With all the heavy construction work going on for the new flyover near the RTC Bus Depot, it is cumbersome to make your way through to the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (popularly known as APTDC) branch office in Vizag. But with summer vacations still on, APTDC is the safest bet for getting you a good holiday in and around Vizag. The APTDC office, splashed with colorful posters of destinations, is a hive of registers, ringing phones and a busy staff attending to a group of tourists and travelers.
APTDC happens to be a pioneer in promoting tourism in Andhra Pradesh. This branch, in Vizag since 1987, offers tour packages and sightseeing tours to tourism hotspots in and around Vizag and also to other parts of the state. The major draw, of course, is the provision of accommodation facilities at its many resorts, guesthouses and hotels. Amongst APTDC’s tour packages, the one to Araku Valleyis extremely popular. Here, you can opt for either the rail-cum-road, one-day package (Rs. 600 for adults and Rs. 510 for children; inclusive of meals and entrance fees) or the two-day package (Rs. 1, 650 for adults and Rs. 1, 320 for children that includes accommodation as well).
Sightseeing to Borra Caves, the Tribal Museum, AnanthagiriHills, etc. is also covered. APTDC’s three-night-two-day, road-cum-river cruise to Papikondalu (via Bhadrachalam) is equally popular. Fares are Rs. 2, 000 for adults and Rs. 1, 600 for kids (in an air-conditioned vehicle) and Rs. 1, 700 for adults and Rs. 1, 360 for children (non air-conditioned vehicle). This includes accommodation for a day, and breakfast and lunch and tea and snacks on the boat. For Vizag city, APTDC offers a one-day tour to tourist hotspots like the Rushikonda Beach, Visakha Museum, INS Kursura Submarine Museum, etc. The tour begins from 9 AM and winds up at 5 PM. Tariffs are Rs. 400 for adults and Rs. 320 for children (in an air-conditioned vehicle) and Rs. 300 for adults and Rs. 240 for children (non air-conditioned vehicle). The other packages for Vizag are boat rides at the Vizag Fishing Harbor and at the Rushikonda Beach (APTDC also has a beach resort here) and a toy train ride at theIndira Gandhi Zoological Park.
Divisional manager Jeevan Prasad adds that APTDC works towards providing an interface service to its customers so it also has a kiosk near the ticket booking counters at the Vizag Railway station that offers all of APTDC’s packages. It also has 19 certified travel agents in Vizag who network for the agency. An on-line booking facility too has been created.
The APTDC in Vizag functions as an efficient and helpful resource point for travelers, which is convenient for both Vizagites and for tourists coming in to Vizag. We watch as the APTDC staff personnel, who are coping with the summer rush to hotspots like Ananthagiri Hills and Tyda, give you the option of booking in to its other resorts at Araku Valley, which is an hour’s drive from both these spots. They are doing their best to ensure that you don’t step away disappointed, and we quite like that! Parking space is limited.
Anytime between – 6 AM – 11 PM