Araku Valley
A hill valley in the Eastern Ghats about three hours inland from Visakhapatnam, known for its coffee plantations, its tribal museum and the railway line that climbs to it through dozens of tunnels.
Bheemili and Thotlakonda
A Dutch-era port town and a Buddhist hill
The coast road north of Visakhapatnam runs past the Thotlakonda Buddhist complex on its hill and ends at Bheemili, an old Dutch trading port at the mouth of the Gosthani.
Thotlakonda is the remains of a Buddhist monastery on a hill overlooking the sea, excavated in the 1980s. The site is open, grassy and quiet, and the view along the coast from it is the reason to climb up.
Bheemili, a few kilometres further on, was a Dutch settlement; the old cemetery and a few buildings remain, and the beach at the river mouth is wide and largely empty.
What to know before you go
This is a half-day drive at most and pairs naturally with Rushikonda on the way back.
What to see
- The Thotlakonda Buddhist complex and its view
- The Dutch cemetery at Bheemili
- The beach at the Gosthani river mouth
- The Bheemili lighthouse
Other destinations
Lambasingi
A village in the Chintapalli hills that records the lowest temperatures in Andhra Pradesh, sometimes near freezing on winter mornings. Apple and strawberry plots, pine stands and a reservoir at Thajangi nearby.
Borra Caves
A million-year-old limestone cave system in the Ananthagiri hills, lit for visitors and reached by steps down from the road. On the way to Araku, so most trips take in both.