Placed against the fascinating backdrop of the Bay of Bengal, Vizag truly provides an ideal escape from the mundane life. Its tranquil location makes it very popular amongst the honeymooners and there is no denying that Vizag with its serene beauty has been very special during our honeymoon trip.
Rolling mountains, scattered greenery, awesome coastline ……Vizag has a lot to add to your pleasure. However, it’s the Rishikonda beach resort, which has made our stay in Vizag far more enjoyable. Located in the lap of hill ranges, this beach resort takes you far away from the hustles and bustles of urban life. From the roof attached with your room you can have a magnificent view of the Bay of Bengal taking a bent like a necklace. It takes around 10 – 15 minutes to walk down to the golden shore of Vizag from the resort. Even if you don’t go for a boat ride, walking along the soft sandy coastline is a great experience in itself.
Kailashgiri is another beautiful viewpoint that you cannot afford to miss during your stay in Vizag.
Among the hidden treasures of Andhra, Tyda is worth mentioning. All the wooden cottages at Tyda jungle bells are designed to make you feel the real thrill of forest; while enjoying the basic facilities of modern life (except television and telephone). It’s great to see monkey jumping from one tree to another, butterflies flying around, a variety of unknown birds, and insects …all from the wooden corridor attached with your cottage.
However, it’s the tribal dance show that we enjoyed most during our 2-night stay at Tyda jungle bells. Bon fire at the center of the dance floor was the added attraction of this show. The wide variety of dance sequences formed by the tribal dancers was simply amazing. We tried to capture their rhythmic movements in our DSLR; though it’s hard to describe in words, the real charm of being a part of that tribal dance show.
2 hrs’ drive from Tyda along the picturesque stretches of Eastern ghat will take you to another tourist hotspot of Andhra Pradesh, the Araku Valley. We took bit more time to reach Araku, as we stopped several times on the way to enjoy the mesmerizing beauty of tribal villages of Andhra Pradesh. The wide variety of colors all along the way, will surely take you to a world of tranquility.
The diverse range of hotel amenities and facilities offered by Araku Yatri Nivas made our stay in Araku far more pleasurable. To watch the Sun setting down behind rolling mountains from the room-side balcony is a great experience in itself. However, the real beauty of Araku lies in its vast stretches of lush green verdure. Bora cave is another must see tourist destination in Araku. A big group of monkey awaits you at the entrance of Bora cave. While moving towards the cave, you will surly enjoy monkeys jumping around you without causing any trouble. Once you step inside that cave the huge collection of stalactite and stalagmite formations will leave you in awe. It took us around one hour to cover every single corner of the Borra cave.
Our driver Srinu, helped us a lot to find out some of the hidden treasures of Araku. Among those, Chapprai is worth mentioning. Located against a fascinating backdrop, Chaprai is hotspot among the local people. It’s great to get around the riverine flowing through Chaprai.
While holidaying in Araku, you cannot afford to miss the charm of tribal villages. If you have some time left after visiting all the popular attractions in Araku, just go for a long drive towards Paderu. The sheer beauty of golden paddy fields, lush greenery, and undulating mountains makes a perfect solitude of bliss.
How we got there
It’s pretty easy to get to Vizag from Hyderabad. We availed Godavari express from Secundrabad to reach Vizag. You can also opt for airways to get to this fascinating beach destination of southern India.
It took us around 2 hrs to reach Tyda from Vizag by car. It comes in between Vizag and Araku.
From Tyda Jungle Bells another 3 hrs’s drive took us to Araku Valley.
If you skip Tyda, you can directly reach Araku from Vizag by Kottavalasa Kirandul railway.
Accommodations we availed
Accommodation facilities offered by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) i.e. the Haritha chain of hotels are among the best accommodation options that you can have in Vizag, Tyda, and Araku.
With its warm hospitality and comprehensive range of facilities and services, Rishikonda Beach Resort made us feel at home.
The New Woodbridge Cottage at Tyda Jungle Bells provided us with utmost comfort in the midst of dense forest.
In Araku, it’s the Araku Yatri Nivas that has made our stay in Araru Valley a memorable one. The diverse range of hotel amenities and services offered by Araku Yatri Nivas provided us comforts of home away from home.
If you are planning for a Vizag-Tyda-Araku trip, don’t forget to make hotel reservations well before your trip. Otherwise, it may be difficult to find out a lodging option as par you choice.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Wild Andaman
With its magnificent coastline, warm blue sea, tropical forest and a variety of tribal groups, Andaman has a lot to charm the visitors.
Our 10-day trip to Andaman started with a marine drive. The Bay of Bengal with immense wilderness was accompanying us all through our drive. There was an unusual riot of colours in the seawater. The palm-fringed shoreline of Corbyn’s Cove was awesome. The light & sound show at the Cellular Jail reminded us of the tragic stories of our freedom fighters. Chatham Saw Mill, Netaji Museum, Anthropological Museum, Naval Marine Museum and Aquarium are the other major destinations in the city of Port Blair.
On our way to Bartang we were shocked to see the ravages caused by Tsunami. However, the real thrill of Bartang started coming up when we crossed the check post of Jarwa Reserve. The first group of tribes appeared all of a sudden. It was as if they were allowing us to pass through their territory. The second group of Jarwa kids was a bit aggressive. They came up with arrows and spears. We were scared; however, they didn’t disturb the convoy. At the end of the Jarwa Reserve there lies a creek. We availed the ferry service to reach the verdant stretch of mangrove forest. A small boat took us through the interiors of the forest. Our jungle trekking started thereafter. We were moving through dense tropical forest. The trail was extremely slippery with lots of ups & downs. The 1.2 km long trail led us to the Limestone Cave. The stalactite and stalagmite formations inside that giant cave left us in awe. The Mud Volcano of Bartang is third of its kind in the world.
Andaman Trip is never complete without harbor cruising. On the third day of our trip we boarded on “MV Dering” to sail through the endless open sea. The 3.5 hours’ cruising took us to the spectacular Havelock Island. With its turquoise water, tranquil beach and lush greenery, Havelock is a heaven on earth. The Radha Nagar beach in Havelock is one of those beach destinations that we frequently get to see in the popular travel channels. It’s simply hard to describe the sheer beauty of Havelock in words.
Andaman trip offers ample scope of island hopping. We availed a package trip from Port Blair to get around the nearby islands. The Ross Island came first. The ruins of the once capital of British administration were amazing. The North Bay Island came next. The main attraction of this island is the underwater coral reef. We opted for glass bottom boat to explore the underwater wonderland. The Viper Island is another must visit destination. Ruin of gallows is the prime attraction of this deserted island.
Jungle safari along the trails of Mount Harriet is a great experience in itself. The peak of Mount Harriet at an altitude of 1193 feet is the highest point of Andaman. While proceeding through the dense tropical forest we were mesmerized by the fascinating landscape around us. The view points at the peak offer panoramic view of the nearby islands. The picturesque Wandoor beach lies 32 kilometers away from the city of Port Blair. Here the sea is absolutely crystal clear. From Wandoor we took a motor boat to visit the Sea Mahua, a place also known for its coral reef.
With so much to see and do, Andaman assures a memorable vacation in total relaxation.
Our 10-day trip to Andaman started with a marine drive. The Bay of Bengal with immense wilderness was accompanying us all through our drive. There was an unusual riot of colours in the seawater. The palm-fringed shoreline of Corbyn’s Cove was awesome. The light & sound show at the Cellular Jail reminded us of the tragic stories of our freedom fighters. Chatham Saw Mill, Netaji Museum, Anthropological Museum, Naval Marine Museum and Aquarium are the other major destinations in the city of Port Blair.
On our way to Bartang we were shocked to see the ravages caused by Tsunami. However, the real thrill of Bartang started coming up when we crossed the check post of Jarwa Reserve. The first group of tribes appeared all of a sudden. It was as if they were allowing us to pass through their territory. The second group of Jarwa kids was a bit aggressive. They came up with arrows and spears. We were scared; however, they didn’t disturb the convoy. At the end of the Jarwa Reserve there lies a creek. We availed the ferry service to reach the verdant stretch of mangrove forest. A small boat took us through the interiors of the forest. Our jungle trekking started thereafter. We were moving through dense tropical forest. The trail was extremely slippery with lots of ups & downs. The 1.2 km long trail led us to the Limestone Cave. The stalactite and stalagmite formations inside that giant cave left us in awe. The Mud Volcano of Bartang is third of its kind in the world.
Andaman Trip is never complete without harbor cruising. On the third day of our trip we boarded on “MV Dering” to sail through the endless open sea. The 3.5 hours’ cruising took us to the spectacular Havelock Island. With its turquoise water, tranquil beach and lush greenery, Havelock is a heaven on earth. The Radha Nagar beach in Havelock is one of those beach destinations that we frequently get to see in the popular travel channels. It’s simply hard to describe the sheer beauty of Havelock in words.
Andaman trip offers ample scope of island hopping. We availed a package trip from Port Blair to get around the nearby islands. The Ross Island came first. The ruins of the once capital of British administration were amazing. The North Bay Island came next. The main attraction of this island is the underwater coral reef. We opted for glass bottom boat to explore the underwater wonderland. The Viper Island is another must visit destination. Ruin of gallows is the prime attraction of this deserted island.
Jungle safari along the trails of Mount Harriet is a great experience in itself. The peak of Mount Harriet at an altitude of 1193 feet is the highest point of Andaman. While proceeding through the dense tropical forest we were mesmerized by the fascinating landscape around us. The view points at the peak offer panoramic view of the nearby islands. The picturesque Wandoor beach lies 32 kilometers away from the city of Port Blair. Here the sea is absolutely crystal clear. From Wandoor we took a motor boat to visit the Sea Mahua, a place also known for its coral reef.
With so much to see and do, Andaman assures a memorable vacation in total relaxation.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Lost in the wonderland
It was a sudden call from my brother staying in Sumatra. Being an ardent traveler, I always fail to resist myself whenever there is a little chance to run away from the mundane life. Trip to a wonderland like Sumatra has always been a dream-come-true for me.
It was in the month of December 2006 that I received that surprise call from my elder brother. It was the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received. Dad, mom and me, all three of us got instantly charged up with this great idea of dadabhai. It took some time to settle down after the initial phase of sheer excitement. I was already in a festive mood. However, dad had to manage the office leaves on a hurry. The charge of trip arrangements was on me, as I’m pretty expert at that.
Like all our previous trips, I started jotting down what to see and do in this Paradise Island of Indonesia. After all it was our first foreign trip. So I was not ready to miss a bit of it. There is nothing better than Google when it comes to travel related information. The keyword “Sumatra” generated a lot of search results. I went through a number of websites. However, the website http://www.mapsofworld.com/ was the most comprehensive of all. This site offers intricate details of the accommodation establishments and sightseeing destinations in and around the Island of Sumatra. The information that I collected from the website http://www.mapsofworld.com/ never let us feel stranger in this tranquil Island.
The details of the accommodation establishments that are available on http://www.mapsofworld.com/ helped us a lot to select the lodging option that ideally matched our requirements.
Our 7-day trip was full of memorable events. While proceeding through the lush greenery of the Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra, we got thrilled at the diversity of the flora and fauna all around us. How can I forget to mention that horrifying experience when I got detached from my family for a while in the midst of that dense forest? It happened obviously due to my over enthusiasm. My parents were finding it difficult to track me as I was entirely succumbed by the scenic beauty of this tropical paradise. I still cherish the snaps that I took with my new Digicam (specially bought for that Sumatra trip).
No doubt, the Sumatra trip has been a lifetime experience for me. I owe much to http://www.mapsofworld.com/ for making the trip a memorable one.
It was in the month of December 2006 that I received that surprise call from my elder brother. It was the best Christmas gift I’ve ever received. Dad, mom and me, all three of us got instantly charged up with this great idea of dadabhai. It took some time to settle down after the initial phase of sheer excitement. I was already in a festive mood. However, dad had to manage the office leaves on a hurry. The charge of trip arrangements was on me, as I’m pretty expert at that.
Like all our previous trips, I started jotting down what to see and do in this Paradise Island of Indonesia. After all it was our first foreign trip. So I was not ready to miss a bit of it. There is nothing better than Google when it comes to travel related information. The keyword “Sumatra” generated a lot of search results. I went through a number of websites. However, the website http://www.mapsofworld.com/ was the most comprehensive of all. This site offers intricate details of the accommodation establishments and sightseeing destinations in and around the Island of Sumatra. The information that I collected from the website http://www.mapsofworld.com/ never let us feel stranger in this tranquil Island.
The details of the accommodation establishments that are available on http://www.mapsofworld.com/ helped us a lot to select the lodging option that ideally matched our requirements.
Our 7-day trip was full of memorable events. While proceeding through the lush greenery of the Tropical Rainforest of Sumatra, we got thrilled at the diversity of the flora and fauna all around us. How can I forget to mention that horrifying experience when I got detached from my family for a while in the midst of that dense forest? It happened obviously due to my over enthusiasm. My parents were finding it difficult to track me as I was entirely succumbed by the scenic beauty of this tropical paradise. I still cherish the snaps that I took with my new Digicam (specially bought for that Sumatra trip).
No doubt, the Sumatra trip has been a lifetime experience for me. I owe much to http://www.mapsofworld.com/ for making the trip a memorable one.
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