Tourist spots across the Agency areas of Alluri Sitharama Raju district have seen an influx of visitors over the past few days.
Popular sites including Borra Caves, Katika waterfalls, Ananthagiri coffee plantations, Chaparai, Kothapalli waterfalls, Araku Tribal Museum, Padmapuram gardens, Vanjangi Hill in Paderu, Madagada viewpoint near Araku, and Lambasingi are all witnessing heavy footfalls, as tourists enjoy the winter charm of the region.
With temperatures plummeting sharply in recent days, the visitor numbers has surged. Locals expect the rush to intensify further in the coming weeks.
Hotel rates have increased drastically over the weekends, with most accommodations fully booked till the month-end. Many tourists are opting for tent accommodations at various scenic locations. Biker groups are seen frequently cruising along the ghat roads. The stretch between Ananthagiri–Araku has been experiencing heavy traffic owing to the narrow roads and limited parking facilities.
Vanjangi Hill, popularly known as ‘Meghala Kondalu,’ and famed for its sunrise continues to draw large crowds. On Sunday alone, around 3,350 tourists visited Vanjangi, up from 2,800 that visited it on Saturday, according to the forest department figures.
Paderu Forest Range Officer A. Prema said: “On weekdays, the footfall of visitors is between 700 and 1,000. Locals say that during peak winter, when the formation of ‘Meghala Kondalu’, is clearer, it attracts more visitors. They believe the numbers will rise even further in the coming days.”
Meanwhile, the Borra Caves recorded around 6,000 tourists on Sunday alone.
The Araku–Koraput Passenger train departing Visakhapatnam is fully booked through the end of December. Travellers are urging railway authorities to introduce another morning special train in view of the scenic train journey.
Single-digit temperatures
Night temperatures have plummeted across ASR district’s Agency areas, with many locations recording single-digit lows.
G. Madugula experienced the coldest temperature at a chilling 5.3° Celsius in the early hours of Sunday, followed by Munchingputtu at 7.7° Celsius. Dumbriguda reported 8.2° Celsius, while Araku Valley recorded 8.9° Celsius. Chintapalli and Hukumpeta registered 9.5° Celsius and 9.6° Celsius respectively. Pedabayalu recorded 10.2° Celsius, and the mandal headquarters Paderu logged a minimum temperature of 10.9° Celsius.
Published – December 07, 2025 08:46 pm IST
