Araku Valley
What else you want if happen to get chance in rainy season to pack your bags and head towards lush green forest, misty mountains, waterfalls, and cold breeze that too if the place is somewhere lies within eastern ghats.
The place I am talking about is Araku Valley lies in the Eastern Ghats, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh
The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India’s eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from the northern Odisha through Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka eroded by the four major rivers Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri.
The Araku Valley, comprising Anantagiri and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest, is one of the rich biodiversity areas in the Eastern Ghats of India. It is located between 82°51’40?–83°06’53?E long. and 18°12’34?–18°25’12?N lat., Vishakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, at an altitude ranging from 800 to 1500 m.
We started our journey to Arraku via train from Vizag. We boarded VSKP KRDL PASS 58501 around 7am and we reached Arraku around 11am passed by 58 tunnels and over 84 bridges covered by dense jungle on both sides. It was an awesome journey. We booked in AC coach considering the facts, rainy season but I believe if you really would like to enjoy the valley and take photographs, you should travel in normal chair car coach.
When we reached Arraku station, it was raining heavily. Somehow we managed to get down and secured some shade in the platform.
Suddenly heard a voice, “Sir, do you need cab?”. I turned and saw one driver.
I asked him, “Do you know Haritha Valley Resort?”. He said, Yes, it’s nearby only, only Rs 50. It was around 11:30am and my daughter was very hungry. I agreed to take his cab. On the way, we shared some talk and I found him a good guy with good knowledge of places around.His name is Laxman. I asked him if he can take us around and he readily accepted. Once we reached resort, he helped me to get through the formalities as he knew few people there. He asked me to get fresh and come down in 30 mins. He would take us to other Haritha resort for lunch and there we could get chance to see Dhimsa dance, a dance by some tribal women, arranged by Haritha Resort.
Finally we had lunch. It was still raining. We sat in a hall. Since it was raining outside, authorities decided to arrange for the dance in the hall only. After a while, saw tribal women entered the hall and then they started. It was awesome. They allowed us also to dance with them and enjoy. Frankly speaking if next time I will go there again, I will definitely go to their village and will spend some time with them.
We started around 2pm for local sight scene. We decided to go to Chaaparai waterfall which is only 15 Kms from Araku valley. When we reached it was raining. Laxman provided his umbrella and we managed to get down to platae.It was nice smell around of cooking of bamboo chicken and chicken roast. We enjoyed the place and spent some time. While standing, wind was so much that we broke the umbrella as well. Finally we came up and then enjoyed corn.
After this we decided to cover Padmapuram Garden and Tribal Museum followed by Coffee museum. Though raining entire day from the time we got down in Arraku, but we really enjoyed.
Padmapuram Gardens is a tourist attraction in the Araku valley in Andhra Pradesh, India. The gardens have a good collection of appealing plants and flowers. Welcomed by a Toy train, which starts at the entrance, these gardens provide a novel atmosphere with unique flower gardens and numerous hefty trees like eucalyptus, pine etc. One of the top-most attractions of Padmapuram Gardens is the hanging cottages.
The Araku Tribal Museum Is Perhaps As Famed As The Place That Houses It, The Splendorous Araku Valley. Started In February 1996, The Museum Unlike Others Is Not Historical, But Instead Showcases The Orthodox Lifestyle, Along With The Social, Economical And Cultural Norms And Customs Of The Native Tribes Of The Region. The Museum Itself Is Built With Mud And Various Metals That Give It An Authentic Tribal Feel And Lend More Credence To The Artefacts That Reside Within.
The Coffee Museum at Araku is claimed to be India’s first thematic coffee museum. The museum should have acquired heritage status by now as it is being run for over six decades.It has a section where you get to know about the origin of coffee and how it spread across the world. The section displayed various details related with coffee and how to prepare different type of coffees. There is second section where you can but coffee and chocolates and finally third section where you can sit and enjoy the sip of coffee. We bought some chocolates and muffins.
By the time we came out of Coffee museum, it was 6pm and we decided to go back to resort.
But for me something going on in my mind. I asked Laxman to take us to main market. He took us to a small market. I was happy finally as got shop to buy a new umbrella for Laxman. He was very happy to get the umbrella. With this we decided to warp us that they trip and we went back to resort.
And guess, rains continues and now heavy wind that we hardly even able to open the windows. We somehow managed to order some snacks and dinner. Thankfully they have good room service. I really thanks them and they provided us the service.
Next day morning I woke up early and went out as I heard the place is photographer paradise and last day I hardly able to take any photograph because of rain.I still remember the mist, cold wind, lush green trees. I managed to get some snaps of nature.
Around 9am we had breakfast. Since our plan was to go for site scene and on the way go back to Vishakhapatnam, we did check out from resort and started the day tour again with Laxman.
We went to Ananthagiri water fall.It’s really nice, calm place full of butterflies and jack fruits.
Then on on our way, we stopped by Coffee Plantation. It was really nice experience.
You will many villagers selling Raisins, Cashew etc., please feel free to buy. Really good one and very cheap.
We don’t want leave Arraku without tasting bamboo chicken and local traditional chicken recipe. Laxman informed us that near Borra caves he knows few shop who prepare both very well. So we decided to order the food while going to Borra Caves so that we will get is ready once we come back
Then while enjoying scenic beauty, we reached million years old Borra caves located on the East Coast of India, in the Ananthagiri hills of the Araku Valley.The beauty of the stalactites and stalagmites inside the caves has now been enhanced with a thematic lighting scheme.In 1807, William King of the Geological Survey of India discovered the caves.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. Stalagmite and Stalactite formations are found in the caves.
In Bora caves, we met few people who were our companion during our train journey as well. We were totally exhausted after visiting Bora Caves and hungry as well. It was now the time to taste chicken, so went to the shop where we ordered food and had lunch. Seriously, for all non-vegetarian, Bamboo chicken, a must eat item in Araku.
On the way, we saw Tyda, the resort with tree houses in-between the lush green forest.
Finally around 3pm, we started for final stretch to Vishakhapatnam. We stopped by few places for snaps and finally we reached Vishakhapatnam by 6pm.
It was a great trip but definitely without Laxman couldn’t be possible in such a nice way.
It is certainly a great place to relax and unwind your-self and has some very good tourism sites around.
The place I am talking about is Araku Valley lies in the Eastern Ghats, Visakhapatnam district, Andhra Pradesh
The Eastern Ghats are a discontinuous range of mountains along India’s eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from the northern Odisha through Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka eroded by the four major rivers Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, and Kaveri.
The Araku Valley, comprising Anantagiri and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest, is one of the rich biodiversity areas in the Eastern Ghats of India. It is located between 82°51’40?–83°06’53?E long. and 18°12’34?–18°25’12?N lat., Vishakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh, at an altitude ranging from 800 to 1500 m.
We started our journey to Arraku via train from Vizag. We boarded VSKP KRDL PASS 58501 around 7am and we reached Arraku around 11am passed by 58 tunnels and over 84 bridges covered by dense jungle on both sides. It was an awesome journey. We booked in AC coach considering the facts, rainy season but I believe if you really would like to enjoy the valley and take photographs, you should travel in normal chair car coach.
When we reached Arraku station, it was raining heavily. Somehow we managed to get down and secured some shade in the platform.
Suddenly heard a voice, “Sir, do you need cab?”. I turned and saw one driver.
I asked him, “Do you know Haritha Valley Resort?”. He said, Yes, it’s nearby only, only Rs 50. It was around 11:30am and my daughter was very hungry. I agreed to take his cab. On the way, we shared some talk and I found him a good guy with good knowledge of places around.His name is Laxman. I asked him if he can take us around and he readily accepted. Once we reached resort, he helped me to get through the formalities as he knew few people there. He asked me to get fresh and come down in 30 mins. He would take us to other Haritha resort for lunch and there we could get chance to see Dhimsa dance, a dance by some tribal women, arranged by Haritha Resort.
Finally we had lunch. It was still raining. We sat in a hall. Since it was raining outside, authorities decided to arrange for the dance in the hall only. After a while, saw tribal women entered the hall and then they started. It was awesome. They allowed us also to dance with them and enjoy. Frankly speaking if next time I will go there again, I will definitely go to their village and will spend some time with them.
We started around 2pm for local sight scene. We decided to go to Chaaparai waterfall which is only 15 Kms from Araku valley. When we reached it was raining. Laxman provided his umbrella and we managed to get down to platae.It was nice smell around of cooking of bamboo chicken and chicken roast. We enjoyed the place and spent some time. While standing, wind was so much that we broke the umbrella as well. Finally we came up and then enjoyed corn.
After this we decided to cover Padmapuram Garden and Tribal Museum followed by Coffee museum. Though raining entire day from the time we got down in Arraku, but we really enjoyed.
Padmapuram Gardens is a tourist attraction in the Araku valley in Andhra Pradesh, India. The gardens have a good collection of appealing plants and flowers. Welcomed by a Toy train, which starts at the entrance, these gardens provide a novel atmosphere with unique flower gardens and numerous hefty trees like eucalyptus, pine etc. One of the top-most attractions of Padmapuram Gardens is the hanging cottages.
The Araku Tribal Museum Is Perhaps As Famed As The Place That Houses It, The Splendorous Araku Valley. Started In February 1996, The Museum Unlike Others Is Not Historical, But Instead Showcases The Orthodox Lifestyle, Along With The Social, Economical And Cultural Norms And Customs Of The Native Tribes Of The Region. The Museum Itself Is Built With Mud And Various Metals That Give It An Authentic Tribal Feel And Lend More Credence To The Artefacts That Reside Within.
The Coffee Museum at Araku is claimed to be India’s first thematic coffee museum. The museum should have acquired heritage status by now as it is being run for over six decades.It has a section where you get to know about the origin of coffee and how it spread across the world. The section displayed various details related with coffee and how to prepare different type of coffees. There is second section where you can but coffee and chocolates and finally third section where you can sit and enjoy the sip of coffee. We bought some chocolates and muffins.
By the time we came out of Coffee museum, it was 6pm and we decided to go back to resort.
But for me something going on in my mind. I asked Laxman to take us to main market. He took us to a small market. I was happy finally as got shop to buy a new umbrella for Laxman. He was very happy to get the umbrella. With this we decided to warp us that they trip and we went back to resort.
And guess, rains continues and now heavy wind that we hardly even able to open the windows. We somehow managed to order some snacks and dinner. Thankfully they have good room service. I really thanks them and they provided us the service.
Next day morning I woke up early and went out as I heard the place is photographer paradise and last day I hardly able to take any photograph because of rain.I still remember the mist, cold wind, lush green trees. I managed to get some snaps of nature.
Around 9am we had breakfast. Since our plan was to go for site scene and on the way go back to Vishakhapatnam, we did check out from resort and started the day tour again with Laxman.
We went to Ananthagiri water fall.It’s really nice, calm place full of butterflies and jack fruits.
Then on on our way, we stopped by Coffee Plantation. It was really nice experience.
You will many villagers selling Raisins, Cashew etc., please feel free to buy. Really good one and very cheap.
We don’t want leave Arraku without tasting bamboo chicken and local traditional chicken recipe. Laxman informed us that near Borra caves he knows few shop who prepare both very well. So we decided to order the food while going to Borra Caves so that we will get is ready once we come back
Then while enjoying scenic beauty, we reached million years old Borra caves located on the East Coast of India, in the Ananthagiri hills of the Araku Valley.The beauty of the stalactites and stalagmites inside the caves has now been enhanced with a thematic lighting scheme.In 1807, William King of the Geological Survey of India discovered the caves.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. Stalagmite and Stalactite formations are found in the caves.
In Bora caves, we met few people who were our companion during our train journey as well. We were totally exhausted after visiting Bora Caves and hungry as well. It was now the time to taste chicken, so went to the shop where we ordered food and had lunch. Seriously, for all non-vegetarian, Bamboo chicken, a must eat item in Araku.
On the way, we saw Tyda, the resort with tree houses in-between the lush green forest.
Finally around 3pm, we started for final stretch to Vishakhapatnam. We stopped by few places for snaps and finally we reached Vishakhapatnam by 6pm.
It was a great trip but definitely without Laxman couldn’t be possible in such a nice way.
It is certainly a great place to relax and unwind your-self and has some very good tourism sites around.
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