Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Palampet
About 65km northeast of Warangal, the stunning
Ramappa Temple
( 6am-6.30pm)
, built in
1234, is an attractive example of Kakatiya architecture. Its pillars are ornately carved and
its eaves shelter fine statues of female forms. The Kakatiyas constructed a lake,
Ramappa
Cheruvu
, 1km south, to serve as temple tank. It's popular with migrating birds. APTDC has
a
guesthouse
( 08715200200; r ?950)
here.
The easiest way to get here is by private car (?1200), but frequent buses also run from
Hanamkonda to Mulugu (?40), then a further 13km to Palampet (?15). The temple is
about 500m from here.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Visakhapatnam
0891 / POP 1.73 MILLION
Visit Visakhapatnam - also called Vizag (
vie
-zag) - during the holiday season and you'll
see domestic tourism in rare form: balloons, fairy floss (cotton candy) and, of course,
weddings! But the crowds only enhance the area's kitschy coasts. The run-down board-
walk along Ramakrishna Beach has spunk, and nearby Rushikonda beach is Andhra's
best.
The old beach-resort vibe exists despite the fact that Vizag is Andhra Pradesh's second-
largest city, famous for shipbuilding and steel. It's big and dusty, but surrounded by little
gems: sweet beaches, a gorgeous temple and, further out, the Araku Valley and several an-
cient Buddhist sites.
If you're here in December or January, seek out
Visakha Utsav
, the city's annual festival
with events on the beach.
Yo! Vizag
(?25), available at bookshops, lists events.
Sights & Activities
Beaches
The long beaches of
Waltair
overlook the Bay of Bengal, with its mammoth ships and
brightly-painted fishing boats. Its coastal
Beach Rd
, lined with parks, is great for long
walks.
BEACH
