Nothing is more soothing to the harried city dweller than the sight of a luscious green cover and a stay away from the concrete jungles in an ambience that is close to nature. Sometimes, I wonder if, is it not the cave man genes alive in all of us that makes us jump with joy whenever when we are in the lap of nature?
A similar feeling of joy engulfed me when I entered the ’green’ Pragati resort situated 35 kms away from the hustle and bustle of Hyderabad city. Imagine 85 acres of land, more than 80 percent of it covered in greenery and the rest filled with water bodies! For a few minutes, the feeling just leaves you spell bound! Yes, I have been to resorts with lot of greenery around them, but the sheer sight of such a large green ambience makes the Pragati resort incomparable to any other. All this so close to a Hyderabad which is accessible from anywhere in India,by train, air or land. Hyderabad has direct flights to and fro to international destinations as well. Just get down at the Hyderabad airport or the railway station and board the pick-up sent by the hotel(in case you have already booked it) or you can even book a cab yourself and take the Chilkur Balaji temple road to reach Proddutur village about 75 minutes journey from the airport or railway station.
Set in these lush green surroundings are beautiful dwellings comprising of 34 cottages, 8 suites and 40 luxury rooms – all of them well furnished and equipped with modern amenities.
The hotel staff is at once at your service from the moment, you step our of the car. After a warm welcome, I was shown in to the deluxe cottage that I had opted for. The air-conditioned cottage was luxurious to say the least. The designs are modern, the interiors tastefully decorated and well appointed bathroom with state of the art fittings and every window that I looked out of, there were beautiful green trees with a variety of bird life having the time of their lives in this safe haven.
Other in-house facilities included a refrigerator, international direct dial, coffee/tea maker, a quick boil jug and hot and cold running water at all times. All this at a price of 3500 per night is not a bad deal.
The multi-cuisine restaurant – ‘Royal Palm’ had Indian, South Indian, Chinese and Continental cuisines to offer. I found the south Indian and the continental cuisine simply delicious during my stay. I didn’t have the chance to explore beyond these two as the variety is mind-boggling.
In the late afternoon, I could not resist the temptation of the large sparkling blue swimming pool with water slides and games and eventually had one hell of a time!.
After high tea, I spent some time in the Indoor games room that all the indoor games you can think of;I went for a couple of snooker games myself. The evening stroll on the beautiful pathways in the lush green environs is rejuvenating for the soul.
Time just seems to fly by as you sit by the fish pond and look at the fish(there are over 300 species). Also to be enjoyed is a DJ console with a dance floor and a all-seasons rain dance floor. Kids I noticed were having a time of their lives with the water games, slides, merry-go-round,games et all. Sheer luxury for them.
Personally though, the drink session at the pool side bar in the cool breeze of the palms was simply soul-quenching!
One of the highlights of the Pragati Resorts is Sparsh – the resorts ayurvedic spa. these guys grow over 500 varieties of medicinal herbs right here!. These are used for preparing the ayurvedic extracts and medicines that is used in their legendary ayurvedic massage, ‘panchakarma’ which can leave you feeling blissful!. The spa offers a comprehensive package of ayurvedic massages and treatments for bodily ailments.
At the southern end of the resort is a serene and peaceful lake and I spent some rare personal moments simply boating along its banks on the far side close to the trees and gardens that line the banks.
Looking back, I think the WelcomHeritage Pragatic Resorts are unique in more than one way. There are only certain things you can do and experience at hotels and resorts.However, at Pragati Resorts, if you can think of it, you can do it. It offers an almost complete holiday experience. The greenery around envelopes you, it’s almost like coming home….to nature!
