A trip with my friends to Araku hills - Jan 2015
After spending a fabulous day in Vizag(one should not miss Vizag for its beaches), we took a Rail route from Vizag to Araku. Its a four hour journey in a passenger train and its necessary to book your tickets in advance.We boarded a fully loaded second class at 7-30 a.m.
Passing though the fields, I was awaiting to capture the sight of the valleys. After two hours, to the right comes the sceneries to capture, the mountains and the deep valleys. The other ecstasy is when the train passes through the number of dark tunnels(approx 200 m - 300m long). Around 11-30 we reached Araku hills, and we had our cab driver waiting to pick us(Its adviced to book a cab preferably from Vizag, for sightseeing and the return journey to Vizag). Visited three places
Chapparai - 15 kms from Araku, Water stream, nothing much to enjoy there
Botanical garden - Where you can spend an hour relaxing in the green gardens
Tribal museum - This has models of the tribes of Araku and their culture(their houses, musical instruments, models of tribe dance forms, etc). They also conduct tribal dance shows in specific timing. The museum also hosts a few shops which sells handicrafts and cottage products.
Coffee House - This is located jus behind the tribal museum and near Harita Hill resorts. Must must visit place in Araku. Especially if you are a coffee lover, you will love it for the different kinds of coffee they sell. The house hosts a coffee museum and small restaurant which sells pizzas, chocolates, bakes and pastries.(Yummmmmmmmmm)
Around 5-30 p.m., we started from Araku towards Tyda which is located 40kms downhills from Araku. Hills at its own beauty in dusk, chillness wetting the breeze, we stepped into Jungle Bells, AP tourism Jungle resorts, located in a village Tyda.
This is a eco-friendly wooden resorts in hill tops. Since it is a ecofriendly resort there will not be signal for mobile network nor the resorts provide you a telephone or a television. So set yourself and prepare for a world only for you and you self. We checked in the cottage room. After freshening up, we came to restaurant(located in resort) around 7 p.m. And by 7-30 p.m. we saw the tribe people prepping up for a dance show. 10-12 womenfolk performed the tribal dance whilst the two to three tribe men set the music for it.
We sat near the fireplace with our food and enjoyed the dance show which went around for 40 mins. The food was decent and we relaxed ourself in the fireplace till 10 p.m.
The resort will arrange if you wish for a trek. Spending the night in the jungle, we woke for the knock of the door at around 6 a.m. The guide for the trek woke us and requested to gather at around 6-30 a.m. The guide is a local tribe and he took us for around 4 km up the hill. He explained the species of flora and fauna spread across, their occupation, showed us few thatched houses and families in the hills. Trek was for around two hours and we reached the resorts around 9 a.m, hitting the restaurant for the complementary breakfast.
We checked out of the resorts by 10-30 a.m heading to Borra caves.
Borra Caves - An hour journey from Tyda. This place is famous for "Bamboo Chicken" . As it has to be cooked, you have to book for the chicken an hour earlier. Suggested is to book while you enter the caves. The chicken will be prepared by the streetside vendors located across the entrance. The visit inside the caves will take 40 mins - 1 hr. The caves are the largest and formed by the erosion of the mountain by the river water. There is a shiva linga located inside the caves. Chill and dark, you can take a stroll inside the caves.
When you come out, your delicious and spicy bamboo chicken will be ready.
While you travel down the hill, on a village you will find small scale authentic Andhra meals restaurants, one stop for a meal.
The next place to visit in Araku valley is Anatgiri falls which we unfortunately missed. The other places to visit are the coffee estates located while you travel down the hills.
With the trip in its end we headed towards Vizag in the same cab taking our memories of the beautiful valley.
So summing it up, few must Do’s are,
1) Train journey up the hills
2) Coffee house in Araku hills
4) Ofcourse Jungle resorts(Mobile free world)
5) Tribal dance
6) Borra caves and
7) Spicy Bamboo Chicken
Wish you have a Great time in Araku.:)