Trip to Vizag
Last summer, we had a trip to Vizag. Here am posting my experience with some information so that it could be helpful for the ones willing to visit the place. I know many of you are thinking that summer is not a suitable time to visit Vizag as it’s too hot all over A.P. during that time. But we didn’t have a choice as it was the only time when we could manage some holidays. Due to lack of adequate time we didn’t get a reservation in the train so took a night Volvo from Hyderabad. It took almost 12 hours and reached Vizag city at around 9 am.
We had a reservation at the A.P. Tourism Resort (Haritha Valley Resort) at Rishikonda Beach, which is in a little outskirt. We hired auto and reached there, completed all the formalities and got a nice AC Cottage (rent starts from 2500 +tax/day). There was a nice view of the beach from the room. The whole resort and its surroundings are beautifully planned with all the possible facilities.
We dumped our luggage and went to the beach. Remember, if you want to reach the beach from the resort, you have to take almost 150 stairs to get there which is quite difficult for the aged ones. So better inform the manager to hire an auto and it will take you to the beach through a different way. The beach is one of the nicest ones in India with the combination of sea and mountain. There were some boats which will take you for a ride in between the sea (though not very far). The food we had at Haritha was quite good but the only problem is the serving persons who were so lazy to do their work properly. In the evening, we discovered a private restaurant named “Off Shore” within the premises and it was well-known for its exclusive Chinese cuisine and Sea –food.
Next morning, we hired a car (approx 1800 for AC car) to visit the local places of Vizag. We started from Kailashgiri which is on top of a hill from where you can have a bird’s eye view of the city and headed towards the famous “Simhachalam temple”.
The road was quite enriched with its scenic beauty. The presiding deity here is Varaha Lakshminarasimha, combining the iconographic features of Varaha and Narasimha – both of them were the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The image resembles a Shivalingam covered with sandal paste. It is only once a year, during the Chandana Visarjana that the sandal pastes is removed, and the image is seen by pilgrims.
Our next destination was “Yarada Beach” which is one of the finest and safest beaches available in India. This is nearer to the Dolphin nose. Sunrise view in this beach is unforgettable. APTDC resorts are also available (confirm before booking) but people hardly stay there. A must see place for all travellers in Vizag. The road towards Yarada beach was also fascinating and you can see real cashew nut trees with cashews if visit during the season for cashews. The beach was looking like one of the beaches in Goa as the waves are slamming hard against the big rocks. We have some strange species of crabs, blue in colour. This beach seems like a local picnic spot in that scorching heat too. Local people along with the travellers from outside were enjoying with their families and friends over there. Being a Sunday it had an extensive crowd and therefore, it was hard to get proper food without much hassle. So we decided to leave and took the lunch in a restaurant back in the city.
Now it was almost 5o’clock in the evening and we reached the famous Ramakrishna beach.It is a crowded one with different stalls looking like a fair all the time like Puri or Digha. Here you can find most of the budget hotels.
From there we took a ride to the dock area and then a ferry inside the sea. Earlier when I visit Vizag, there was a trip into the sea where we can see dolphins from the boat. That stunning experience has somehow banned now because it was threatening the existence of those creatures. So this time we had to be satisfied with the sway of the big waves and the skyline view of the city from the sea. It was equally stunning I must say.
This ferry starts from the dock area where you will find numerous fishing boats and cargo ships. This is place from where the famous Andhra Rohu fish is sent to Bengal along with others. After returning to Ramakrishna Beach, you can visit a “Kali temple” and have some coconut water.
Now it’s the time to visit the “Submarine” which was once used by Indian Navy and later converted into a submarine museum with all its spare parts and machineries. You can also visit the “Vishakha Museum” and the “VUDA Park” after that if you have energy which we were completely lacking due to excessive heat all the day.
People staying inside the city are taken to “Rishikonda Beach” for a visit. But remember one thing, Rishikonda beach looks stunning during the sunrise and it’s quite problematic to get there early morning if you are staying in the city. In addition to these, Vizag is the most comfortable place to make a journey towards “Araku Valley” & “Bora Caves”. Pictures are given of each spot to substantiate my words.
Last summer, we had a trip to Vizag. Here am posting my experience with some information so that it could be helpful for the ones willing to visit the place. I know many of you are thinking that summer is not a suitable time to visit Vizag as it’s too hot all over A.P. during that time. But we didn’t have a choice as it was the only time when we could manage some holidays. Due to lack of adequate time we didn’t get a reservation in the train so took a night Volvo from Hyderabad. It took almost 12 hours and reached Vizag city at around 9 am.
We had a reservation at the A.P. Tourism Resort (Haritha Valley Resort) at Rishikonda Beach, which is in a little outskirt. We hired auto and reached there, completed all the formalities and got a nice AC Cottage (rent starts from 2500 +tax/day). There was a nice view of the beach from the room. The whole resort and its surroundings are beautifully planned with all the possible facilities.
We dumped our luggage and went to the beach. Remember, if you want to reach the beach from the resort, you have to take almost 150 stairs to get there which is quite difficult for the aged ones. So better inform the manager to hire an auto and it will take you to the beach through a different way. The beach is one of the nicest ones in India with the combination of sea and mountain. There were some boats which will take you for a ride in between the sea (though not very far). The food we had at Haritha was quite good but the only problem is the serving persons who were so lazy to do their work properly. In the evening, we discovered a private restaurant named “Off Shore” within the premises and it was well-known for its exclusive Chinese cuisine and Sea –food.
Next morning, we hired a car (approx 1800 for AC car) to visit the local places of Vizag. We started from Kailashgiri which is on top of a hill from where you can have a bird’s eye view of the city and headed towards the famous “Simhachalam temple”.
The road was quite enriched with its scenic beauty. The presiding deity here is Varaha Lakshminarasimha, combining the iconographic features of Varaha and Narasimha – both of them were the incarnations of Lord Vishnu. The image resembles a Shivalingam covered with sandal paste. It is only once a year, during the Chandana Visarjana that the sandal pastes is removed, and the image is seen by pilgrims.
Our next destination was “Yarada Beach” which is one of the finest and safest beaches available in India. This is nearer to the Dolphin nose. Sunrise view in this beach is unforgettable. APTDC resorts are also available (confirm before booking) but people hardly stay there. A must see place for all travellers in Vizag. The road towards Yarada beach was also fascinating and you can see real cashew nut trees with cashews if visit during the season for cashews. The beach was looking like one of the beaches in Goa as the waves are slamming hard against the big rocks. We have some strange species of crabs, blue in colour. This beach seems like a local picnic spot in that scorching heat too. Local people along with the travellers from outside were enjoying with their families and friends over there. Being a Sunday it had an extensive crowd and therefore, it was hard to get proper food without much hassle. So we decided to leave and took the lunch in a restaurant back in the city.
Now it was almost 5o’clock in the evening and we reached the famous Ramakrishna beach.It is a crowded one with different stalls looking like a fair all the time like Puri or Digha. Here you can find most of the budget hotels.
From there we took a ride to the dock area and then a ferry inside the sea. Earlier when I visit Vizag, there was a trip into the sea where we can see dolphins from the boat. That stunning experience has somehow banned now because it was threatening the existence of those creatures. So this time we had to be satisfied with the sway of the big waves and the skyline view of the city from the sea. It was equally stunning I must say.
This ferry starts from the dock area where you will find numerous fishing boats and cargo ships. This is place from where the famous Andhra Rohu fish is sent to Bengal along with others. After returning to Ramakrishna Beach, you can visit a “Kali temple” and have some coconut water.
Now it’s the time to visit the “Submarine” which was once used by Indian Navy and later converted into a submarine museum with all its spare parts and machineries. You can also visit the “Vishakha Museum” and the “VUDA Park” after that if you have energy which we were completely lacking due to excessive heat all the day.
People staying inside the city are taken to “Rishikonda Beach” for a visit. But remember one thing, Rishikonda beach looks stunning during the sunrise and it’s quite problematic to get there early morning if you are staying in the city. In addition to these, Vizag is the most comfortable place to make a journey towards “Araku Valley” & “Bora Caves”. Pictures are given of each spot to substantiate my words.
