Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh
There are no dearth of hill stations in India. Infact, almost every state of the country is home to plenty – each more unique than the other, varied in its offerings and different in its typography. Besieged with enchanting streams, lush green forests, beautiful waterfalls, sprawling coffee plantations, rich landscape and wonderful weather, Araku Valley in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh is one of the most popular hilly destinations in the region.
Situated at an altitude ranging from 600-900 m above the sea level, Araku Valley offers visitors an extremely pleasant climate all through the year, which makes it one of the most sought after places in the district. Surrounded by mountains, namely, Galikonda, Raktakonda, Sunkarimetta and Chitamogondi, the splendour of this place is tough to put down in words and can be best left to experience. Extremely rich in biodiversity, coffee plantations and high quality bauxite ore, these hills are one of the highest in Andhra.
One of the most visited places in the region is the Borra Caves. Located in the middle of the Ananthagiri Hills in Araku Valley and are mysterious and majestic. These are completely naturally formed and are believed to be around 150 million years old. Research conducted by anthropologists have discovered stone tools of middle Paleolithic Age that date back to 30,000 to 50,000 years. There are many crystal white calcium stones which have also taken sculptural forms. All these shapes create an optical illusion of hidden treasure as it is illuminated, decorated and glittered by 63 lamps of made of mercury, sodium vapour and halogen.
Araku, a pleasant hill station, offers plenty of touristy options for the discerning traveller. The Botanical Garden at Padmapuram, Government Silk Farm with Mulberry gardens are some of the live examples to know better the socio-economic conditions of the area. In addition to this, the Tribal Museum is also big attraction of the Araku. Chaaparai, a picturesque place about 15 km from Araku is a popular picnic spot in this region.
