Visakhapatnam (also known as Vizag and Waltair is the largest city and the financial capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The city is the administrative headquarters of Visakhapatnam district and state headquarters of Indian Coast Guard. Its geographical location is amidst the Eastern Ghats and the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The city is home to the oldest shipyard and the only natural harbour on the east coast of India. Visakhapatnam Port is the fifth-busiest cargo port in India, and the city is home to the headquarters of the Indian Navy’s Eastern Command and South Coast Railway zone. Visakhapatnam is a major tourist destination and is particularly known for its beaches. It is referred to by many nicknames such as The City of Destiny and The Jewel of the East Coast. Visakhapatnam has a tropical wet and dry climate. The economy of the region depends on the fishing harbour, port, IT industry and tourism.
History: Visakhapatnam’s history stretches back to the 6th century B.C.E. and the city finds mention in ancient texts such as the 4th century B.C.E. writings of Pāṇini and Katyayana. Historically considered part of the Kalinga region, it was ruled by the Vengi kingdom and the Pallava and Eastern Ganga dynasties during medieval times. Archaeological records suggest that the present city was built around the 11th and 12th centuries C.E. by the Chola Dynasty king Kulothunga I. Control over the city fluctuated between the Chola Dynasty of Tamil Nadu and the Gajapati Kingdom of Odisha until its conquest by the Vijayanagara Empire in the 15th century. In the 16th century, it was conquered by the Mughals. European merchants from France, Holland and the East India Company used the natural port to export tobacco, paddy, coal, iron ore, ivory, muslin and other textile products. Visakhapatnam became a district in the Madras Presidency of British India. In September 1804, British and French squadrons fought the naval Battle of Vizagapatam near the harbour. After India’s independence, it was the largest district in the country and was subsequently divided into the districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. Part of the city is known by its colonial British name, Waltair; during the colonial era, the city’s hub was the Waltair railway station and a part of the city is still called Waltair.
*(All the above information are from Wikipedia.)
Transport:
Airport: Visakhapatnam International Airport is well connected to many major cities across India and a few countries from South East Asia and the Middle East.
Rail: Visakhapatnam is the headquarters of South Coast Railway zone of Indian railways. Visakhapatnam railway station is as an A1 station. Visakhapatnam is on Kolkata-Chennai mainline and is connected to several cities of the country by rail.
Road: Visakhapatnam is connected to Chennai and Calcutta via Bhubaneswar and Vijayawada by National Highway 5. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Travel Corporation (APSRTC) runs buses from almost every city and town to Vizag, along with some private operators, who run buses from a few of the major cities.
Local: Auto rickshaws, buses and cabs are available for transportation within the city. Tour operators provide vehicles on hire.
Tourist Interest:
Simhachalam Temple: It is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Shri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha, located in the Simhachalam hill.
Submarine Museum: INS Kursura (S20) was a Kalvari-class diesel-electric submarine of the Indian Navy. She was India’s fifth submarine. Kursura was commissioned on 18 December 1969 and was decommissioned on 27 February 2001 after 31 years of service. She participated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, where she played a key role in patrol missions. After decommissioning, she was preserved as a museum for public access on RK Beach in Visakhapatnam.
TU 142 Aircraft Museum: TU 142 Aircraft Museum is also called as TU-142 Aircraft Museum or Aircraft Museum is a preserved Tupolev Tu-142 located in Visakhapatnam. This aircraft served 29 years with the Indian Navy and had 30,000 hours of accident-free flying by the time of its retirement on 29 March 2017 at INS Rajali Arakkonam.
Kailasagiri: Kailasagiri is a hilltop park in the city of Visakhapatnam in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The park was developed by the Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) and comprises 380 acres of land covered with flora and tropical trees.
Dolphin’s Nose Lighthouse: Dolphin’s Nose is located in Visakhapatnam between Yarada and Gangavaram Port. The hill is named as Dolphin nose because it resembles a dolphin’s nose. A lighthouse on this hill guided ships to enter Visakhapatnam Port.
The long coastline of Visakhapatnam provides many beautiful beaches which form the primary attraction here like the RK Beach, Rushikonda Beach, Yarada Beach, Thotlakonda Beach, Bheemili Beach and many others. While the other places of attraction here are the Buddhist site of Thotlakonda and Bavikonda, the Ross Hiss Church, Fishing Harbour, Port, Bheemili and many others.
Tour Planner:
This tour planner is made on the basis of the location of the destinations. One can make changes as per their interest, convenience and accessibility and duration of the trip.
Day 1: On reaching the city early all the primary attractions within the city can be covered on the same day like Simhachalam, Kailasagiri, Submarine and Aircraft museum and RK Beach.
Day 2: The northern and the southern part of the city can be clubbed together and can be covered in a day. On have more time at hand it can be divided into two days.
Hotels: There are many hotels in Visakhapatnam and most of the hotels are located within the city area. Online booking facilities are available in many hotels. Some of the hotels here are The Grand Central, Green Park, Akshaya, Royal Fort, Supreme, Bay Leaf Resort, The Park, The Gateway, Novotel and more
Read about my experience in Vizag Part I & Part II