Weekend Getaway from Hyderabad - Dindi Resort, Konaseema Andhra Pradesh

Where: Konaseema, Andhra Pradesh

Distance from Hyderabad: ~500 kms

When: 25th to 26th September 2011

Group Size: 8 People

Stayed At: Dindi Resorts, Along the Banks of the Godavari River (Rs. 2500 per room per night – Non Peak Season Rates)

Transport:
Since we all were based in Hyderabad, we drove down in two vehicles - a Maruti Swift (Diesel) and a Chevy Aveo (Petrol).

Ratings:
Food - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Infrastructure - 3/5
Ambience - 3.5/5
Accessibility 2/5
Novelty Factor - 4/5
Value for Money - 3/5

Day 1:
We had almost 500 kms to cover, so we set off at 4:30 AM from Hyderabad. After rendezvousing on the Outer Ring Road near Shamshabad Airport, we drove past Ramoji Film City and headed to Vijaywada on National Highway 9.

For the first 40 odd kms, the road is 4 laned and very comfortable to drive on. However, GMR Infrastructure hasn't yet completed the project and till almost 50 kms to Vijayawada the road is still under construction. By the look of things, I reckon that it wont be completed for at least another 15 months.

We stopped off at a highway restaurant called Seven which is at the Suryapet town (140 kms from Hyderabad) to have breakfast around 8:00 AM. I was pleasantly surprised to see such a well run joint in the middle of a highway still under construction. Service is quick, the loos are clean (ladies agreed), the place is well lit & crowded. It is as good (or bad) as any food court I've seen in a mall. They had north Indian & south Indian food. They even had a Subway counter, an HDFC Bank ATM and a car wash. And the bill for 8 of us was just Rs. 700/-.

After a good breakfast, we headed to Vijaywada and reached there by around 1:00 PM. Unfortunately, Vijaywada doesnt have a bypass or an outer ring road system in place. So you have to drive through the town. Depending on the time of the day & traffic conditions, this can take you anything between an hour or two. Vijaywada is a well developed city and even has a Taj Gateway. Good idea to stop somewhere for a loo break because once you hit the highway again, there arent any good places.

We opted not to have lunch at Vijawada, since we had already ordered lunch at Dindi Resort. After picking up a few (ok, more than a few) beers, we left the city. The highway from Vijaywada to Vizag is complete and it was a pleasure driving on it. Soon after you leave the city, you come across HUGE paddy fields. At the time we went, the grass was a brilliant green, which only paddy can have, and for city dwellers like us it was an awesome site. Beautiful green fields stretched out on either side of the road for as far as the eye could see. With the beer kicking in, the iPod finally playing and a smooth road suddenly our trip was a lot more fun.

By the time we reached the resort, it was 3:00 PM and needless to say we were all starving. The food that was served was very good. Had some excellent prawns & chicken along with rice, veges & daal. Good solid coastal Andhra food. Just an FYI, there is an AP Tourism Guesthouse next door which is bang on the banks of the river.

The resort consists of three cottages built over a 'pond'. The water in the pond is changed regularly from inflows of the river, which is barely 100 feet away. Two of the three units are slightly small and comfortable for three people. The third, which is the largest, has a small balcony (totally unnecessary) and a lovely sit out. This is a great spot to have a large group.

Post lunch, the smarter ones amongst us opted to rest while the married ones were taken for a two hour boat ride on the Godavari River. Am told that they visited an island and the resort people showed them an even more secluded place where another small resort is coming up.

After freshening up, we settled down to have a few drinks & snacks. Needless to say, the snacks were really well made once again. Fish, chicken, prawns just kept on being served. Dinner was just as good as lunch & no one had any reason to complain, either about the food or the service.

Day 2
The next morning I was woken up at 6:30 AM by a friend who used the only lever that would get me out of bed. He said, "Let's go take some pictures". After grumbling for a few minutes I dragged myself out of bed, got ready and headed out with him. We walked down to the river and took some pictures. After a while we headed back & I proceeded to wake up people. Let everyone share my joy! The ladies got up, though only when promised that I would take their portrait pictures. The guys, well... some of them needed the sleep.

After a long photography session, we got ready while the wifeys struggled to drag their husbands out of bed. By the time everyone was ready, it was 10:30 AM. Once again, the cooks gave us a great breakfast. Poori sabzi, mysore bonda, dosas, vadas, idlis, uttapas and a whole bunch of chutneys is all I can recall.

After saying our goodbyes (and paying our bills), we headed to a place called Antervedi which is at the mouth of the Godavari River. It was about 20 kms from Dindi Resort and took us a while getting there as we had to drive through many villages. When we finally got there, we visited the beach and then went to the river. There were people offering boat rides (800 bucks for 8 people) but since we had a long drive back, we didnt have the time. On the way back, we stopped off at the temple which unfortunately was closed for lunch. Still, good intentions count I guess.

The drive back was long and for quite a while boring. Instead of going back the way we came, we decided to take another route based on what the resort owner had told us. This was a mistake as it turned out to be much longer. Hate to say this, but after a while I got up of seeing paddy fields and longed for the highway and a good dhaba.

We finally had lunch at 4:00 PM just 30 kms short of Vijayawada. Everyone was ravenous but I still think the food was great. After a heavy meal (700 bucks for 8 people) everyone felt a lot better.

We got in to Vijaywada at 6:00 PM, the worst possible time, and were stuck for almost an hour. Traffic barely moved as trucks, buses & office commuters piled up. By the time we got out of the city it was well over 8:00 PM. We had a late dinner at the same restaurant, Seven, and reached Hyderabad by 1:00 AM. Though we were exhausted by then, everyone was happy and we parted in a good mood.

My Takeaways:
1. If you are going on a long roadtrip, take a diesel car. Petrol just isnt worth it. We spend 3000 on the Swift's fuel and 7500 on the Aveo's. No matter how you look at it - big car vs small car or whatever - there is a HUGE saving if you use diesel.

2. Leave early. Its worth it. Better to drag yourself out of bed in the morning than reach a place late and be too tired to do anything. The same thing applies to the return journey, I wish we had left a couple of hours earlier.

3. Take turns driving as it can get tiring and even the best drivers will make mistakes. But dont allow a city driver to take the wheel at night, especially on a bad road.

4. Though this may sound silly, if you have people who havent met before, mix up the groups in different vehicles. Give everyone a chance to get to know each other before you reach your destination.

5. Carry your own water (and alcohol) since you dont know when the next good stop will be.

6. Plan ahead. Decide where you want to stop for breaks. It sure as hell beats driving around looking for places, which can either slow you down or be a safety risk if you suddenly decide to stop.

7. Drive in a convoy. Decide who will lead and make sure that you stick together more or less.

8. Carry mosquito repellents, you never know. (Though we didnt need it)

Photography Learnings:
1. A kit lens (Nikkor 18-55 mm AF-S) is fine for a trip like this. It has the wide angle that really helps and works fine in low light conditions.

2. A lot of people, especially in rural areas, dont know how to use a DSLR. So carry a tripod if you want a group picture with everyone in it. I know this sounds like overkill, but trust me, when you get back you dont want someone missing from your group pic (esp the last one you take before you leave).

3. A prime lens (Nikkor 35mm AF-S 1.8 G) is a great lens to take portrait pictures.

4. Get up early, no matter how sleepy you are, if you want to take good portrait pictures.

5. Carry a reflector, I know I wish I had one.