Visakhapatnam and nearby sight seeing

Visakhapatnam also known as Vizag is a quite and peaceful city situated on the Eastern coast of Andhra Pradesh. Owing to its strategic position on the Bay of Bengal. Vizag is playing a key role in the import and export sector. I t is also a major base for the India Navy. In recent times Vizag has been undergoing a lot of industrialization but, still one can witness nature in its full glory in the beautiful city of Visakhapatnam.

Vizag is well connected through roadways, railways and airways. Tourist may not find it very difficult to reach Vizag. For railway tickets to reach Vizag, tourist may log on to website www.irctc.co.in. Visakhapatnam also has a domestic airport, Indira Gandhi Airport which is well connected to all the major cities in India. Vizag is also well connected through busses from major cities of Andhra Pradesh like Hyderabad, Vijayawada , Rajahmundry etc. Vizag is also transversed by National Highway No. 5 which connects Chennai to Kolkata.

Lodging facilities are easily available in Vizag . It offers a variety of lodging right from small lodges to world class five star hotels. The lodges are mostly concentrated in the Dwaraka nagar (which is also called Bus complex) area of the city. Taj , The park , Grand bay like hotel’s are situated besides the beach and they provide absolutely stunning view of the sea. One may even select to stay at the A.P. govt. resorts situated at Rishi konda area whch is just about 10-15 km away from the Visakhapatnam railway station.( for this facility one has to book prior to journey).

Once in Vizag one must visit the Ramakrishna beach, Rama Krishna Beach, Simhachalam , kailasagiri , Bheemili patnam and Rishikonda.

Also Known as the R.K beach is one of the most clean beaches that India can offer. It is just 5 to 10 minutes away from Dwaraka Nagar . One can choose to travel through an auto rickshaw of through the local buses. Once in R.K beach one may choose from a variety of options. One may prefer to play in the beach. One important thing to make a note of is that the depth of the sea increases exponentially after a certain distance from the shore, so all you water freaks better take proper precautions before you take your plunge into the sea. The beach also offers a submarine museum which is one of a kind in the whole Asia. It is actually decommissioned I.N.S Kurusura. It is a different kind of experience altogether, really worth visiting. For the tourists with spiritual temperament, RK beach offers Ramakrishna Math which is situated right opposite to the beach. There is another treat for the nature lovers in the form of an aquarium which is home to different variety of fishes. Vuda park, which is just a stones throw away from the beach offers an artificial pond on which boating facilities are available. Selvi water world also located just beside this VUDA park offers a range of water rides. The Dolphins nose, which is actually a mountain the form of the upper body of a Dolphin is also visible from the beach.

Simhachalam is around 20 minutes drive from Dwarka Nagar. It is situated on the top of a hill. The Temple features a deity of Lord Ugra Narsimha, seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. One may take a direct public transport bus from Dwarka nagar to Simhaclam. Others may take an auto rickshaw from Dwarka nagar to the foot of Simhachalam temple and from there one may take a local cab that takes you up the hill & back down. Once in the temple one can visit the deity which is usually covered with a very thick layer of Sandalwood paste. Once in a year, usually in the month of April, the paste is removed & distributed to the devotees. On this day the temple is heavily crowded. This temple has been declared as a Major Dham by the ISKON Society (International Society for Krishna Consiousness).

This temple offers a lot of peace to the devotees, wherein for the casual tourists, this place offers a lot of beautiful sites & there are a lot of souvenir shops nearby which might keep you very busy.

One can relax at Kailasagiri hill. For reaching Kailasagiri one may choose from the option of taking an auto rickshaw or a public transport bus from Dwarka nagar. For the adventure seekers stairs are also available. Once on top of the mountain one can enjoy the breathtaking view of the blue colored bay of Bengal on one side and the Visakhapatnam city on the other side. Well, it’s a sight worth seeing. Kailasagiri offers humongous statues of the divine pair from Hindu mythology Lord Shiva & Parvati.The beauty of Kailasagiri is further personified by the presence of lush green lawns, flower beds, food court, jungle trail, telescopic view point, souvenir shop & many more.

Bheemilipatanam is a small town situated at a distance of around one hour from Vizag. The 25 kms stretch of coastline is simply awesome. One may take a public bus from Dwarka nagar or RK beach to reach Bhimili. There are 2 routes to reach Bhimili, one is the highway route whereas the other is through the beach side. The beachside route is really worth traveling. Once at Bhimili one can enjoy the clear blue sea. An old light house is also close to the beach. It’s a heaven for sea lovers. There are many more sites like Temples, Old churches, clock tower, port and many more.

15 Kms away from Vizag, Rishikonda beach is a picture perfect setting of sand, surf, sea and hill. One may take a public transport bus from Dwarka nagar or an auto rickshaw. Rishikonda is also known for the bar cum restaurant that is attached to the hill cottage.

The best time to visit Vizag would be in the Winter or Monsoon season. It won’t be very advisable to visit Vizag in Summers because the temperatures then reach a soaring 45⁰ C.

Vizag is a Shopper’s heaven with a wide variety of articles to be bought. There are many shopping malls in the Dwarka nagar and Jagadamba areas of Vizag.

Auto rickshaw drivers are known to cheat new tourists, so as far possible prefer public transport.

Just to conclude Vizag is a place really worth visiting. A memorable experience which will truly leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated for the daily chores that you need to attend after your vacation.

For any travel related query one can contact:

Tourist Information Officer

Regional Tourist Information Bureau,

Vuda Building, Siripurm, Visakhapatnam – 530003.

Phone Number: 91-0891-2754716.

One can also log on to http://www.aptourism.in/visakhapatnam.html