Places to Be in Surat

If you don’t know already, our campus is situated right in the middle of the bustling city of Surat, brimming with spots waiting to be discovered. It has a blend of everything ranging from restaurants that can excite your taste buds to places where you’d want to spend the rest of your academic years. Without further ado, note down the following spots and start planning your weekends:

• If we had to choose the best thing about Surat, it would be difficult, but delicious food would be a top contender. With food stalls at every corner, you’d think there was a glitch in the matrix and that things had begun to duplicate. Fortunately for you, we’ve gone through the painstaking process of filtering out the best food spots the city has to offer. Safal Square is a must-try place with over ten restaurants, cafes, and dessert shops in the same square. Located on the Udhana-Magdalla road, this gem is just a bus ride away from our campus. Coming closer to home, freshers should obligatorily check out the Food Park opposite the campus and the Night Bazaar beside the campus. Both these places are famous for serving aromatic gobi manchurian, pizza, and classics like masala dosa. If these options aren’t enough (or if you’re on an eating spree), you can hitch a bus ride to the Valentine Mall and eat at The Food Park right beside it. One of the newest offerings from the Surati food scene is the Aagam Viviana complex in Vesu, which is just an auto ride away from college. Besides these, there is also a myriad of choices when it comes to cafes and restaurants in town. Another honorable mention is the International Business

Center (IBC) not too far from our campus. The IBC offers the big cats in the game like Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and KFC. These fast food joints are also accompanied by gourmet restaurants, dessert shops, and the ever-favourite Starbucks. With ample options for both vegetarians and nonvegetarians, lip-smacking food is one thing Surat will never be deprived of. • Malls are the best place to blow off some steam after a long week, and our city has quite a number of options. The famous VR Mall has a wide variety of recreational activities to offer. There are tons of shopping centers and fast food joints within the mall itself, providing a onestop solution for your needs. Housing a spacious theater, the VR Mall is a common hotspot for SVNIT folks. If you feel like dancing your troubles away, RahulRaj Mall is the place to be. With over four

dance clubs, you can book an evening anywhere and vibe to the DJ all night long. Apart from that, the mall has its fair share of clothing lines and gift shops at your disposal. Central Mall is another must-visit spot with its iconic theater and remarkable food joints. Being closer to the campus, it’s a common spot for all SVNITians.

• The best part about living alone is that you get to buy as many snacks as you want and no one will stop you. Luckily, our campus is surrounded by grocery stores where you can get almost anything you want. The Malhar Complex right beside the campus has many shops where you can buy your supplies for a reasonable price. With a medical store, a store with imported snacks, and a supermarket with daily discounts, it’s a mustvisit store for your daily needs. Surat also offers the famous chain that needs no introduction, Big Bazaar, which has almost everything you need to survive. With clothes, food, vegetables, stationary, footwear, and utilities, Big Bazaar is a place you’d want to visit every now and then to stock up.

• Surat isn’t shy of recreational venues either. Like the food, the places this city has to offer will also leave you wanting more. Rebounce is a relatively new recreational hub in Surat. Apart from the largest trampoline park in Gujarat, this place has arcade games, bowling alleys, football turfs, laser tag, and much more. To add icing on the cake, there are cafes in and around the place. If one trampoline park wasn’t enough for your bouncy adventures, you can visit Woop too. Woop also offers a football turf, arcade games, VR arenas, and other exciting activities like rope courses. With so many options, you can spend the whole weekend at the place and still not run out of things to do. Shott is another fun place where you can hang out with your friends. It has everything you’d want: go-karting, arcade games, laser tags, party venues, and a zipline course.

• If you’re looking for some sightseeing, Dumas Beach should be on your list. Being one of the 35 most haunted places in India, it’s advised not to visit the beach at night. However, Dumas Beach is a sight to see during the day and a common spot for everyone to unpack their stress and relax. A little farther away, you can find the famous Suvali Beach which is considered to be the cleanest beach in India. The immaculate vibes this place has to offer is second to none. Looking at other spots, Surat Fort is a historical marvel that speaks volumes about the rich culture of the city. The site was recently restored, which polished its aesthetic and made it more accessible. If the Surat Fort doesn’t quench your thirst for historical facts and stories, the Sardar Patel Museum is your next destination. The museum displays precious artifacts and other resources that played their roles in the history of Surat and Gujarat.

This city has so much to offer that we can’t possibly note them all down. Even if we did, we’d be taking away the fun of being in college, the thrill of exploring new places. So, put on your adventure hats and set off on an exploration tour once you have the time, so you can add on to this list in the future.