Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, popularly known as Vizag, is the largest city in Andhra Pradesh. It is primarily an industrial city, but also attracts tourists due to its unspoilt sandy beaches, well built and maintained parks, Buddhist Remnant sites and nearby scenic areas, such as Araku Valley. The city has a population of about 2 million.

Understand
Vizag is sometimes called The Goa of the East. Just like its west coast counterpart, it has beautiful virgin beaches, laterite hillocks, smooth roads and stunning landscape. Health-tourism is a fast developing industry. Visakhapatnam is variously called Jewel on the Coromandel Coast, Steel City, and the City of Destiny.

Talk
The local language is Telugu. There is considerable concentration of Marwaris, Odias, Bengalis, Punjabis, Tamils and Malayalis. In addition, there is a large population of migrant workers from other parts of India who have been drawn to the area by the abundance of work at locally based companies, such as Vizag Steel Plant and Hindustan Shipyard.

By train


You may want to verify the timings with Indian Railways, since they change from time to time. Train berths can be reserved online. However, this being a major destination, availability of seats is at times difficult even with a one month's advance planning.


 * From Hyderabad: The average distance between the two cities is about 700 km. However different trains take different routes, and hence have different journey times.
 * Vande Bharat Express (20833/20834) connects Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. It is the fastest rail service between the two cities.
 * Godavari Express (12728/12727) departs daily from Hyderabad Deccan Station at 5:15PM and from Secunderabad at 5:45PM, arrives the following morning in Visakhapatnam at 5:50AM. The train departing from Visakhapatnam starts at 5:25PM and reaches its destination the next day morning at 6:15AM. Godavari express is known to operate on-time and is the most preferred train between the two cities.
 * Visakha Express (17015/17016) connects Bhubaneswar, the capital of the state of Odisha, to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. The train departs daily from Secunderabad Station at 5PM, arriving the following morning at Visakhapatnam at 7:15AM. This train runs via Nadikude, Guntur, Vijayawada and Bhimavaram Town. It passes on to Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and to Bhubaneswar. On the return the train leaves Bhubaneshwar at 8:35AM and reaches the city in the evening at 4:10PM. The train is however infamous for its delays and is less preferred.
 * Falaknuma Express (train number 12703/12704) connects Howrah Junction to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. The train departs from Secunderabad at 4PM, arriving the following early morning in Visakhapatnam at 3:30AM. This train on return leaves Howrah at 7:25AM and reaches that night at 9:10PM. It runs faster than most other trains and is the fastest, non-special train. The train is taken by office-goers as it arrives early at Visakhapatnam plying from the nearby towns.
 * East Coast Express (18645/18646) connects Howrah Junction to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. This train leaves Hyderabad at 10AM and is scheduled to arrive at Visakhapatnam at 11:35PM that night. On the reverse the train leaves Howrah at 11:45AM and reaches the next day early morning 4:15AM.
 * Janmabhoomi Express (12806/12805) is a day time seater train that connects the city to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. In Hindi, 'Janmabhoomi' means 'birth place'. The train's rakes are composed of ordinary chair cars and air conditioned chair cars. There are no sleeper berths on this train. It leaves Secunderabad in the morning at 7:10AM and is scheduled to reach Visakhapatnam by that day evening 7:40PM. The train leaves Visakhapatnam at 6:15AM in the morning and reaches its destination that day evening at 6:35PM.
 * Garib Rath Express (12740/12739) connects the city to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction. Up to 2012, this was the fastest train between the two cities. The train stops at a very few stations. The train is fully air conditioned. However, blankets, bed sheets, and pillows are not included in the fare and have to be bought separately after boarding the train. No food is made available in the train so the passengers have to carry some along. The train was originally launched under the Garib Rath scheme to provide air conditioned trains for the poor. The train leaves Secunderabad at 8:15PM in the evening and reaches Visakhapatnam the next morning at 7:30AM.
 * Duronto Express connects Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad's Secunderabad Junction in 9 hours and 30 minutes. This is the only non-stop rail service between the two cities. It is equipped with fully air conditioned coaches. The train costs a little more than ordinary trains.


 * From Delhi:
 * Link Express (train number 12861) connects the city with Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin station. The daily train departs at 3:10PM and reaches the destination at 4:05AM on the third day. So if the train starts on a Sunday it will reach on Tuesday.


 * From Mumbai: Konark Express, LTT–Visakhapatnam Express, Pune–Bhubaneswar Express
 * From Vijayawada: Ratnachal Express, Simhadri Express, Vijaywada-Visakhapatnam Passenger
 * From Chennai: Coromandel Express, Howrah Mail
 * From Bangalore: Prasanthi Express, YPR HWH Express
 * From Howrah: Chennai Mail, Coromandel Express (the fastest train passing through Andhra Pradesh at 140 km/h), Falaknuma Express, East Coast Express, Gurudev Express, Tiruchirappalli Express, YPR Express

By car
Visakhapatnam is connected to Chennai and Kolkata via Bhubaneswar and Vijayawada by National Highway 16 (dual-carriageway, 120 km/h).

By bus
The Andhra Pradesh State Road Travel Corporation (APSRTC) runs buses from almost every city and town to Visakhapatnam, along with some private operators, who run buses from a few of the major cities. Please check with APSRTC for timings. There is also a Garuda fleet of bus service (Volvo) to Vizag from Chennai, Bangalore, Vijayawada and Hyderabad which is very comfortable and happy going. This is the best way to do it if you want to travel by bus. APSRTC has several other bus services which have varied luxury levels and transit speeds. You might want to check the APSRTC at least 3 days in advance to be sure you have a reservation.

Get around
Apart from the bus (described below), taxi/autorickshaw can also be hired. The autorickshaw is a mini taxi which is much cheaper, but less convenient.

By bus
Visakhapatnam has no commuter rail service. However, APSRTC operates a lit of buses from 6 principal bus complexes in the city. They are: Dwarka Bus Station or RTC Complex depot is the largest bus station and complex in the city.
 * Simhachalam
 * Gajuwaka
 * Maddilapalem
 * Visakha Steel City
 * Waltair
 * Madhurawada

There are mainly two types of buses operated for suburban travel in Visakhapatnam.


 * City Ordinary: can be identified by its orange or red colour. It is operated on almost all suburban routes. Some of the main routes include RTC Complex–Gajuwaka (via NAD), Maddilapalem–Railway Station, RTC Complex–Gajuwaka (via Scindia), Railway Station–Madhurawada, etc. These buses stop at almost every bus stop. The frequency is more than that of Metro Express buses. These buses sometimes become overcrowded during peak hours on weekdays. Some popular route numbers include 222, 400, 99, 25, 900, 60C, 300, 6A, 28, 38 and 12D.


 * Metro Express: can be identified by their blue and white colour. These buses run in most important routes such as 400, 211, 500, 99, 28, 38 etc. These buses don't stop at all bus stops and the fare for these buses is also a bit higher than that for city ordinary buses. Many of these buses are JNNURM funded and sport digital display boards which display route number and route details in both English and Telugu. Also most of these have cushioned seats which are comfortable and many of them also have air-suspension which makes the journey more comfortable. These buses don't get as crowded as City Ordinary buses.

The junction and Maddilapalem joins the Asilametta-Ramatalkies road to the National Highway 5. Buses from Madilapalem ply to the extreme ends of the city, including Anakapalle and Thagarapuvalasa.

Fares
The bus fare to get to Madilapalem from the railway station is only ₹8. Buses operate within a 5 minute frequency in routes with high demand. The minimum frequency in which buses operate is 40 minutes, i.e., every route is covered by an APSRTC bus once in every 40 minutes. The current list of destinations covered by the buses and their route numbers are available at Wikipedia.

Apart from buying tickets on the bus, you may also avail an RTC-Pass, which is a special type of pass that can be renewed once in a month. With the pass, you can board any APSRTC bus and travel anywhere within the city limits. An ordinary RTC-Pass costs just ₹750. The RTC complex is to the southeast of Asilametta. RTC complex is generally referred to as complex and is connected to every other region in the city.

Buddhist sites
Bojjannakonda, Thotlakonda and Bhavikonda in and around Visakhapatnam were centres of Buddhism during the second century CE. Several Buddhist monuments such as stupas and chaityas were erected at these places. It is said that some of the corporal relics of the Buddha were preserved at these places. Hence all these places became sacred places.

Beaches
More than anything else, Vizag is known for its beaches. It boasts a number of beaches that are scenic and uncrowded. A few virgin beaches span along the eastern side of the city and stretch for miles. A spectacular beach only the locals are aware of is called the "Yarada" beach. Except for the occasional RTC bus, there is no public transport available. Still, the adventurous mind finds it rewarding if they can make an effort to get there. It's a private beach coming under Agrigold plantations therefore you need to pay a fee of ₹30/- to get onto the beach, but it's worth it.

The beaches are lovely, but, there are water sporting activities which started out initially like marine rafting and scuba diving, there are few beach cafes and restaurants. A water sports centre was started in Rushikonda. Vizagites are traditionally quite conservative and though the beaches and the hills are beautiful, but there is much here to interest the average tourist.

Must want is the sunrise or a moonrise on a full moon day at Tennati Park(near foot of Rope way) on the Vizag-Bhimili Beach Road it's truly a feast to the nature lovers. The sea looks orange in colour and is a wonderful sight.

Buy
Vizag offers a reasonably large selection of stores selling clothing, jewellery, books, Araku Coffee etc.

Clothing
There are several locations from which clothing can be purchased. However they tend to be concentrated in few locations. One such is Jagadamba Centre. Few of the many clothing stores are:
 * Chandana Brothers
 * Bommana Brothers
 * Kankatala silk palace

Jewellery
Similar to clothing stores, there are several shops from where jewellery can be purchased. The centres are distributed, but the prominent ones are between RTC Complex and Railway station, Jagadamba Centre and near old Town Kotharoad. Some of the prominent stores are:
 * Vaibhav Jewellers
 * Mahaveer Jewellers
 * Tanishq Jewellers
 * Khazana Jewellers
 * Sanghvi
 * Kalyan
 * Kirtilals
 * Kirtilals

Memoribilia
While definitely not considered a shopper's paradise, Vizag offers some unique handicrafts and can found in by the Andhra Pradesh State-owned handicraft store, Lepakshi, at Jagadamba center. It has an impressive collection of sandalwood sculptures, stone art, etc.

Books
The stretch of road called Dabagardens has many bookstores. Police Barracks has numerous small stores that buy and sell second-hand books, including technical textbooks.
 * Jyoti Book Depot

Pubs

 * Waves
 * Ironhill

Shopping malls

 * Shoppers stop
 * Spencers
 * Big Bazaar
 * CMR Shopping Mall
 * South India Shopping Mall
 * Shoppers Stop

Eat
If spicy fare from Southern India appeals to your gastronomic senses, then Vizag has some excellent restaurants. Many of the eating joints meant or frequented by tourists are in the Siripuram area. A walk around there can give you access to a variety of cuisines.


 * Horizon (live music during dinner) at Dolphin Hotel, +91 891 2567000.
 * Subway - Subs & Salads in Siripuram's Dutt Island, +91 891 278491.
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818
 * Horizon (live music during dinner) at Dolphin Hotel, +91 891 2567000.
 * Subway - Subs & Salads in Siripuram's Dutt Island, +91 891 278491.
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818
 * Subway - Subs & Salads in Siripuram's Dutt Island, +91 891 278491.
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818
 * Ambica sea green - on Beach Road, Kirlampudi Layout, ph. 08912821818

Drink
Some interesting bars in the city are in the Five Star hotels mentioned above and typically are expensive even by Western standards. The Park Hotel has a decent bar - try the Screwdriver. Daspalla has another bar and restaurant called Dimple that serves various drinks and can be noisy at time. Two new really cool breweries have opened up in the city.


 * Punnami, near Rishikonda has pub very close to the beach and serves alcohol.
 * Ironhill brewery- above pmj jwellers, siripuram.
 * Ironhill brewery- above pmj jwellers, siripuram.

Sleep
Vizag has both high end hotels and affordable lodges. The Daspalla, The Grand Central Hotel and Green Park are well-known.

Splurge

 * Fairfield by Marriott - KSR prime R&B junction Visakhapatnam
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel
 * Fairfield by Marriott - KSR prime R&B junction Visakhapatnam
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel
 * Fairfield by Marriott - KSR prime R&B junction Visakhapatnam
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel
 * Palm Beach hotel - beside the park hotel

Go next

 * Araku Valley — Many tourists visit Araku Valley along with Visakhapatnam. It is a scenic valley that can be reached by train or bus. It is definitely not a day trip, but the APTDC facilities can serve as a decent lodging. November to February are the best months to visit.
 * Hyderabad
 * Chennai
 * Kolkata
 * Vijayawada
 * Guntur