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.
Rushikonda Beach
The city's swimming beach
A sheltered sandy bay on the Beach Road north of Visakhapatnam, and the beach most people in the city actually swim at.
Rushikonda is a curved bay with a hill behind it, about eight kilometres along the Beach Road from the city centre. The water is calmer than the open beaches further south, which is why it is the one families use.
The road out to it passes Kailasagiri and the submarine museum, both of which are easy to add to the same afternoon.
What to know before you go
Early morning and late afternoon are the pleasant hours. The middle of the day on the coast in May is not.
What to see
- The bay itself, and the swimming
- Kailasagiri hill park, on the way
- The INS Kursura submarine museum on Beach Road
- Thotlakonda Buddhist site, further north
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.