A family reunion at Radisson Blu Temple Bay Mamallapuram

After a few days of catching up with family and eating all my mom’s homemade idlis with chutneys and my mother in laws chicken curry, it was time to take the entire clan to a resort so we can have them all under one roof for a couple of days.  We picked the Radisson Blu Temple Bay resort near Mamallapuram also called Mahabalipuram, because of its easy access from the city of Chennai and the great review we read online and it lived up to the buzz.

Radisson Blu Temple Bay Mamallapuram, a Quick Review

This beautiful beach resort is located on 44 acres property and is a truly breathtaking, tropical escape, the kids loved the 27,000-square-foot meandering lazy river pool which was not too deep and had plenty of floaties on hand.  They also have an infinity pool, two spas and pitch-and-putt golf course. We loved biking around, lounging in hammocks and playing in Bay of Bengal waters. Of course, D bought his glove so he could play catch with his Dad on the beach. They also spent some time at the nine-hole mini-golf course.

I had a few day trips planned to visit the nearby attractions like Krishna’s Butter Ball, Shore Temple and shopping for silk sarees at Kanchipuram but we loved the resort so much that we ditched all our plans and just enjoyed a few carefree days without having to battle the traffic-laden roads and crowds.  While the kids bonded at the pool supervised by grandparents me and my sister enjoyed some pampering at the Bodhi Spa.

We ate all our meals on the property, either at the Water Edge café that was open 24 hours serving global fare and excellent seating options on the deck overlooking a giant pool or at the Buffet.  We ate at the Wharf one night with our toes in the sand tables light by candles and the moon, listening to the waves of the Bay of Bengal.  We had grilled fishes, tandoori, they also serve pasta if you get tired of eating all the yummy yet spicy Indian fare.

Did I mention we were given shell leis and welcome drinks upon arrival and taken to our rooms in a golf cart.

You could see the shore temple in the background there, we saw a lot of fishing boats as well.  The resort does arrange for rides on the catamarans or fishing boats but we didn’t try it.  A few pictures of the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram from a previous visit here.

We enjoyed walking around the property and admiring the various colorful and well-appointed ethnic art, the resort was well maintained with lush lawns and greenery everywhere.  The rooms had nice patios and comfortable beds and luxurious linens and they were nice about adding some foldaway beds for us since in spite of having 3 or 4 rooms had a full house.

Additional Information

Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay Mamallapuram Location
57 Covelong Road
Kanchipuram Dist
Mamallapuram 603104, India

Radisson Blu Temple Bay Mamallapuram is easy accessible from Chennai, via the East Coast Road (ECR). From there, you can easily take day trips to Pondicherry and Kanchipuram, one of Hinduism’s seven holy cities. For a fun getaway closer to the hotel, tour Arjuna’s Penance or the Shore Temple. You also don’t want to miss taking a photo at Krishna’s Butter Ball, a large boulder that appears to be preciously balanced on a hill.

If you are planning a trip to Chennai, don’t miss this true haven but go get out and enjoy the nearby Shore temple and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Mamallapuram.  I’m planning my next trip to India soon and hence the post – Have you visited India, if so which parts and what is your favorite thing about visiting India?