Araku Valley, a hill station in Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh

Araku Valley, a hill station in Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh

Araku Valley Hill Station

Visakhapatnam Weather, India

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This lovely hill station is situated 120 km away from Visakhapatnam city of Andhra Pradesh, also known as Vizag. The valley is situated on the Eastern Ghats and is adorned by many natural waterfalls, fresh water streams. These streams look very beautiful as one takes the journey to the valley from the train as they are embellished by the side of rail track.

This hill station is spread over a small area and is known for its untouched natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere.The journey to Araku valley is very beautiful as the rail track and the road has forty six tunnels, many bridges and pristine orchards and water bodies. The pleasing weather and the enchanting grass lands are the main attractions of this wonderful Hill station. Araku Valley, a clique of five beautiful profound valleys is a major tourist attraction of Andhra Pradesh. People rush here to enjoy the favorable weather and have a relaxing and peaceful time in the lap of nature. Araku Valley also has proximity to the border of Orissa state. The flourishing green hills encircling the valley seem very fascinating and enthralling. It is one of the most attractive sight of Andhra Pradesh state. It is not over crowded by the tourists but within few years it has become an admired tourist destination. The mild and pleasant climate of the state is welcoming the visitors all through the year and it is very favorable even during the winter season. The valley is also famous for coffee plantations and the coffee seeds produced are exported to different parts of the country. Araku Valley lies at 18.3333°N 82.8667°E. The average elevation of Araku above sea level is around 911 meters or 2992 feet.

The place has historical significance of being a home to around nineteen tribes. These tribes are famous for dressing up into very vibrant and colorful costumes. The popular hunting festival 'ItikaPongal', is celebrated here in the month of April and these tribal people perform Mayur and Dimsa dances during this festival.

How To Reach

By Air

There is no airport at Araku. Vishakhapatnam airport is the closest air link, at a distance of 112 km from Araku. There are many options available to reach Araku from the airport. The most commonly used by the visitors are the prepaid taxis.

By Rail

The rail head of Araku Valley is connected to Vishkhapatnam by a passenger train. This passenger train departs from Vishakhapatnam railway station each day early in the morning and it takes approx. six hours to reach Araku station.

By Road

There are many buses available from Viskhapatnam to reach Araku. The road journey to Araku is a pleasant experience with in itself.

Places To Visit

Borra Caves, Araku Valley

The Borra caves are 4 km away from the Anantgiri hills of Araku Valley. These are the largest caves in India with a height of around 705 m. These caves are famous for the presence of old stalagmite formations and stalactite.

Padmapuram Botanical Gardens, Araku Valley

This Garden located in Araku valley has a historical significance and is a major tourist attraction.  This garden was established to provide vegetables to the soldiers who participated in the World War II. The Padmapuram Botanical Gardens, popularly known as Botanical Garden now, has many scarcely found species of flowers and vegetables. It is used as a horticulture nursery now. There is a toy train in the garden. The visitors can move around the garden in the toy train.

Tribal Museum

This museum gives the tourists information regarding the living style and culture of the tribal people of Araku. The village contains many artifacts and also the 3-D installations of village life scenes are also displayed here. The tribal women give performance on Dhimsa dance everyday.

Tyda Park, Araku Valley

Weather And Best Time To Visit

The weather is very pleasant the best time to visit Araku is during the summer season when the climate is cool and enjoyable. Sometimes the days are warm in summers but overall the climate is very charming during this season. The rainfall is very extensive during the monsoons and it is suggested to avoid visiting the place during the monsoons. But to enjoy the sizzling rain showers many nature lovers love to visit during monsoons. The winters are cold and there is a rapid drop in the temperature during the night in winter season. The climate of the valley remains moderate throughout the year and it is a preferable tourist destination all the year round. The weather is most charming between the months October and February. The weather is mild and balmy during this time.

Languages And Culture

Nineteen are tribes inhabiting this area. These tribes are famous for dressing up into very vibrant and colorful costumes. The popular hunting festival 'ItikaPongal', is celebrated here in the month of April and these tribal people perform Mayur and Dimsa dances during this festival.

The tribal museum located in Araku valley, gives the tourists information regarding the living style and culture of the tribal people of Araku. The museum contains many artifacts and also the 3-D installations of village life scenes are also displayed here.  Hindi, English and Telugu are the main languages spoken here.