Drive to the Ananthagiri Hills. Review on Ananthagiri Hill

What you see – The change in air is evidentas are the scenes that flash by on the drive from Vizag to theAnanthagiri Hills. Cool winds gently brush against your hair as youmove away from small townships and head out towards tiny hamlets andget to view the magnificent Eastern Ghats that stretch far and beyond.The road narrows down and a somewhat steep climb in to the ghatsbegins, to take you past some precariously-formed hairpin bends, a fewcoffee plantations, terrace farms, dense forests and gorges. The brightand deep greens of nature and the pure oxygen that you derive from itaccompany you to the APTDCHaritha Hill Resort that rests atop a hillock in the Ananthagiri Hills.

What you get – You feel a certain sense ofoneness with nature, and this is the essence of the Ananthagiri Hills.The entire region is green, surrounded by endless hills that roll intoeternity, skies that hint at a possible thunderstorm and small paddyfields and hamlets that look pretty from a distance. The hill station, in the Ananthagiri region of Vizag, is elevated at 3, 100 feet. Sotemperatures are generally cooler, which makes it an ideal summerholiday spot. But the place is amazingly vibrant in the rains becausethis is when the green belt is vivid in color and the nearby touristhotspots, the Katiki waterfalls(12 kilometers) and the Tatigudawaterfalls(two kilometers), are in their full resplendent glory.

Toenjoy the splendor of the Ananthagiri Hills, you can book a weekendholiday at the APTDC’s Haritha Hill Resort. The cottages here arestrategically located, enabling occupants to get a view of thelandscape and the hills from wide and large balconies built at everycottage. For those interested, the resort organizes trekking trips to atribal hamlet and also a Dhimsa tribal dance show by a bonfire in thenight.

Tourists usually head out to the Ananthagiri Hills in summer, but thehills are amazing getaways in the rains(drive carefully through theghats) and in winter too. You can travel either by road(60 kilometersfrom Vizag with the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation, known as APSRTC, buses plying from the RTC Bus Depot at Asilmettajunction in Vizag) or by rail(a little inconvenient as you have toboard the Kirandul Passenger train from Vizag railway station at 6.50AM and alight at Tyda and then wait for an APSRTC bus or an autorickshaw, which is usually jam-packed, to take you to yourdestination).

Our verdict – The Ananthagiri Hills are aperfect and peaceful weekend getaway for the family as the area isdevoid of the ‘ills’ of city life(pollution and noise). The trekkingtrips organized by the resort are enjoyable and a must. We suggest youavoid switching on the television in your room at the resort, andinstead carry along some board games or simply enjoy the blissful view.On the whole, MetroMela thinks the Ananthagiri Hills provide the kindof break that the city folk of Vizag need once awhile.

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