Bheemunipatnam Bheemunipatnam or Bheemili is a sleepy fishing village near Vizag, and a former Dutch settlement. Bheemili’s untouched beaches are blessed with unending expanses of golden sand and beautiful deep blue waters. The coastline is bordered by tall swaying palms and add to the beauty of the place immensely. The Bheemunipatnam Beach, at the northern end of the beach road, is a breathtaking sight to behold.. The beach and its surrounding areas are also known as Hollander's green-remains of a Dutch settlement, a ruined fort, Bell of Arms and a 17th-century Dutchcemetery are located here. On your way to the beach, you will come across Erra Matti Dibbalu, which translates to 'red sand dunes'. This interesting place has now been protected and preserved as a heritage site. Tyda This small village has been made famous by the Jungle Bells Camp (Cell: 09494680598; Tariff: 1,200-2,400), an ecotourism resort run by AP Tourism and the Forest Department. The area has a natural bounty of flora and fauna and several waterfalls. The camp offers great views of the Eastern Ghats. You can indulge in various activities such as trekking, hiking, and bird watching here. Log huts, tree huts, and igloo huts are the accommodation options offered to give visitors an experience of being close to nature, along with tall modern luxuries. Tyda is the perfect escape for those who want to get away from the stress of city life. There are no televisions or mobile networks in the area! About four kilometers from Jingle Bells is Mountain View Resorts (Cell: 09180352502,09490133 107; Tariff: 1,650-5,400), in Sivalingapuram, with cottages and suites. They have restaurants, a swimming pool, a spa and they also organize trekking activities Srikalahasti The Kalahastiswara Swamy Temple in Srikalahasti is an important Shaivite pilgrimage centre, which has earned it the moniker of Dakshina Kasi. Legend has it that a spider (sri), a snake (kala) and an elephant (hasti) chanced upon a linga in a forest and worshiped it-the spider spun a web around it, the snake placed stones nearby and the elephant brought water in his trunk to wash it. The sincere devotion of these three animals t to Lord Shiva was commendable . Therefore, the temple is named as Srikalhasthi, after them. The picturesque shrine stands by the Swarnamukhi River To the north of Kalahastiswara, atop a hillock is Durgambika Temple, accessible by a staircase cut into the slope. It offers stunning views of the Kalahstiswara Temple and the surrounding landscape. To its south is the Manikanteswara Temple, which was built under the Cholas in the 12th century. Pathala Ganapathi is a subterranean cave accessible by steep, narrow steps. There is usually a long queue to visit the cave,where only a few people are allowed at a time. There are numerous other shrines around the temple. Submarine Museum Located on Beach Road, close to the Ramakrishna Beach, the Submarine Museum is hard to miss INS Kursura participated in various anti-submarine warfare exercises before being put out of service in 2001, after being utilised for 31 years. She still receives the Dressing Ship Honour, which is usually awarded only to submarines that are active. Today, INS Kursura is a prime tourist attraction in Visakhapatnam. The interior of the submarine has dioramas of naval officers depicting the way of life in waters and other elements depicting how submarines work during wartime and their basic operations. Amaravathi Archaeological Museum The Archaeological museum at Amaravati is home to many relics that date back to thousands of years. This museum unfolds the wealth of Amaravati that belonged to the 3rd century BC, through the galaxy of sculptures that once were a part of Mahachaitya (the Giant Stupa). Borra Caves Borra caves being the natural formation in Eastern Ghats is situated in Ananthagiri Mandal at a distance of 100 kms from Visakhapatnam and 10 km from Visakhapatnam to Araku Valley road point. The caves popularly known as Borra Caves have geological and historical importance. Deep in the caves there is Sivalingam over which the water drips from above which is said to be the origin of the river Gosthani. Baruva Baruva in Sompeta Mandal is situated at a distance of 109 kms from Srikakulam town. The famous Sri Kotilingeswara Swamy and Janardhana Swamy temples are located at this place. There is a coconut nursery and a coir industry located here. The river MahendraTanaya merges into the sea at this place. Thousands of people take sea baths during festivals. Baruva was once an important seaport. Two obelisks, one black and the other white, of fifty feet height above the sea level, mark the seaport. Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary Situated near Kakinada, this sanctuary is known for its backwaters and abundant mangrove plantations. Otter, a protected species is found here, among other animals, which include fishing cat, jackal, sea turtle and estuarine crocodile. The common birds found here are spines, ducks, seagulls and flamingos.
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