[amip]

Staying overnight gives you the added advantage of enjoying the place to the hilt. Staying in Tyda's Jingle Bells (the tree houses mobike008 mentioned about) in thick forest, hearing the sound of trains going through the tunnels, and animal sounds all through the night, is an experience that is hard to come by in a whirlwind tour

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Actually: Tyda - Jungle (not Jingle) Bells

[@ri]

Originally Posted by amip

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Actually: Tyda - Jungle (not Jingle) Bells

Yep absolutely correct amip. The Tyda reservoir too is a nice place to visit if you are going to Araku and have the time.

[ubsmart]

Mobike/vnabhi- Thank you for all your advices and comments. I am planning to drive by my cousins Spark from Vizag. I booked my stay in Anantagiri resort of APTDC. Plan is to go to Vizag-->ARAKU --> Anantagiri (overnight stay)--> Borra caves-->Vizag

[sreenivass]

I did this in Summer this year. I had stopovers at VJWD and RJHMNDRY. We took diversion from Anakapalle, roads were not bad but slow for a short distance. We stayed at Jingle Bells Tyda, I liked the stay, food was not good though. We had to place order for lunch or dinner ahead of time ad menu was more or less the same. They arranged for some tribal dance on night. From Tyda Araku is doable in a day, Anantagiri is between Tyda and Araku.
I'd say Borra caves, Tatapudi reservoir, Katiki waer falls are must see. There wasn't much in Araku apart from drive. I was told Boat ride at Tatapudi is more are less like Papikondalu near Bhadrachalam. Katiki is a place to trek, if you like treks you'll like it. Borra to Katiki is drivable only in Jeep kind of vehicles.

[straightdrive]

Originally Posted by Rajesh Rawal

..............Btw not sure of you are aware of the hyd team bhp lunch meet happening on 21st dec ... do drop in! details on the team bhp meet section!

Hi Rajesh. The lunch meet sounds interesting - I looked it up on that section. Will see if I can make it. Unable to confirm at present. Thanks for letting us know.

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by amip

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Actually: Tyda - Jungle (not Jingle) Bells

I stand corrected, fraulein! Danken!
BTW, are you still with FTI?

[amip]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

I stand corrected, fraulein! Danken!
BTW, are you still with FTI?

Bitte! Yes - no compelling reason not to

[9tMax]

@ vnabhi : When you went to Tyda, did you take your car along? Am interested to know whether they have a proper and safe parking place for your car if you are staying at Tyda. Because on our way back from Araku few years back, we could see only the cottages from the road, amidst the trees. Didn't stop at that time to find out the details.

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Just one word of caution about Arakku. When we went there in May 2006 we found the nearest ATM was near the plains (forget the name of the town but it had some initials) - quite a distance. So keep enough cash with you while in Arakku.
Incidentally Jungle Bells is way far off from Arakku valley. You can stay there too and it's perhaps better than the dry town of Arakku but it's not Arakku. I hope you understand what I mean. Food in Arakku is pretty dull and boring.
Yes Tyda does have a parking lot inside the campus but it's uncovered.

[vnabhi]

Yes, Tyda does have a parking lot just as you enter the campus. It is uncovered, but safe. I travelled in my 1-month old WagonR to that place and parked it for a good 20 hours there. No issues.
Apart from ATMs, even beer is not readily available. You gotta pick it up at S'Kota, which comes on the way to Tyda and Araku from Vizag. Tyda is around 15 kms beyond S'Kota. Another 15 kms takes you to Borra caves, after a diversion of 6 kms to the right of the highway. Araku is around 40 kms from Tyda.

[Sudipto-S-Team]

Yesssssss S'Kota !! Thanks buddy for reminding. It has an SBI ATM.

[straightdrive]

Originally Posted by vnabhi

Well, if you want to avoid Vizag, you could branch off left at Anakapalle, which is 40 kms before Vizag. You'd need to go via Chodavaram, Vaddadi and Paderu. Take a right turn at Paderu towards Araku (left takes you to naxal infested Chintapalli forests)..........

Vnabhi, was checking your suggestion on the map. I also found another route from mapsofindia.com which seems like it would save about 75 km, but I'm not sure if the roads are good or that it stays out of Naxal country. This is Khammam - Bhadrachalam - Sileru - Paderu. The Sileru to Paderu stretch seems doubtful.

Do you know if this would be ok?

[rkg]

S Kota = Sringavarapu Kota

The route through sileru and paderu is not good. it goes through dense forests and naxal infested. vizag- s kota- tyda - borra- anantagiri - araku is better. even the road between araku - paderu is scenic.

[ubsmart]

straightdrive, when will you be there in Araku?

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by straightdrive

Vnabhi, was checking your suggestion on the map. I also found another route from mapsofindia.com which seems like it would save about 75 km, but I'm not sure if the roads are good or that it stays out of Naxal country. This is Khammam - Bhadrachalam - Sileru - Paderu. The Sileru to Paderu stretch seems doubtful.

Do you know if this would be ok?

That is the naxal infested route I was talking about in my earlier post--it goes via Chintapalli forest. Avoid at all costs.