Places to visit in Andhra Pradesh

The Port City of Visakhapatnam, popularly known as Vizag, is one among the three proposed state capitals in Andhra Pradesh. The Vizag port is known to be the home to the oldest shipyard in mainland India. The city attracts a plethora of tourists each year, courtesy its alluring landscape and scenic beaches that look straight out of a picture.

The geographical location of Vizag makes it a popular tourist destination for people who love a bit of both mountains and the sea. Nestled between the Eastern Ghats and located on the coats of the Bay of Bengal, Vizag is a visual delight for visitors who come to experience the hustle of the city and the tranquility of the tribal villages close to the city. The city is also known as The Jewel of the East Cost for myriad worthwhile reasons.

Visakhapatnam offers a great deal of activities to do for the tourists. You can take a day tour of the city to explore the beaches namely; RK Beach, Rushikonda Beach, Bheemili Beach, Appikonda Beach and Yarada Beach are some of the great beaches in Vizag. Most of these beaches have various eateries where you can get the authentic taste of local street food. The Rushikonda beach is the most visited beach in Vizag.

If you are in the mood to indulge in some adventure sports, you can try activities like parasailing, scuba diving, paramotoring, and speed-boating on the beach. Additionally, if you are lucky to be there at the right time of the year, you can also witness the grandeur of the beach festivals. For instance, the RK Beach holds an annual beach festival around the New Year and the Appikonda Beach attracts a plethora of devotees around the time of Mahashivratri for the annual beach festival.

You will also get to discover a profusion of museums like the Submarine Museum, Aircraft Museum, Visakha Museum and more. Araku Valley, the hill station known for its splendid unadulterated beauty, is a must-visit point of interest for the tourists who come to Vizag. The valley is also known for its plantations of coffee, pepper and certain other spices. If you are looking for a retreat from the hubbub of the city, the momentous green hills of the Eastern Ghats and the celestial rustling of waterfalls is sure to have a therapeutic effect on you. 

Srisailam is a devotional town situated in the Kurnool district of Andhra Pradesh. This town is famous for the Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Temple which is known as an important place of pilgrimage for the Shaktism and Shaivism sects of Hinduism. The town attracts thousands of pilgrims every year because of its spirituality and its religious ambiance, making it a popular tourist destination as well.

The beauty of Srisailam lies in its divinity and spirituality. Cradled in the lush green Nallamala Hills, the small town of Srisailam is one of the most peaceful places to visit in Andhra Pradesh. The holy place of Srisailam Devasthanam is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.

Besides visiting the temples to offer your prayers, you can also indulge in numerous other activities and check out interesting places to visit such as Pathala Ganga - a place that is believed to have medicinal properties for curing skin diseases. The Srisailam Tiger Reserve is one of the largest Tiger Reserves in India that protects endangered species like Royal Bengal Tigers. The Mallikarjuna Swamy Temple dates back to 6th century AD making it one of the oldest temples in this ancient town, that is definitely worth checking out.

You can indulge in different activities like shopping, sightseeing and trekking in Srisailam. Don’t forget to visit some of the local bee farms and take back a jar of pure, organic honey collected by the local tribes. Visiting the Chenchu Tribal Museum will allow you to learn more about the local culture of Srisailam.  The Octopus Viewpoint is the latest addition to the list of tourist attractions in Srisailam. This viewpoint offers magnificent views of the lush green forests and scenic beauty of the River Krishna.

The town of Srisailam experiences tropical climatic conditions. The weather remains pleasant all throughout the year.  The summers in Srisailam last from March to June.  The temperature can go as high as 40 degrees Celsius during summer. Monsoon stays between June to September. The town experiences winter between December to February, when the weather remains cool and pleasant and is ideal for trekking and exploring the city.