A JOURNEY THROUGH ARAKU VALLEY    {OCT 2014}


Araku, a hill station in the eastern ghats is located 114km from Vizag ,was absolutely pristine and serene.The valley is connected both through rail  and road to the city of Visakapatanam.We choose train for our journey.The first 1 hour was normal. 

Once the train starts climbing the hills one can feel that sudden change in the ambience and a cool breeze  kissing  our cheeks lifting up our mind and soul.

We will pass through more than 10 tunnels which will surely add spice to our journey...

Once we reached we hired a  jeep and they took us around the lushious valley..

Our 1st destination was the BORRA CAVES where the Ramayana trio  SRI RAM LAXMAN AND SITA were supposed to be stayed during their 14 years of exile..The grand entrance itself was a feast to our eyes.

There were formations of stalactites and stalagmites..

As we walked through the deep caves there was a point where the sun himself lightened the caves and ofcourse a stop for clicking a photo..

From there  our guide took us to KATHIKI WATER FALLS..The journey was tiresome in true sense and not at all suggested for aged group and expected mothers.But we enjoyed the horrendous jeep ride through the bumpy roads too..The jeep would drop us in the foot of a hill .

 From there we should cross a railway line and walk all the way  to reach  the falls

once we reach the falls we will be struck by its beauty and it will relieve us from all the sweat that we have shed ..

After enjoying  lofty waterfalls we headed towards the COFFEE PLANTATIONS .The roads were scented with the aroma of the coffee....

and the spicy pepper wines added to the  beauty of ANANTAGIRI HILLS..

We too sipped the  robust ORGANIC COFFEE made  by the tribal ladies and boosted  up ourself for the rest of our day ...

 and continued our journey enjoying the rustic beauty of the hills and stopped by GALIKONDA VIEW POINT (highest point the hill offers)for some snaps.. 

At this spot  we  got a chance to taste this  delicious  BAMBOO CHICKEN              

                which was spicy as well as juicy..

".A must TRY delicacy for the meat lovers"...

Our final destination of the day was  the PADMAPURAM GARDENS.

       where we enjoyed a toy train journey  after  which we headed back to vizag..............

with Grand Hills Gushing Waterfalls &  Alluring Plantations ARAKU will always be a sweet memory which we will cherish for our  entire life time...