One of the best things about the hot and simmering days of summer is the weekends, when you can stay away from the heat. But the soaring mercury levels offer little scope for people to venture out to favourite city spots like the Beach Road. So how are Vizagites chilling out on the weekends? The concept of brunches has becoming increasingly popular in the city this season. Be it cooling off in a swimming pool while sipping a glass of summer cooler or simply relaxing in a lounge while watching films or a cricket match on the big screen, people are making the most of all options available in the city for a chilled-out weekend. Frequent power cuts have aided this trend and Vizagites are venturing out to many such hangouts.
Juzer Ekhlas, who recently got married, says that brunches are a great way to explore the different types of summer special cuisine and also try out the range of summer coolers. “Though the beaches are our favourite hangout spot, we can’t go there on a hot summer weekend. So we have made a list of all the places in the city offering brunches. Every weekend me and my wife plan to explore the options,” he says. His wife, Misbah, says that brunches are also a great way of relaxing away from the heat and spending some quality time together. Most city hotels like Novotel, Hotel Grand Bay, The Gateway Hotel and The Park offer brunches and some places also include live musical performances. The menu has been tweaked to include summer special highlights like summer coolers and refreshing range of desserts in tune with the season.
The fun element apart, brunches are also a way to unwind and make the weekends different from than the other days of the week. For Kavita Sharma, who lives in the naval base, weekends come as a welcome relief when she can cast away her kitchen duties and dash off to the poolside. “I love water and poolside venues are my favourites. The emphasis isn’t on food, but the idea to enjoy the location and the out-of-home feeling. Otherwise the day off from work is ruined entirely on house clean-up,” she says.
Brunches come as a great break for parents who struggle to keep their little ones occupied with some activity. Most of the hotels offering brunches have a kids’ zone which give a range of fun activities to keep the kids entertained. So while the parents relish the lavish buffet spread of the brunches, the kids enjoy their day out in the activity area.
Adding some extra dash of adventure to the summer weekends, Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) recently launched high-speed water scooters at popular tourist destination of Rushikonda. Named as ‘Weekend Beach Dhamaka,’ APTDC has introduced a package for families to spend time together on Saturday and Sunday. This includes jet skiing, fun games, entertainment by Dhimsa dance and dinner at Harita.
And if you are a cricket fan, weekends have plenty of fun in store. There are some great offers on a range of mocktails and cocktails and also include the summer favourites – ‘ice-golas’. All you have to do is to step out and head to one of the cool hangouts in the city to make the most of the weekends.
