I hail from Visakhapatnam. When I moved away, I started to miss and appreciate vizag more. But it’s only when my friends from other places visited it, I started to appreciate and view it from a lens of Vizag being an incredible tourist destination.
After listening to many anecdotes of people being impressed by Vizag, I’ve got the confidence of writing a blog listing my favorite places, and suggesting things to do for my friends, and for people online to visit and explore the best of Visakhapatnam
What to expect?
- March-Sept - Hot/Humid weather with rains from June
- Oct-Feb - Cold/Humid weather.
Humidity and sweat is constant. What were you expecting next to the Bay of Bengal?
Beaches? Yes Hills? Yes Spirituality? Yes Food? Yes
I think that’s the summary I could come up with for Vizag.
With the expectations set, let’s dive in
Beaches
RK Beach
The main beach along the city of Visakhpatnam. Walk along in the evening, grab a bite of Muri Mixture (A variant of Jhalmuri / Bhelpuri with it’s unique twist)
If it’s summer, grab the raw mango spiced with red chilli and salt.
Tenneti Park (Jodugulla Palem Beach)
As you drive along the coast, northwards, away from the city, you will be met with a hill - Kailsagiri (We will talk about it later)
As it meets the coast, you find Tenneti Park and the broken ship.
Watch the sun rise or sun set from the park. Get down the coast and get a closer glimpse of the ship that’s drifted and crashed into the coast
Sagar Nagar Beach
Continue to drive, you will see one of the most magnificient bent of road, a small cliff overlooking sagar nagar beach.
Rushikonda Beach
Next step, around 10km from the main city, RK beach, is Rushikonda - A blue flag beach for its cleanliness and safety.
Filled with adventure sports, to calm walk along the beach. Choice is yours on how you want to fill in your day here.
Bheemili Beach
Around 40km away, at the meeting point of Gosthani river is Bheemili Beach.
Yarada Beach
Shielded away from the hustle of the city by a long hill range is Yarada beach. Around 20km from RK Beach, this is the beach to visit if the RK beach crowds really drive you away
Paradise Beach
Look southwards from RK beach, you see the port and particularly a hill with lighthouse atop. We call the hill the Dolphin’s nose.
A drive is lighthouse itself is a nice one, 30 minute from RK beach, as you get trek down the steps of lighthouse, you enter a pretty small cute enclosure called the Paradise Beach
Mountains
Lambasingi
I’ve read the newspapers and media claim it to be “kashmir of south india”, “only south india place to snow” and many more.
All that aside, it’s one of the most beautiful places to visit and take a chill break. It’s not the most developed place, with local tribes setting up shops and facilities off late.
Borra Caves
Caves with mineral deposits making for a eerie and geeky experience to wake through the caves. One of the largest caves. Remember those words from geography class? stalactites and stalagmites. You find them here.
Araku Valley
For Bengaluru folks, Yes, this is a tribute to the incredible coffee found in a shop in Indiranagar. /s
Filled with coffee plantations, through out, this is a major place in the eastern ghats with stays, parks and many small views and places of interest to visit. Perfect for a weekend getaway.
To visit it with the help of train or vistadome to experience the eastern ghats and its many tunnels
Just near Araku, is Tyda. AP government has a resort out there, where you are likely cut off from the world, surrounded by birds and many monkeys, with small early morning treks nearby, this enhances your experience of eastern ghats like no other
Jindagada Peak
Tallest peak in eastern ghats, makes for an incredible midnight trek and a sunrise view.
Spirituality
Simhachalam
A temple dedicated to the Narasimha avatar of lord Vishnu. Amidst hills, is a beautiful temple, with thousands of devotees lining up each day. A lipsmacking pulihora as the prasadam, is an icing on the cake.
PS: You can trek along the hill from this starting point. Around 3-4 hours to trek along, passing along an abandoned Dutch building too.
Thotlakonda
After Rushikonda, you pass by Thotlakonda which is a Buddhist monastery remains atop a hill overlooking the sea. While the monastery declined in around 3rd century AD, The location itself has the potent to transport you into a moment of peace.
Bojjanakonda
Around 50km from Visakhapatnam, near Anakapalli are rock cut caves dedicated to Buddhism
There are many other temples commonly revered by locals.
- Kanaka Mahalakshmi Temple
- Satyanarayana Murthy Temple (Behind KGH)
- Sampath Vinayak Temple
Same goes with other places of devotion.
Things to Do
Kailsagiri | The hill next to RK Beach. Incredible city views and beach views alike |
Vizag Museum | A sneak peek into the history of Vizag |
Dolphin Hill - Lighthouse | Duh! You also get a view of the city and the port |
Lighthouse (Old) | Near RK Beach, is an abandoned lighthouse. Is it allowed to enter? Give it a check, and a small activity to take up and climb up the stairs |
Military Exhibits | Submarine, Fighter Plane, 1971 war memorial. A truly unique vizag experience and homage to the eastern naval command |
Navy Day | The flagship event, usually done in December, to the exhibits of naval ships and manoeuvres to common public. |
Fishing Harbour | To the other end of the RK beach, you have fishing harbour, to witness and even join fisherfolk in their mission and enter the sea |
Ross Hill | Near the port, is Ross hill. A hill with temple, masjid and a church. A sweet glimpse of India. Watch the ships enter and exit the port |
Kambalakonda | A sanctuary with birds and animals freely roaming around |
Zoo | The other side of the road. A sanctuary with birds and animals freely roaming around (within cage) |
Jagadamba Centre | Vizag and cinema go hand-in-hand, no place better than Jagadamba theatre to catch the first day euphoria of the stars |
FOOOOODDD
It’ll be a list of some of my favorite eateries
- Sai Ram Parlour - Diamond Park - I get it, it’s not like earlier, but it’s dear to me
- LIC Punugulu
- Venkatadri Vantillu - Sponge dosa <3
- Raju gari Dhaba - Non Veg / Sea Food 🐟 🍤
- Vasenpoli (Siripuram)
- Madugula Halwa - Not sure which store to suggest.
- Kamat - Biryani 🍚
- Foodex (it just hits different, the nostalgia maybe)
- Upland Bistro - Pick any item 😋
- Flying Spaghetti Monster - Italian 🍕
- Alpha Biryani
- Pootarekulu
Shopping
- Etikoppaka Toys - Handcrafted toys sourced from Etikoppaka, a village around 100km from Visakhapatnam
- Lepakshi Handicrafts (near Jagadamba) - One stop for lot of handicraft toys, artifacts and clothing
- Many malls across city for buying the best of silk sarees - Kankatala, Mugdha amongst them