The GReaT Summer experiences at Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay, Mamallapuram.

Anniversary weekend! Candle light dinner with wine. Come back home and chill. Wake up next morning and go to work? NO. This time around we decided to do something different. Life is all about experiences, which is why we decided to choose something we don’t usually get, “experiences”. And not just any, “GReaT Xperiences” curated for us by the good folks at GRT Hotels and Resorts at Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay Mamallapuram.

As we checked into one of our most favorite beach resorts near the city (Chennai), we were greeted with, let’s call it, a freedom from the buzz. Beautifully landscaped and soothing to the eyes, it is a perfect combination of style, comfort and luxury. City life can be so tiresome and draining and more often than not, short getaways can be the ideal way to unwind and de-stress.

Our abode for the weekend

Room views be like!

Blooming bougainvilleas, the serenade of the sea and ocean breeze, the comfort of an elegant room, warm and caring staff make Temple Bay all the more special.

After a night of blissful sleep, we woke up to an interesting morning workout, surfing lessons on the Bay of Bengal to lift our spirits to surf through the day happily! We’ve have always been fascinated by the ocean and wanted to learn to surf, but never had the confidence. There’s always a first time and we decided to give it a try! Our instructor explained the pop up and all the other techniques and once we were done with the basic lessons, it was time to head to the beach. Even though we kept falling on our bellies, it was so much fun to try our hand at surfing.

A sumptuous breakfast and then, we were wearing chef hats and aprons and were guided by chef Micheal as we gave the modernist cooking technique a try and explored the thought process of incorporating these elements into dishes. I now expect Viv to cook me a three course gourmet meal at home. The cooking class by Chef Micheal was both, interesting, fun and at the same time edifying. To be able to spend some quality time with loved ones away from the cacophony of the city is such a pleasure.

Cooking lessons by Chef Micheal

Honing my culinary skills

And then it was time to travel to Spain without actually travelling to Spain. Confused? Well, scuba diving of course! Temple Bay has brought Costa Brava to the shores of Mahabalipuram by providing Scuba Diving lessons. The basic lessons were conducted in their meandering pool by a trained scuba diver, Alex who was very professional and made us feel extremely comfortable in our skins. Thanks to Alex and Temple Bay, we know now that the Marine Life in Chennai is bountiful. Alex mentioned that we could spot stingrays and much more at the beaches of Mahab allipuram, something we were not aware of. This got Viv so excited, that he’s definitely enrolling for a PADI course.

The sun was upon us and this meant lunch and we were eager to binge on delicious food before we set out for a decadent couple’s therapy at Bodhi Spa in the evening. Bodhi Spa has always been one of our favorite spas in the city and this spa session just reaffirmed our love for Bodhi Spa. Rejuvenating, relaxing and Zen. We opted for aromatherapy hot stone massage. The massage was heavenly to say the least. The warm stones are placed on specific points, stimulate energy flow while soothing the body and mind! This is what we really needed after a crazy week at work.

As we lazed around, the day came to a halt, slowly, subtly and the warmth of the moon embraced us into its arms as we dozed away into a dreamy slumber with the memories of the day fresh in our brains and as the rays of the sun penetrated into the blinds and into our sleepy souls, we knew it was time to wake up to a new day full of possibilities and what better way to start our anniversary than a guided bicycle safari all the way up to the world famous UNESCO temples at Mahabalipuram. It felt like walking back in time, being in awe of the marvellous architecture, from Shore Temple to Arjuna’s penance. On completion of our safari, we received a goody bag as well! Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay really does know how to curate an unforgettable experience!

And as we came back to the resort, more surprises beckoned. An ATV ride by the beach! WOW! Straight out of a Bollywood movie! Riding an ATV on the spectacular beach against the background of Shore Temple definitely gave us an adrenaline rush. As we revved it on the sand to our heart’s content, our stomachs started lurching in hunger signaling lunch!

Post lunch, after we had some time to relax and chill, we were made to pump our hearts out on the Zorb at the pool! It was both amazing and envy inducing as I kept falling flat while Vivek was able to zorb his way to half the pool! All the desserts and impromptu lunch plans do not help you when you zorb, peeps!

That marked the end of our anniversary weekend at Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay… erm.. Nope! There’s just one more and that was an icing on the cake! A three course delightful meal by the sea! A glass of indulgent wine, a plateful of delicious food and a view complete with your life partner! No better experience to beat this and Radisson Blu Temple Bay have outdone themselves with that one!

A gorgeous sunset, ocean views, the sound of waves and a gentle ocean breeze! Perfect dinner date!

As the day came to an end with that wonderful dinner, so did our anniversary weekend and the next day morning, with heavy bags and heavier hearts, we made our way back to the city! But that weekend will be etched in our memories for a long, long time! Thank you Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay for giving us a “not-so-common’ anniversary! We will come back for more very soon!

The beautiful pictures are courtesy Mr. Prashanth Paku. You can follow his work on Facebookand Instagram.

How to Reach

By Air: Chennai International Airport (56 km) is the nearest airport.

By Rail: Chengalpattu (29 km) is the nearest railway station. Chennai railway station (58 km) connects all the major railway stations.

By Road: From Chennai it’s 60kms – one hour thirty minutes drive on the scenic east coast road.

From Bangalore: Six-hour drive (350 km).

If you liked our experiences, go ahead and experience the summer chillers package at Radisson Blu Temple Bay resort, Mahaballipuram from April 2018 to August 2018.

For more information visit their website.

Disclaimer: We were invited by GRT hotels, however, the experience and opinions are our own.