And I planned this as a birthday experience gift to my mom on her birthday this year and trust me, it was a blend of spiritual and lifestyle experiences altogether that people who visit Andhra Pradesh must try planning out! You may wonder why I mentioned this particular hotel. Because it is one of the spacious and grandeur premises a family can spend time over food, games and captures amidst greenery. Imagine, after having a spiritual experience at one of the famous temples of Andhra Pradesh, don't you think visiting an exotic hotel could be an add-on experience?
Well, we planned this getaway with our transportation as the place Annavaram is near Visakhapatnam and it takes around 3 hours to reach the destination to visit Lord Satyanarayana Swamy. This temple is famous for various reasons and people, especially newly wedded couples, and people who pray for their new homes visit this place to worship this lord who gets celebrated every single day amidst priests' chants and the devotion of devotees. This is also one of the most noted and bigger temples of Andhra Pradesh, situated on the hilltop of Annavaram at the banks of the Pampa River by a passing lake called Pampa Sarovar.
So, you can easily imagine the picturesque scope of the whole landscape view of this amazing temple. We believe in this god in the deeper strings of our hearts and hence we almost visit this place every year at least once. It was peak season and my mom's birthday fell on an auspicious day, hence, it was pretty crowded with people and vehicles. Somehow, we managed to get through the temple by following government protocol for the employees from the temple as we knew a few of them. The darshan was quick, proper and completely pleasing as we were fortunate enough to witness the lord and got our pooja done by the priests personally.
After the darshan, my sister and I took my mom out for some more exploration in and around the temple premises. The temple comprises many spiritual departments inside including a Veda Patashala (school for kids to get into the profession of becoming a priest), Goshala (the shelter for cows), small temples of other gods like Ganesha, Krishna, Shiva and Goddess Laxmi, Prasad distribution counters, Annadanam hall (free meals for devotees), huge kitchen, stores that sell various pooja items, idols and pictures, vendors who attract customers with their marketing tactics. Altogether, this temple is a pure blend of spirituality and fun, especially if you are a first-time visitor, you feel spiritually escalated. Even though we go often, we still feel the same because the temple gives the utmost Hindu sacred vibe.
I wanted to take my mom and a sophisticated lunch date where she could have a good time and make her birthday memorable. Hence, I chose one particular place personally that can make any person fall in love instantly at first look. Hotel JAS is a high-end-looking classy place to spend time over food, drinks, games, conversations, greenery and a hell lot of pictures to capture. That's what exactly we did that day. It is situated on one side of the highway in Nakkapalli, which is nearer to Annavaram. So after coming down from the hilltop of Annavaram, we drove for a good twenty minutes to reach this exotic hotel.
This place looks like a peaceful heaven as it welcomes its visitors with a huge white Buddha sitting amidst perfectly pruned plants and bushes around with a hassle-free parking spot on one side. The interiors and exteriors of the hotel remain inexplicable because of its glossy glass look, charming furniture and appealing lighting. The moment you step inside, you instantly feel welcome, not only by the engaging staff but also by the ambience. This hotel has a pretty good holding capacity and one can find tables inside and outside the premises too with an overwhelming menu of unending options.
JAS franchises are meant for giving such sophisticated experiences at affordable pricing levels and they are popular for their spacious premises. Even this one in Andhra Pradesh got famous within no time like its other branches in Chennai and other places. The atmosphere makes a person feel like having a good time and that was the very reason why I opted for this hotel that day. We had a good lunch together as a family including our driver who hesitated, but we forced him to explore the hotel inside. We had to order veg food that day because of our earlier temple visit.
Their options for veg food were surprisingly many, and we felt relieved in choosing various options from the menu without sticking to a restricted menu as we do at other hotels. The service was also quick and neat. The staff were cosy enough to engage with us by suggesting menu, taking feedback, guiding us around the premises and giving us customized options in terms of food we ordered that day. Altogether it was one of the best lunch dates I had this year with my family at such a serene and peaceful place.
People who travel on highways, people who specifically visit to celebrate their moments, people who stop by in between journeys and people who work in and around are the customer base for this hotel. Hence, you find a blended crowd over there, but the atmosphere instantly makes everyone behave well-mannered which escalates the safety and security of other customers too. The managers do a great job in handling their customers and staff.
After completing our lunch, we headed outside to explore the premises. Andhra Pradesh is meant for greenery, fields and plantations. One can find a widespread Mango plantation attached to the back side of the hotel. With its glass exteriors, wooden interiors, polished marble tables, and crafted chairs, the greenery elevates the beauty of the hotel. One can find trampolines, swings, iron bars, cradles and other park games for children to have some game time at this hotel.
We spent most of our time clicking pictures, capturing our moments and covering almost the whole premises in and around this hotel. We found that they also have an accommodation facility too and also, they are open from morning till night which specifies that they provide their services most importantly their delicious food and drinks with breakfast, lunch, coffee and dinner menu. Isn't it amazing factor to chill at this place the whole day in such an environment?
It was indeed a beautiful birthday experience for my mom and for us too as her kids spent some family time peacefully with a temple visit that gave a spiritual vibe and a hotel that gave a classic nature vibe. After our lunch, we started from there in the early evening so that we reach back our home in Visakhapatnam by dawn. If you want to have such a one-day getaway experience near Vizag, then you must consider this plan!