Kayak, Swim, Sleep Under The Stars And Go Island Hopping At This Lakeside Destination

In the Warangal district of Telangana, Laknavaram Cheruvu is the ideal spot for a weekend of camping, kayaking and general adventurous merry making.

Don’t let the fact that it’s in Telangana scare you off. It’s 700 odd kilometres from Bangalore, and going by the beautiful roads of our neighbouring state, you shouldn’t take more than 11 hours to get there. Or catch a flight to Hyderabad, from where it’s an easy three hours. Essentially a massive lake, Laknavaram Cheruvu {meaning lake} is spread over 10,000 acres. That’s about 40 sqkms of just sheer lake! We’re already picturing the great lake of Hogwarts, you?

Apart from the size though, what makes this lake more exciting is that it has many an island dotting it. And Freakouts, an adventure travel company, is organising a camping trip on a few of these islands for all the weekends of January through April. And just FYI, there are about four long weekends in that time, so you don’t even need to take leave!

Once you get to one of the 13 islands, first, take out those cameras and get clicking. We’re usually against constant photos, but this lake has a dream setting in the middle of lush, green forests, and water for as far as the eye can see. Load up on a solid lunch and then gear up for bird watching, kayaking, and pitching your own tent {erm, please pay attention when they instruct. We learned the hard way!}. If you’re confident in the water, then you can even hire a boat and row to the ends of the lake. Then check back in for high tea, before you watch the sunset with the orange glow engulfing the entire lake. We suggest #gorgeous #sunset, for your Insta post. Then under the stars, sing, play music and indulge in banter with your fellow campers, over dinner. Waking up is a pleasure here — chirping birds, the gentle sun’s rays and the lapping of the waters, you’ll want this every day! If you want to just lounge about, do so. We recommend you go for round two of kayaking though. And follow it up with a thrilling tightrope walk from one island to the other! Yup. Unleash the fearless beast in you. As long as you have some semblance of balance, you’ll ace it. If not, hey, the water is warm enough to enjoy a splash!

When: Every weekend, until and including April 28

Where: Laknavaram Lake, Govindaraopet Mandal, Warangal, Telangana

Timings: 10am

Price: INR 3,500

Register for this weekend getaway here.