Araku Valley

Araku valley is a small paradise on earth. Its enchanting lush greenery will make everyone fall for it. This amazing hill station is located 115 km from Vizag, Andra Pradesh. The unfathomable valley of Araku lure tourist from all over the world with its breathtaking valleys, silvery waterfalls and verdant forests. Araku valley is 1300 m above the sea level and sprawls across an area of 36 km. The most welcoming part during the journey to the Araku hills is the narrow hairpin bends, lined both sides by thick forests. . More than 40 tunnels and number of bridges are on the way welcomes the tourists warmly. Dark shade and presence of sodium lamp inside the tunnel do their magic on travelers. Apart from these attractions, Araku valley is blessed with waterfalls, well-groomed gardens, rich orchards, and lush forests. Behold the immense and incomparable beauties of this valley.

The Anantagiri Reserved Forest and Sunkarimetta Reserved Forest are part of the Araku Valley. This valley is surrounded by mountains like Galikonda, Raktakonda, Sunkarimetta and Chitamogondi. Jindhagada Peak, the tallest peak in Eastern Ghats and the tallest in Andhra Pradesh is situated near Araku. The Anantagiri hills on the way to Araku Valley are famous for coffee plantations. The hill is also popular for its forests, lovely orchards and the serene environment. The valley is also a perfect place for trekking and it offers several interesting trails. Most known and popular trekking trails go through dense forests to the summit but a few adventurous trails go through many streams and are ideal to view breathtaking waterfalls like the Katiki waterfall.

The train journey from Vizag to Araku is a memorable experience with 46 tunnels, several bridges through lush green valleys. Araku is famous for the mustard flowers that change the landscape of the valley from green to yellow in the months of November & December. Several accommodation facilities are available here. AP Tourism runs very good resorts in Araku, called Valley Resort (also called Yatri Nivas). Vizag airport is the nearest airport, which is about 107 km from Araku. Araku valley is connected through both rail and road to the city of Visakhapatnam. There are two railway stations at Araku on the Kothavalasa-Kirandul railway line of Visakhapatnam division of the East Coast Railway. Shimiliguda railway station is located at an altitude of 996 m above mean sea level. It is well connected to Vizag and Kirandul. Araku has frequent buses from Vizag and Vizianagaram. The best time to visit Araku Valley is from September to May while the peak season is September & March to May. Usually it takes 1-2 days to visit all the places in and around Araku Valley.