Places To Visit In Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh

Places To Visit In Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh, India

A drive of about 115 kilometers from Vizag also known as Visakhapatnam, the Financial capital of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh takes you to Araku Valley which nestles snuggly in the midst of the mountain ranges of the Eastern Ghats. A picturesque place high up in the hills, there are many interesting places to see in Araku apart from the natural beauty that envelops you from all sides.

When we were in Araku to attend the annual convention of ATOAI organized in conjunction with Andhra Pradesh Tourism, we used to wake up to misty mornings that slowly unveiled the panoramic surroundings as the sunlight breached the mist.

The Araku Valley is being developed as a center for adventure tourism. During our stay, we reveled in the magic of Hot air ballooning and soared above the valley in a Para Motor. Araku Valley is an enchanting getaway from the urban center of Vizag and offers many experiences.

Araku Valley Map and Borra Caves Map

There are many interesting places to see in Araku itself as well as the surrounding regions. The main highlights are of course two unique museums. We love to visit museums as they offer a window to the region’s history and culture. We love visiting museums across the world, be it the National Museum in Phnom Penh, the museums of Paris, the heritage museum of Wayanad, or the unique Transport Museum in Delhi.

Immerse Yourself In Coffee At The Coffee Museum

One of the most interesting places to see in Araku is the Coffee Museum. The museum is located at a stone’s throw away from the Araku bus stand. It is a museum that is dedicated to the history and science of Coffee.

As soon as you step inside the museum premises, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee envelops you and emphasizes the fact that you are at the Coffee Museum! The museum is a celebration and an ode to the wonders of coffee. The Araku valley is known for the fine quality of Arabica coffee that is grown here. It is one of the few places in India where the Arabica variety of Coffee is grown as opposed to the more widely prevalent variety of Robusta.

The Museum is definitely one of the best places to visit in Araku, especially for connoisseurs of coffee. The Coffeehouse in the museum brews some of the most exotic blends of coffee.

Apart from coffee one can also dig into some incredible coffee chocolates apart from mousses and tarts. Different variants of coffee including the renowned Luwak coffee is available in the coffee shop.

But what makes the Coffee museum one of the most interesting places to visit in Araku is the Museum gallery known as Sampoorna Coffee Gallery. This is the place where one gets answers to everything about coffee. The artistically designed dioramas in the gallery document the history of coffee right from its discovery in faraway Ethiopia to its blooming in the Araku valley. A captivating AV about Coffee made by the famed cinematographer Santosh Sivan plays in the gallery and makes for an interesting watch too.

The museum has a store that sells 60 different types of Coffee and about 600 varieties of chocolates apart from a host of other goodies.

The garden inside the museum premises is ornamented with interesting coffee iconography.

A coffee kettle here, a coffee filter there, adds to the coffee ambiance of the museum and makes it one of the best places to visit in Araku.

We left the Coffee Museum Araku with the lingering taste of freshly brewed coffee in our mouths and the exhilarating aroma of coffee in our nostrils.

Anyone for coffee?

Quick Facts About The Coffee Museum Araku

• The Museum was established in the year 1954
• The Museum is open from 8 AM to 8 PM on all days
• There is a nominal entrance ticket for the museum, currently priced at 10 INR for adults and 5 INR for children

Take A Peep Into The Tribal Way of Life At The Tribal Museum

Just opposite to the Coffee museum in Araku lies one of the top tourist places to visit in Araku, the Tribal Museum Araku.

The Tribal Museum showcases the interesting and vibrant tribal culture of the tribes that inhabit the Eastern Ghats.

The museum is spread over a large area.

It incorporates the main gallery, shopping arcade as well as a man-made lake where paddle boating can be done.

The museum itself is designed in the tribal style of architecture and depicts the life of the tribals, their dresses, houses, weddings, jewelry, kitchens and much more.

Apart from the indoor exhibits which make use of life-size models and recreates scenes from the tribal way of life, there are many interesting outdoor exhibits as well.

One of the interesting outdoor exhibits is a group of statues depicting the Dimsa dance form. Dimsa is a famous tribal dance of the region and is performed by women during weddings and other festivals.

The interesting exhibits of the Tribal Museum in Araku make it one of the interesting places to visit in Araku. A visit to the Tribal Museum is one of the most fascinating things to do in Araku Valley.

Quick Facts About The Tribal Museum Araku

• The Tribal Museum Araku is open from 9 AM to 7 PM on all days
• There is a nominal entrance fee for the museum which is currently priced at INR 40 for adults and INR 20 for children

Other Places to Visit in Araku

Apart from the two museums which are located in the center of Araku, there are some more interesting places to visit in Araku.

Padmapuram Gardens

The Padmapura Gardens is another one of the tourist places to visit in Araku. The garden houses different rare and exotic plants and trees. The garden also has a toy train which gives a tour of the garden.

Araku Valley Waterfalls – Chaparai Waterfalls

This is a picnic spot and one of the favorite places to visit in Araku for families. The falls are more like a water slide as the water cascades down a rocky incline. Families can be seen cavorting in the water and having a great time.

How To Get To Araku

araku valley

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

• Araku is located at a distance of about 115 kilometers from Vizag and can be accessed by road
• Another interesting way to get to Araku is to take the Vizag to Araku glass train from Vizag, a glass-roofed compartment offers excellent panoramic views of the natural beauty of the valley and the Araku valley train will be one of the highlights of the Araku trip
• The Araku railway station is quite near the town center
• Araku to Vizag bus services  are available from the center of Araku town
• It is possible to incorporate a one day tour of Araku & Borra Caves
• Many Vizag tours offer a day tour to Araku Valley by train which covers Araku Valley Borra caves and other sights
• The Araku Valley weather is pleasant throughout the year however in summer the heat in Vizag is severe while in Araku valley temperatures are moderate

Book cheap flights here.

Where To Stay In Araku

When it comes to Araku hotels, AP tourism has two Araku Valley resorts which offer good accommodation in Araku, these are the Haritha Valley Resort and the Mayuri Resort, there are a few private Araku Valley hotels also. If you are looking for sleeping under the sky then you can opt for camping tents in Araku.

For best hotels or best accommodation in Araku, we suggest checking out our favorite sites to book here. We always use these sites to book our stay. Hotel booking can be done through TripAdvisor or Cleartrip or  Booking.com to save huge and get best deals on booking your stay.

Driving Around

If you are looking at getting the best deals on car rental, then look no further. You can rent a car in Hyderabad or Bangalore if you have an Indian driving license to explore and experience the beauty of Araku valley, and in and around areas and embark on a road trip of exploration and discovery of Araku Valley and Borra caves.

Travel Tips

• The best time to travel to Araku valley would be between October to March
• Carry light woolen clothes like a jacket if you are traveling between the end of November to February
• Carry sunglasses, hat/cap during summer and pack cotton clothes
• You could do this tour from Vizag by rail, bus or private cab/car
• This tour from Vizag can be done in a span of 1 to 2 days from Vizag / Visakhapatnam
• Indulge in aromatic coffee and chocolates
• Visakhapatnam is one of the cleanest cities we have seen in India. To protect the environment, Araku is declared a plastic-free zone. So please do not use single-use plastic and support a cleaner Araku
• As a responsible traveler, carry a refillable water bottle on your trip

Have you visited the picturesque environs of Araku Valley? How was your experience? Do let us know through our comments section.

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