Nutritious food, nature walks and fitness: slow change in Visakhapatnam’s lifestyle

The cultural and social calendar of Visakhapatnam has been taking shape for a long time. Quick meals, activity-overloaded weekends, fitness regimes built on burnout and exhaustion and travel defined by checklists have been familiar patterns. However, over the past year, a quiet change has begun to be registered across the city. Increasingly, people are choosing experiences that demand time, attention, and presence. The appeal is not in the looks, but in the participation. From intimate dinner tables and leisurely strolls in nature to empowering routines that prioritize mindfulness over intensity, slow living is finding an attentive audience.

This turn is framed not as a form of resistance to modern life, but as a recalibration. Many residents describe this as “the need to feel grounded again”, to exchange passive consumption for experiences that demand listening, patience and interaction.

A long table, shared stories

At the core of this transformation is Vanthamamayilu Supper Social Occasions, a home-based supper club started by Hyndavi Onyemi in 2025 at his Kiralampudi residence. Gatherings are organized around a cuisine and area, but the focus extends far beyond food. Guests are invited to bring a piece of self-made art, whether a photograph, poem or small craft, to be displayed during the evening.

“When we confirm a booking, we ask guests to bring something they have made themselves,” says Hyndawi. “The effort that people make is very touching. We put work on our walls and that gesture alone changes the energy in the room. People feel like they are seen, not judged.”

Dinner starts slowly, often lasting about three hours. The conversation begins over a meal and, unprompted, moves into travel memories, personal turning points, and reflections on life’s stages. Hyndawi remembers one evening when a couple in their seventies sat enthralled with stories from decades past at the table. “When the man talked about discovering Vanjangi (a peak in the Eastern Ghats) as a teenager in 1968, it was as if he was hearing a story from another time. No one wanted to leave out.”

Hyndawi believes that interest in such gatherings reflects fatigue with image and display-driven sociality. “People get tired of the constant stimulation. Many talk about wanting to step away from the screens and do something real with their time. Over the course of an evening, you can easily see strangers making friends. The food matters, but it’s the atmosphere of clarity that brings them back.”

Guests are later paired into a shared group called The Long Table Society, where conversations continue about food, travel, and life experiences. “There is no hierarchy at the table,” she says. “Age, profession, social standing transcend when people speak honestly.”

(To join the Supper Club, contact 9494958181)

listening to birds and ourselves

A similar slowdown is visible in the increasing popularity of bird walks organized by wildlife conservation through research and education. Once attended largely by experienced birders and wildlife students, these walks now attract families, first-time participants, college students and working professionals seeking respite from the rigors of routine. “Many people come to be outside at dawn,” says Vivek Rathod of WCTRE. “The sound of birds and the stillness of the morning helps reset the mind.”

Walking tours are organized into wetlands, reservoirs, coastal stretches and forest areas around Visakhapatnam, which support remarkable bird diversity. Participants have recorded species such as Asian Openbill, Eurasian Curlew, Terek Sandpiper, Pacific Golden Plover, Yellow-wattled Lapwing and Purple-rumped Sunbird.

“Birdkeeping changes the way you pay attention,” explains Vivek. “You listen more carefully, wait longer and observe more closely. That attentiveness slowly turns inward. People find their thoughts slowing down and they begin to move at the same pace as their surroundings.” For many, the appeal lies not in marking the species, but in the discipline of observation. Walks provide a structured but gentle way to connect with nature, which aligns with a widespread desire to be present rather than hurried.

(To join the walk, contact WCTRE on 9052797234)

strength, without stress

The language is changing in fitness areas too. At Fit With Fab, founder Farzana Begum has noticed a growing preference for strength sessions that emphasize form, breathing and stability over intensity.

“These sessions provide movement through the mind, body, and emotional state,” she says. “They’re not built around constant cardio or exhaustion.” Participants are women who are managing health concerns, hormonal changes or difficult work schedules. Farzana says grounding workouts allow people to maintain discipline without the risk of injury. “Women going through perimenopause or menopause cannot train in the same way throughout the year. Activity needs to be adjusted according to the body’s changing needs.”

The group incorporates challenges like nutrition resets, step goals, and lifestyle routines that encourage sustainable habits. “Exercise doesn’t need to be intense or punishing,” she says. “When people learn to listen to their bodies, anxiety is reduced and performance in daily life improves.” The group’s New Year’s challenge involves following five simple rules over the next three months – following a diet of their choice with zero alcohol, two 45-minute workouts daily, including outdoor workouts, consuming adequate water, reading 10 pages of non-fiction or a self-development book and documenting daily progress with the help of a partner.

(To join the group, contact 7338698707)

time with terrain

Moving away from the hectic, content-driven journey, Wilded is designing treks in the Eastern Ghats near Visakhapatnam that prioritize meditation, learning and place-based knowledge. Each padayatra or trek is structured to introduce participants to the agro-ecology of the area through observation at a slow pace rather than distance traveled.

“We help people understand how agriculture and ecology interlink here,” says Vimal Raj of Wilded. “We talk about what grows naturally, what people cultivate and how the landscape supports both.” Participants are encouraged to pay attention to often-missed details, from spider webs and bird sounds to soil texture and shadow patterns. A self-guided Bingo-style exploration sheet piques curiosity with questions designed to start conversations with local residents and farmers.

A highlight of these treks is a visit to a seed museum near Araku, where participants are introduced to heritage seed varieties preserved by local communities. The tour provides information about native crops, traditional farming knowledge, and seed-saving practices that predate commercial agriculture. “People are often surprised to see how many indigenous varieties exist, and how closely they are linked to climate, food habits and culture,” says Vimal.

Food also becomes part of learning. “We don’t encourage packaged trekking food,” he says. “Local teams cook with participants using regional ingredients.” These leisurely, intensive trips are attracting people who want to deeply understand a landscape, not just walk through it, and leave with knowledge rather than just photos.

(Contact Wilded on 7330880274)