ARAKU VALLEY
Reasons why you must visit Araku Valley:
- An offbeat, serene, peaceful destination
- Away from the busy bustle of cities and a respite from sweat-prone Visakhapatnam
- A good picnic spot and a place that makes you nostalgic and romantic.
- The Green Valleys and pleasant weather add the cherry on top.
- Borra Caves: Yes, you heard it right. It’s right here and a must-visit. The natural stalactites, stalagmite formation, and artificial lighting are splendid to watch.
- Waterfalls, sightseeing, and tribal culture to study.
Location: Araku Valley is on the way to Koraput/Jagdalpur when you travel westwards from Visakhapatnam. Road and rail routes are available. But, the real fun is travelling by train, when you can see mesmerizing green valleys and misty clouds passing through several tunnels. Isn’t it worth it!
Tourist Attractions around Borra Caves/Araku Valley:
The places around Borra Caves are the Ananthagiri Coffee Plantation, Padmapuram Gardens, Katiki Falls, Tatipudi Reservoir, and Damuku View Point.
Distance Chart:
Vishakhapatnam : 90 km
Chilika:327 km
Vijayawada: 422 km
Bhubaneshwar:455 km
Puri:456 km
Konark:487 km
Hyderabad:693 km
Ranchi:861 km
Chennai:871 km
Kolkata:888 km
Bangalore:1069 km
How to Reach Araku Valley/Borra Caves:
Road Routes:
From Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam-Kothavalasa-Srungavarapu kota-Borra Guhalu-Araku Valley
Come from anywhere; Vizag/Visakhapatnam’s the key to Araku. Yes, you got it correct. So you must catch a train from Vizag and get down at either Borra Guhalu or Araku. Timings are listed here. If you are coming from the Rayagada side, then, in that case, you need to leave the train at Koraput and catch a train towards Vizag.
NOTE: For Borra Caves, leave the morning train at Borra Guhalu. Borra Caves is just minutes away from the railway station.
AIR: Visakhapatnam/Vizag is the nearest airport, after which you must opt for a rail or road network.
ROAD: If you have your bike or car, 1.5-2 hrs is all you need from Visakhapatnam. But in case you want to save some bucks and go for public transport, then go for APSRTC bus service or opt for the APTDC Package, which is worth every penny. Going by bus, the 5 am bus is apt in case you want to ditch the fantastic train ride. So I will strongly suggest you opt for rail-cum-road package by APTDC worth 1000 bucks. It’s not much considering what all is inclusive in the package!
Map:
Time to Visit:
Mid-Sept to Mid May(monsoon season to be avoided)
Spend Time With:
Family,Friends,Solo,Group Picnic.
Food and Lodging:
Apc approved lodging available. To save bucks, opt for Srungavarapu. Kota. Food is not a problem, but lodging needs to be decided based on your budget.
Expense:
Since I had booked a hotel online at Srungavarapu Kota, I took a bus, reached the hotel by evening(EX-Bangalore), rested, and headed to Araku the following day. I got a bus that left me at Borra Caves. A nominal fee for caves and after which, gave 1.5 hours to caves. After that hired an auto and went on to see Araku Valley, the Tribal Museum, and Katiki Falls. In the late afternoon, went by bus to Tatipudi reservoir from the hotel. The reservoir is worth giving a shot, folks!
Bangalore to Visakhapatnam Train:800 INR
Hotel:535 INR
Bus Misc:100 INR
Food:200 INR
Auto:600 INR
Entry ticket to Borra Caves:60 INR
Entry ticket to the tribal museum: 20 INR(Approx)
Return to hotel: 60 INR(Bus)
From Tatipudi Reservoir (need to walk around 1-1.5 km from Junction):30 X 2=60 INR
Return to Visakhapatnam:60 INR(Approx)
Total: 1695INR.
Nearby Attractions:
Lambasingi-92 km( hill station)
Visakhapatnam-115 km
Chilika Lake- 352 km
Konark Sun Temple-510 km
Jagdalpur(Chitrakoot Falls-Widest Falls in India)-185 km
Vijayawada-432 km