Southward – [AP] – II

I always prefer a hill, a mountain or a forest to the sea front for my travel destination. Araku Valley nothing sort of the valleys that presence in the Himalayas yet it was a different travelling experience. We were there for few hours and if I visit Vizag again I certainly love to stay at Araku for couple of days. Andhra Pradesh Government having resorts over there, which is very good, apart from it there are a few other resorts that also offer good hospitality.

Araku Valley

The Place

Araku is one of the most important tourist destinations in Andhra Pradesh. A pleasant hill station famous for its scenic gardens with lush green nature, valleys, waterfalls and streams. It is located 114 km from Vishakhapatnam, close to the Orissa state border. The Anantagiri and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest which are part of Araku Valley, are rich in biodiversity. The journey to Araku valley on the Eastern Ghats with thick forest on either sides is itself highly interesting and pleasant. The place is over 3200ft. high with a bracing climate. The Botanical Garden at Padmapuram, Government Silk Farm with Mulberry gardens are the live examples to know the socio-economic conditions of the area. Tribal Museum is a big attraction of the Araku. Chaaparai, a picturesque place about 15 km from Araku is another picnic spot in this region. One must experience the climatic conditions and the natural beauty of this Valley. The natural beauty of this valley comes alive with the aboriginal tribes who dwell here and who have to this day kept their tradition and culture alive. About 19 tribes inhabit this area. The Dhimsa dance, an age-old folk dance normally performed during 'Itikala Pongal' is now offered in tourist's packages everyday.
Bora Cave In 1807, William King George of the Geological Survey of India discovered the caves. The Borra caves are stated to be one of the largest caves in the Indian subcontinent. The caves are located in the Araku Valley of the Ananthagiri hill range and is drained by the Gosthani River. At the entry, the cave measures up to 100 m (328.1 ft) horizontally and 75 m (246.1 ft) vertically.  The average annual temperature of Araku hills, where the caves are situated, is about 25 °C (77.0 °F). The Gosthani river provides water supply to the Visakhapatnam city. The caves are well connected by road, rail and air services. Vishkapatnam, the nearest airport. By road, which is mostly a hill road and the journey takes about 3 hours. Train services operate on the Kothavalasa-Kirandul railway line in East Coast Railway, Indian Railways. The train journey over a distance of 100 km from the Vishkapatanam Rly station passes through Eastern Ghats section, which has 30 tunnels en-route. The journey by train takes about 5 hours to the Railway Station near the caves called the ‘Borra Guhalu Railway station’

!!!A wise traveler never despises his own country. – Carlo Goldoni!!!