Andhra Pradesh Experience
Andhra Pradesh, South India
Andhra Pradesh in the South East part of India is a state that covers most of the Eastern part of the Deccan Plateau and has a long coastline. Further, there are many historical destinations with temples and monuments that are popular across the world. Thanks to these geographical features and other interesting destinations there is quite a bit for any traveler to this state.
Overview
Experience
After Telangana was carved out the remaining state continued being named Andhra Pradesh albeit with a different capital city.
The place was mentioned since 800 BC in the ancient epics like Aitareya Brahmana and Mahabharata. The region was ruled by many kingdoms such as Maurya Empire, the Ikshvaku Dynasty, Pallava, Rashtrakuta, Chalukyas and later Cholas. Geographically it covers the Eastern Ghats, a mineral rich area covered with thick vegetation.
Promoted well by the tourism department the state is well known for its rich natural resources, forests, beaches, rivers, temples, cultural heritage, ancient architecture and historical significance.
Following are some of the places and experiences we have listed. Based on your interests and time we could curate a personalized itinerary for you.
AMRAVATI
The new capital city of the state is a historic and spiritual city. Apart from the iconic Amravati temple, the city has historical scriptures and inscriptions of the kings from the Vijayanagar Empire. For history aficionados the Amravati Archeological Museum and Kondaveedu Fort are perfect subjects.
How To Get There: The nearest airport from Amravati is Amravati Airport, located at Belora, roughly 15 Kms from Amravati Town. The airport does not have scheduled commercial flight services as of yet. The other nearest airport is Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur, 136 Kms from the town. However, it well connected by rail and road.
VISAKHAPATNAM
The largest city in the state is also a major seaport and the deepest in India. With beautiful beaches, hilltops and wildlife sanctuary Vizag (short for Visakhapatnam) is a popular destination of tourists. A strategic base for the Indian Navy, INS Kursura a preserved submarine is kept at the scenic Ramakrishna Beach. The submarine is now converted into a museum depicting the navy life.
Best Time To Visit: November to February.
Places To Visit: Varaha Lakshi Temple, Yarada and Rishikonda Beaches, Galikonda Viewpoint, Borra Caves, Araku Valley, Katiki Waterfall, Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Kailasagiri Hill Park, VUDA Park.
How To Get There: By Air, Rail and Road.
TIRUPATI
The famous Venkateshwara Temple located on the Tirumala Hills is one of the holiest places for the Hindus. It is also one of the richest and most visited temples in India by all from celebrities, industrialists to the common man. The place is characterized by long queues of devotees lining up to get a glimpse of the deity.
There is also the Chandragiri Fort built in the 11th century by the Vijayanagar Empire.
Best Time To Visit: November to February.
Places To Visit: Venkateshwara Temple, Chandragiri Fort.
How To Get There: By Air, Rail and Road.
RAJAHMUNDRY
The “cultural capital” of the state, the city is on the banks of river Godavari . The city believed to be the birthplace of Telegu language is home to many scholars and renowned writers. With scenic backwaters, beautiful temples and museums the city is a must visit if you are in the state.
Best Time To Visit: November to February.
How To Get There: Best way to reach Rajahmundry is through train. It has the largest railway station in the whole of Andhra Pradesh. It is well connected by road as well. There is Rajahmundry airport as well 18 km from the city centre and it has limited connectivity.
LEPAKSHI
Lepakshi is a 15th century town built by the Vijayanagar Empire. The temple of Veerbhadra at Lepakshi is known for unique designs. The ceilings and walls have peculiar paintings and beautifully carved pillars. There is a hanging pillar that is yes just hanging from the ceiling instead of providing support to the ceiling. All this and more in this interesting place.
Best Time To Visit: Throughout the year.
How To Get There: Lepakshi is very close to Karnataka and Bangalore (122 km away), therefore lot of visitors are from here. The best way is to take the road to reach Lepakshi. Or take a train to Malugur station, which is very close to Lepakshi.
ARAKU VALLEY
Also known as Andhra’s Ooty, the valley is around 36 sq km with the best of climate, stunning greenery and perennial waterfalls. The valley is home to many tribal communities who know best how to commune with the nature. The valley also has a tribal museum depicting the lifestyle of the local communities.
There are many interesting place nearby:
Borra Caves: These are illuminated limestone caves at a height of 1400 meters above sea level. The caves are filled with fascinating stalagmites and stalactite formations, some of these are even considered as an idol of Lord Shiva and people pray them religiously.
Gosthani river flows through these caves, which is quite a spectacle. Four kilometers from Borra Caves, there is Katiki Waterfalls, which is a beautiful hiking trail.
Best Time To Visit: Throughout the year esp. winters and in January (avoid monsoon season June to October).
How To Get There: Well connected by road and rail. Train from Visakhapatnam to Araku Valley is a journey of about 3 hours. Araku is the nearest railway station.
LAMBASINGI
In the typically hot climate of Andhra Pradesh there is one place where the temperature never rises above 10° C. Located close to the Araku Valley Lambasingi Village is located at an altitude of 1000 metres above sea level and is in the midst of the thick greenery and coffee and tea plantations. Its indeed a beautiful hill station to visit. November to January is usually considered the best time to visit Lambasingi. Temperature does not go below 0° C every year, but when it does, Lambasingi gets an all-white snowy cover due to the freezing of the dew drops.
Best Time To Visit: Throughout the year esp. winters and in January (avoid monsoon season June to October).
How To Get There: The distance between Visakhapatnam and Lambasingi is 77 km. The road distance is 100 km. Well connected by road and rail. The nearest railway station is Chintapalle, which is situated 19 km from Lambasingi.
KURNOOL
Kurnool is one city with man historical sites and monuments. The biggest one of them, a massive stone structure, is the Konda Reddy Fort, which is located at the heart of the city. The town is famous for its unique spicy food that the Andhra cuisine is known for. The Sri Lakshmi Narasimha temple and the Dakshin Sai Baba temple are considered to be the most prominent pilgrimage sights here.
MAYAVI CAVES: These are technical caves located in Kurnool. These beautiful caves are full of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and lots of shining minerals flowing through the caves. The caves are called technical caves because of few vertical sections present in the cave, which require one to do rappelling for around 20 feet. The elevation of these caves is around 200 feet and involves around 1 km of hiking.
Best Time To Visit: November to February
How To Get There: Nearest airport is Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. Kurnool is well connected to other major cities of the country via regular trains. You can easily get regular buses to Kurnool from other major cities of the country.
VIJAYWADA
The city of Vijaywada is a great mix of modernity and history. The former name of the city was Bezawada that had been under the rule of many kingdoms in the South. It was one of the places where the Chinese traveler Hieun Tsang visited and stayed as per his notes. The city is beautifully located at the hills of the Eastern Ghats with the river Krishna running through it. Surrounded by Kondapalli Reserve Forests that has quite a bit of wildlife like leopards, jackals, wolves, wild boar and wild dogs. The city is also a cultural and religious centre with various temples, river, ancient caves and more. City is also famous for the pretty Kondapalli Toys.
Best Time To Visit: November to February
Places To Visit: Undavalli Caves, Mogalarajapuram Caves, Prakasam Barrage, Bhavani Island, Victoria Museum, Kondapalli Fort, Kolleru Lake, Gandhi Hill.
How To Get There: Well connected by Air, road and rail.
SRISAILAM WILDLIFE SANCTUARY
Srisailam wildlife sanctuary is India’s one of the largest Tiger Reserves, which is spread over five districts that are Nalgonda, Mahaboobnagar, Kurnool, Prakasam, and Guntur spread over 130 km with river Krishna flowing right through it. The terrain of this reserve is breathtaking and rugged and winds around the Mallamali hills. The dry deciduous forests with plenty of scrubs and bamboo thickets often provide shelter to the animals like tigers and leopard to sit and thrive for their food in a shape of deer, sloth bear, etc.
The Srisailam town located is also home to one of the Shakti Peethas of Goddess Parvati. Moreover, it is an abode of one of the famous 12 Jyotirlingas that goes by the name Malikarjuna Jyotirlinga.
Best Time To Visit: March to Mid-June.
Places To Visit: Undavalli Caves, Mogalarajapuram Caves, Prakasam Barrage, Bhavani Island, Victoria Museum, Kondapalli Fort, Kolleru Lake, Gandhi Hill.
How To Get There: Nearest town is Macherla (153 km) and the nearest railway station is in Hyderabad (212 km).
GUNTUR
The Andhra Pradesh cuisine is generally hot and spicy. And if you are fan of that with extra chilli on your plate then you should come to Guntur, the land of chillies. The city is the hub of transport and textiles for the whole country. One can find a Buddhist site with the name Nagarjunakonda, and one could explore the relics of the Amravati Caves nearby.
Best Time To Visit: November to February
How To Get There: Well connected by road and rail. Nearest airport is Vijaywada (54 km away) and Hyderabad (285 km away).
Apart from these there are other notable places to visit in Andhra Pradesh such as Ahobilam (pilgrimage town), Kurnool (historical sites), Nalamalla Hills, Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary (for bird watching), Ananthagiri Hills, Anantapur, Chittoor, Puttaparthi (Holy Place of Sathya Sai Baba) and Vizianagram.
Inclusions
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