Port, Harbour & Beaches - All at Vizag

lonelyaztec

Vizag is not just about a Large steel plant, a world class port and a ship building yard. Vast seas, beautiful beaches, and mountains are also part of the scenery.

When I went to Vizag first, I thought it would be a small town. I never realized that it would be so large, buzzling with activity. I found that Vizag is more beautiful and well planned than Chennai or Bangalore. The main reason is the presence of the Navy that built the entire city and helped its development. Vizag steel is best and so are their ships.

Being a person who hails from Andhra Pradesh, I have got loads of relatives here, and hence I have been to Vizag several times. Summer can get really hot, and can touch about 47 to 50 degrees, and the humidity makes it intolerable. I believe that this is the only reason why people do not opt for Vizag as a beach destination. But, the food here is a delight. Be it Kodi Vepudu, Chapa Vepudu, Royallu Fry, Nooni Vonkaya or what ever..none can do it better.
The song ‘Hum Bane Tun Bane, Ek Duje Ke Liye’, was shot here and Vizag became popular.
Vishakapatnam is called Vizag in short, and was called Waltair by the British. It is on the East Coast of India, and this part of the coast is called the Circar Coast. Just to brush up geography, the other parts of India’s coast line are called Coromandal coast, Malabar coast and Konkan coast.

Vishakapatnam’s got its name from God of valour, Visakha. It was once a small fishing village of the Kalinga empire, under Ashoka in 260 BC. It passed on successively from the Andhra kings to Vengi to the Pallavas, Cholas and Gangas. In the 15th century, Visakhapatnam became a part of the Vijayanagar empire. The Dutch, were the first European occupants of Vizag. It was sleepy fishing town until the early 1920’s, it was developed by the British and opened to sea-going vessels in 1933. Since then it has been a medium- sized port, catering to the requirements of the Deccan Plateau and the eastern parts of the country. As Waltair under British rule, Vizag was also seen to be of strategic importance by the military who set up base here. The city was also an important target of Japanese attack during the World War II. The Pakistanis too attacked the city during the Indo Pak war in 1972, but fortunately no damage was done to the city. The military still has bases here.

Visakahapatnam is today, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy.
The natural setting of Vizag is beautiful. It has these lovely golden beaches and three rocky mountain ranges, part of the Eastern ghats. The mountains collide with the sea, just like the Western ghats at Karwar. The three rocky ranges - The Kailasha Hill, The Porupalam Hill and the Yarada Hill form an excellent backdrop and enhance the charm of this beautiful Port city.
Apart from the ship building yard and the port, Vizag is home to the nation’s most powerful lighthouse, the longest metal beach road in the country and the world’s highest broad gauge railway track.

Vizag has loads of must see places…so when you go you must make it a point to stay there for at least a week. They are the Port, the Ship Building Yard, Kailashagiri Mountain, Dohphins nose and the Rishikonda Beach. Don’t miss the Kailashagiri mountain, coz from the top of it, you can see the most beautiful arial view of the beach and the bay of Bengal. On top of the Dolphins nose, which is nothing but a rocky projection, the light house is situated.

From the amazing array of beaches at Vizag, the Ramakrishna Beach and the Lawson's Bay are the loveliest. Your visit to Vizag will be incomplete without the stroll at the sunrise at these beaches. Make the most of your holiday at Vizag, simply sip the coconut water and be cool.
The Caltex Oil Refinery, VUDA Park, MCV Museum and the zoo are the other places worth visiting on your holiday at Vizag.

Around Vizag, there are several places that you can reach for single day trips. Araku Valley ( 112 kms ), Borra Caves ( 90 Kms ), Araku tribal museum, Anantagir Ghats, Sangda Falls, Matsyagundam ( 135 kms ), Paderu ( 74 kms ) and Simhachalam Temple are other single day excursions that you go to around Vizag.

This part of Andhra had a lot of Buddhist influence and has several sites dating back to 2nd to 7th Century AD. Thotlakonda and Bavinakonda complexes have stupas, chaityas and viharas. Other places in Visakhapatnam which marks Buddhist shrines were Pavuralakonda near Bheemunipatnam, Gopalapatnam and Lingarajupalem.
I have to make a special mention of Araku Valley and Borra Caves. Araku is the picturesque valley at 1300 meters above sea. The Eastern Ghats rail route from Visakhapatnam to Anantagiri is one of the highest broad guage tracks in Indian Railways, and Shimliguda Station is the highest broad gauge station. . Train travel is an exhilarating experience as lush landscapes of the forest and Coffee Plantations afford a memorable spectacle.

En route are the Borra Caves famous for their stalactite and stalagmites, believed to be a million years old and spread over the Eastern ghats and occupying an area of 2 square kilometers. The Gosthani river, which formed the cave, heads towards Orissa, after emerging from the caves.

The landscape around the cave is wild and mountaineous. The valley is inhabited by about 19 tribes. Their Dimsa and Mayur dances are still performed during their festival 'Itika Pongal' - the famous hunting festival in April.
But the best way to visit the cave is probably a guided day trip which typically includes Tyada Railway Tunnel, Damuku View Point, Borra Caves, Ananthagiri Coffee Plantation, Padmapuram Gardens and the Araku Valley.

Getting there :

As Vizag is a important City, it is connected by Roa, Air, Rail and also by Sea from many important places. If you wish to get to Andaman and Nicobar Islands, u can take a ship out of Vizag.

Best time – Oct to Feb

Trip Duration – 1 week

Getting around – Public transport, autos and taxis can be used.

Accomodation :

Taj Residency, Park Hotel, Grand Bay and Palm Beach Hotel are on Beach Road
Dolphin Hotels, DabagardensGreen Park, 12-11-17, Waltair Road
Hotel Daspalla – Suryabagh, For a sumptuous unlimited meals, get here
Ocean View Inn, 7.1.43, Kirlampudi
Hotel Meghalaya, Asilmetta Junction

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Aztec

My photoblog

gopalk

Oh! the food at Daspalla!! Makes me hungry for some right now.

-
Gopal

rangss

Daspalla....they have a killer thali!

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...and I took the road less travelled.

vsp27759

Dear lonelyaztec,
A good narration about Vizag (or) Visakhapatnam (or) Waltair!!!
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Your observation:-
""Being a person who hails from Andhra Pradesh, I have got loads of relatives here, and hence I have been to Vizag several times.""
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@@@This "clause"" applies to me as well. In 2005, I have visited Vizag 6 Times, that is, in February/May/August/October/November/December.
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@@@Ofcourse, I am born and employed in Hyderabad.
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V.Srinivasa Prasad
5.1.2006/10.05 hrs.

indiamike

I have to agree with LonelyAztec, that from reading the 'book' I thought that Vizag was just a small little down, however it's a large easily manageable city. The shore area is very pleasant and lots of things to see and do and I am glad that we have stopped here.

Also to note that at the railway station the AP Toursim has a very helpful counter and can arrange tours around the areas that 'LA' mentioned.

A full day tour by rail to Araku Valley and Borra Caves through them costs 420rs. This includes meals and a bunch of stops (when I have more time I will write them here).

And also for diehard India food purists.....yes Lord there is a Pizza Hut and the four and five star hotels are definately worth the splurge to dine at.

Sree

.... Nice write up .
Near Dolphin nose, three hills we saw. On the top of those a temple, a church and a mosque is situated. We climbed up and it was nice.

Is Matsyagundam that place whic is famous for Portuguese invation?
We didn't go there. Where it is?

Vasko

I second everything said here.

And add: don't forget the Russian nuclear submarine cum museum on the beach. Way cool.

Digital Drifter

I know there's a sub there but its diesel I think not nuclear.

Heavens, if it's nuclear, there'd be lots of people glowing in the dark.

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Click here for the Indiamike train guide in PDF

rangss

It is a plain vanilla diesel powered sub ...not a nuke sub.

Vasko

Well, you know, I just wanted to post a reply with as much hype as the OP.

holyboy

That was a good narration about vizag. But Only thing i would like to point and strongly oppose is your mentioning Navy as the builders of the city which is a Big NO.

In fact as a person living in vizag i feel Navy is one of the reason for vizag looking look so bad like. Navy people when ever they are out into civilian areas are menace they are the most indisciplined people in vizag.

I feel The reason for such an orderly living is slow pace of growth and strategic position of importang areas like port, steelplant, airport, other industrial aras which helped for a horizontal growth of the city there by making way for easy life.

praveen_yadlapalli

nice account on Visakhapatnam. I studied my B.Tech there 2 years back. Enjoyed my stay of 4 yrs in Vizag

addition: One can visit Andhra University, spanning a large area in the middle of the city. A university started in 1929. Being old most of the buildings were made of rock walls some built by the British. A pleasant location with the chaotic city around it.

jake_ryan

Wow! One of the most beautiful city on planet earth.
Lived there for four years 1991-95.. So it must have changed a lot..
Beach road was heaven.. people are so friendly and innocent.. Jagadamba theater was amazing..
Coming to food... wow! what can I say?!?! Alakapuri on jagadamba junction is our regular spot..
Every food joint on beach road is a must
not sure if those noodle carts are still working at jagadamba junction..
And those amazing sea food we can get.. each weekend there used to be "santha" at maddilapalem.. our neighbors regularly used to buy and cook and we used to fill our stomachs just with that smell... man, I feel hungry.
One day, want to have enough savings to buy some place in vizag.

rangss

Forget about Vizag Jake. It is almost destryoed. Years ago when I landed as a kid for the first time in Vizag, I was amazed at the open spaces and the uninterrupted view of the sea, the little houses and the greenery. A couple of weeks ago, I was visiting my parents...and was appalled at the clutter. They have even blocked the sea views. The new IT city is going to bring ugly concrete onto the Vizag - Bhimlicoastline and mar it forever. Gangavaram beach, the most beautiful one to me, is gone. In its place is an ugly port that has brought fishermen onto the roads in protest. Glass and steel are replacing all empty spaces. They had recently shifted the Central Prison out of the heart of the town to a pristine location. The erstwhile prison buildings have been razed. The compound which boasts of good trees and lots of shade is now in threat of losing the green cover to an air conditioned super-mall or a multiplex or a covered parking space or whatever. The green brigade is up in arms fighting it.

And forget about buying land...all of it is gone within a 20 mile radius.

capt_mahajan

Haven't been to Vizag in many years.

After rangss account, dunno if I want to, now.