Places to Visit in Araku Valley | Best Time to Visit

Araku Valley of Visakhapatnam is a beautiful place with hills and valleys. It is situated at an elevation of 910 m. The location is gifted with dense green forest, a flourishing waterfall, a peaceful climate and different tribal cultures. The valley is surrounded by green forests of the eastern ghat. This prominent tourist is only 120 km away from Visakhapatnam, it is also known as Ooty of Andhra Pradesh. Places to explore here are Borra caves, Katiki Falls, Tyda, and the local Museum holding tribal objects. The aroma of the coffee plantations and the scenery of this place can soothe anyone’s eyes. The best season to visit Araku Valley is in monsoon, which is from June to September. Here are the places to visit in Araku Valley

How to reach Araku Valley

1. Via Araku-Visakhapatnam road : By road, Araku Valley is 150 km away from Vizag. There are different ways to reach Araku Valley but the fastest is Araku Visakhapatnam road. It takes around 3.5 hours to reach the destination via this route. During the journey, the tourists can enjoy the following sightseeing – the local popular dam having a watch tower named Thatipudi Dam, the famous limestone caves of Ananthagiri hills-  Borra Caves, Damuka viewpoint, katika waterfalls, Galikonda viewpoint etc. 
2. Via Bhimasingi-Srugarapukto Road : To reach Araku Valley through this road one has to make a journey of 133 km. This way is quite long, it takes nearly 4.5 years. Popular views along this route include a densely forested region of Kambalakonda, a temple of lord Shiva in the hills of eastern ghats- Punyagiri, Ananthagiri waterfalls, borra caves and Galikonda viewpoint. 

By train, the Araku railway station is 1.7 km away from the town’s centre. 08551, Visakhapatnam KRDL PGRSP is the easiest way to reach Araku it departs from Visakhapatnam Station at 6.45 a.m. & reaches its destination at around 11.00 a.m., It crosses 58 tunnels & 84 bridges to reach Araku. To come back from Araku Valley to Visakhapatnam by train you have to reach Araku Station by 3.30 & board on the same train, 08551, Visakhapatnam KRDL PGRSP. If you have reserved a cab the returning trip will be included within the package.  

The hilly region of Araku Valley doesn’t have an airport, therefore it is not possible for anyone to reach there via flight. Therefore, the only way to reach Araku is by train, bus or any other cab service. 

How to book for Araku sightseeing : 

A short trip from Vizag is adequate to explore the Araku Valley and its surroundings. It takes overall 11 to 12 hours to cover all the sightseeing places. For a guest who wants to travel by train thet has to go through the official website of the railways to get the tickets. As Vizag and Araku Valley are the leading tourist spots, it is necessary to make all the bookings before a few months of visiting. On the other hand, to explore Araku Valley by road, One Day Vizag to Araku Valley Trip by car will be enough. The price for such a cab Starts at least Rs.5000/-. There are different companies that provide rental cars to organise such private tours, such as Maniktala Cabs or Holidays DNS etc. Along with local sightseeing places of Araku Valley such packages include pickup in the morning from Vizag Hotel, at around 8:00 a.m. and will drop you in the same place in the evening by 8:00 p.m. If guests don’t want to visit any particular location or alter a spot with another one extra charge may be levied. 

What to see in Araku Valley :

Araku Valley is a place of wonder. The place is appropriate for both adventurous as well as nature lovers. Here is a list of places to visit in Araku Valley. 

1. Borra Caves: Borra Cave is one of the top places to visit in Araku Valley. This is the largest cave in the country situated at a height of 705m. The property is managed by the geological survey of India. It was discovered in 1807 by a British geologist. 
2. Katiki Waterfalls: the height of these waterfalls is nearly 50 feet. It is one of the most incredible sites of Araku situated only 7 km away from the check post; however, guests have to hire A car at their own expense to reach there. 
3. Galikonda: it is the perfect viewpoint of the eastern ghats, situated at 4320 feet above sea level which provides the perfect panorama of the city. 
4. Ananthagiri hills and coffee plantations: surrounded by coffee plantations, this heel is one of the most beautiful viewpoints of Andhra Pradesh. The place is only 26 km away from Araku Valley. Coffee plantations, waterfalls, forests and mountains have made this heel the best interest of the Araku Valley tour.
5. Tribal Museum: Araku Valley is home to nearly 19 different types of tribes. The Museum showcases the history and heritage of these tribes. It is run by APTDC. 
6. Botanical Garden: it is a part of the historical past of the valley. Padmapuram botanical garden is around 26 acres wide and has many trees, tree houses and rare flowers. 
7. Chaparai Waterfalls: another name for this fall is Dumbriguda Falls. Surrounded by green forest, this unique waterfall has Rocky slopes and a beautiful landscape to enjoy. 

Famous food in Araku Valley

Every tour is incomplete without trying the local food. Araku Valley is the concentration of different tribal people and it has a large range of food varieties. Few such dishes are

1. Bongulo chicken: not only in Araku this dish is available everywhere in Andhra Pradesh. But it is prepared with a special recipe in the gateway, which tastes heavenly. It is prepared inside a green Bamboo comprising oil and local herbs along with the marination of other local spices. 
2. Uttapam and Perasattu: Sannibabu of Araku Valley serves the best South Indian breakfast like Uttapam and Perasattu. This place of Boddavada is not a big restaurant rather it is a small hut. Most of their customers believe that the secret of such great taste of their food is the usage of wood fire. 
3. Melting Idlis: among the local tribal food of Anantagiri melting idle and thinnest rava dosa are quite popular. Standing and the opposite police station Laxmi Akka’s place serves the best possible quality of these 2 dishes. 
4. Chicken seeks: There’s a must try chicken seekh available at Galikonda. It is prepared with freshly-used local mashala. There’s also veg dishes available for non people who don’t prefer Chicken.  

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