily! I mean, I’m sure if you were our place – you wouldn’t have succumbed either! Not when your hunger burned with the force of a thousand flames!

We roamed the illuminated streets of Rushikonda for the next couple of half hours – searching relentlessly for a place to satisfy our hunger. Luckily – we were saved by the golden neon lights of a little, near-empty cafe; ‘VHangOut’. After that, it was all a rush of delicious food- varying from pasta to sizzling hot chocolate brownies.

So to conclude our trip – we had a blast. There may have been some distressing times – like when I, unfortunately, fell sick by the beach, or when we saw that our favorite restaurant had closed down – but honestly? It’s entirely up to us – do we want to remember the trip for the negative factors and experiences that occurred, or for the simplest, yet most meaningful moments of family bonding and
relaxation?

–Srinika Mukherjee, an eighth-grade student, is a budding author with two published books and a fervent passion for music.