Trip to Suryalanka Beach Resort

If you are at Hyderabad and looking for a weekend getaway, you don't have much options. There is a dearth of tourist places around Hyderabad unless you are the religious kind and temple towns are okay with you. I have been staying in Hyderabad since last 7 years and I have already been to most places in and around Hyderabad that are worth a visit. Then I heard about this place called "Suryalanka".

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation has been aggressively promoting this place. Last December, we thought we will give it a shot. Suryalanka is a beach village (cant be called a town by any stretch of imagination). There is a government resort right on the beach so one thing it can definitely boast of is a good view. The beach is pretty clean as it is far from any big town. One can enjoy a morning walk with a lovely view and a peaceful environment. The sunset is great as well.

Having said all that, let me admit that Suryalanka gave us more negatives than positives(we will come to that)....yet it was a welcome change from a boring and pretty routine weekend at Hyderabad. All we wanted was to forget about the tensions of everyday life, sit on the beach on a lazy evening and have chilly chicken with beer/soft drinks. We got that.

I have already explained the positives (change, good view etc). Let me explain the negatives a little so that you do not kill me if you do make a trip. First and foremost, it is a government resort so service is ..... sub-standard. No two ways about it. The resort has several cottages which are "cheap" (normally I use the term, "inexpensive" but cheap describes it better as the tariff is low and so is the quality). The restaurant is pretty bad as well and they reluctantly serve the food in the cottages. Moreover, one cannot order a sizzler or a lasagne over there. They have fixed menu (little choice) for each day...depending upon the supplies. Ya, you can ask for any special dish. They do try to accomodate your wishes. The restaurant at the resort is the only option that one has. They take ages in bringing food so order around 2 hours in advance. There is not much to do at Suryalanka so DONT plan for more than a weekend. Ya, I am pretty much done with the negatives.

Food takes time to arrive but the taste is not too bad. Do try the chilly chicken, which needless to say, best goes with chilled beer. There are some shops (dont expect a Foodworld or WalMart) right outside the resort. They stock snacks and beer. Beer is available in every shop so thats a major positive.

Suryalanka is best for people from Hyderabad.....as they do not have much options. It is certainly not a great holiday destination but is a pretty okay option if you are looking for a change. The trip wont cost much as well. Okay, let me put it this way....if you are at hyderabad and have run out of options, you badly need a change, you like travelling and are a little adventurous, do not have more time than a weekend and you are not looking for a 5-star comfort....you can try Suryalanka.

(The nearest railhead is "Bapatla", which is around one hour away from Vijaywada. By road, it is around 7-8 hours drive from Hyderabad but thats not really advisable. Go over there in summers if you are looking for ways to commit suicide. Even december was hot. Carry your own snacks. An electric kettle with few cup noodles will be great. There is an Indian Air Force station nearby so one can leverage those connections and stay in their guest house. But in that casem you will miss out on the best part....the view.)