Loose
yourself in the wonder that is Andhra Pradesh. Meander through lands steeped
in chivalry and pageantry. Explore
modern
cities that have grown from the roots of a multi-hued past. Make a pilgrimage
to holy shrines that echo with tales
of antiquity.
Frolic on a vast array of golden beaches that dot an enviable coastline.
Sport with adventure in style. Let the
jungle
lure you to a fascinating world at a diverse array of wildlife sanctuaries
and parks. The fifth largest state in India -
Andhra
Pradesh can be visualised as a beautiful state interspersed with its exotic
crafts and lively religious festivals;
a glorious
past and mouth watering delicacies; not to forget the charming people and
the mother tongue Telugu, all
that
make lasting impressions of the state on the visitor. While Goa, a former
Portuguese enclave is famous for its
white
sandy beaches, mesmeric sunsets, tolerant behaviour & finesse in ettiquittes,
it's Scenic beauty and the
architectural
splendours found in its temples and churches.
BEST
OF ANDHRA
USD 999 PER
PERSON ON TWIN SHARING BASIS 09
Nights / 10 Days HYDERABAD
- WARANGAL - PALAMPET -
VIJAYWADA
- KAKINADA - ANNAVARAM- SANKARAM - VISHAKAPATNAM
DAY
01ARRIVE HYDERABAD
Arrive
Hyderabad. On arrival, meeting, assistance & Transfer to Hotel Amrutha
Castle.
It is the capital of the
state
of Andhra Pradesh and is an important center of Islamic culture and central
India’s counterpart to Mughal
splendours
of the northern cities of Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. The city was founded
in 1590 by Muhammad Quli,
the founder
of Qutab Shahi Dynesty who ruled this part of the Deccan from 1512
to 1687AD, when the last king
was defeated
by Aurangzeb. Afternoon at leisure for personal activities. Overnight stay
in hotel.
DAY
02 HYDERABAD
Morning
after breakfast, visit the Charminar, built by Mohammad Quli Qutab Shah
in 1591 to commemorate the
end of
plague in Hyderabad; The Mecca Masjid, one of the largest mosques
in the world, said to accommodate
10,000
worshippers. The Salar Jung Museum, containing 35,000 exhibits from all
corners of the world including
sculptures,
woodcarvings, Persian miniature painting, illuminated manuscripts, armour
& weaponry- swords,
daggers
of Mughal emperors and of Tipu Sultan. The Golconda Fort , which dates
back from the time of Qutab
Shahi
kings (16th- 17th century) is one of the most magnificent fortress complexes
in India. Golconda remained
the capital
until 1590, when the court was moved to the new city of Hyderabad. Finish
your tour visiting the tomb
of Adil
Shahi Kings, which are surrounded by landscaped gardens with a number of
them having beautifully
carved
stonework statues of Nawabs. Return to hotel for overnight stay
DAY
03 HYDERABAD - PALAMPET -WARANGAL
Morning
after breakfast, depart by surface for Warangal, a city of stone temples
and forts, wildlife and scenic beauty
lying
just 135 kms from the capital city. The legendary city was once the capital
of the Kakatiyas in the 12th to 14th
centuries.
Its impressive fort was a medieval bastion admired by intrepid travellers
of Marco Polo's vintage. Some of
the most
striking relics of the south lie scattered here in the midst of grassy
hills and forests. En-Route stop to visit
the exquisite
Ramappa Temple, located 64 km from Warangal at Palampet. This medieval
Deccan Temple dating
back
to 1213 AD, built by the 7th Kakatiya king Rudra Senani documents the glory
and grandeur of the Kakatiya
kingdom
with its several idols in dancing postures rich intricate carvings on walls,
pillars and ceilings bracket.
However,
main attraction of the temple is the floating bricks and a warrior queen.This
breathtakingly beautiful
temple
has been rightfully described as the"brightest star in the galaxy of mediaeval
temples in the Deccan" and
is a
must see for architectural lovers. It also offers a panoramic view
of scenic beauty, that surrounds this place.
Drive
on to Warangal and on arrivalal checkin to Punnami
hotel. Balance
time free. Overnight stay in hotel
DAY
04 AT WARANGAL
Morning
after breakfast, proceed for half day city tour visiting the once glorious
Warangal Fort near Hanamkonda,
erected
by Ganapati Deva and his daughter Rudramma, now lying in ruins. Four huge
stone gateways leading to the
fort
stand here as mute testimony to the Kakatiyas' architectural prowess. Perhaps
a willing suspension of disbelief is
all you
need as you wander through the palace portals. Close your eyes and enter
the stone gateway, and offer flowers
at the
crumbling Swayambhu temple, a shrine dedicated to Shiva. Then visit the
three concentric shrinesdedicated to
Vishnu,
Shiva and Surya in the Thousand Pillared Temple - another striking example
of ornate Kakatiya architecture.
King
Rudradeva built this edifice at the base of Hanamkonda Hill. The entrance
is guarded by Shiva's sacred bull,
Nandi,
in black stone, and each pillar is intricately sculpted. The Bhadrakali
Temple at the summit of Hanamkonda
is a
shrine to Goddess Kali in her battle glory, brandishing weapons in each
of her eight arms. Afternoon at leisure.
Spend
it lazying around at the Vana Vignan Kendra, a park on Hunter Road or visiting
the fountains at
Warangal's
sprawling Musical Gardens. Return to your hotel for overnight stay
DAY
05 WARANGAL - VIJAYWADA
Morning
after breakfast, depart by surface for Vijayawada, an important port in
south India and considered to be
the cultural
capital of the state of Andhra Pradesh. Situated at the head of the Krishna
Delta, Vijayawada derives its
name
from that of its presiding deity goddess Vijaya and is famous for its delicious
mangoes and pickles as also its
delicious,
spicy cuisine. On arrival check into Hotel Quality Inn DV Manor.
Afternoon guided city tour, visiting the
Kailash
Giri resort Center also known as "Thomas' Folly", is surrounded by
greenery and and bounded by beautiful
hills.
There are idols of Shiva and Parvati. Other attractions include Butterfly
Park, a Revolving Restaurant and Rope
Way.
You also have the option of taking The Toy Train which runs for a distance
of 2.5 Kilometers on the KailasaGiri
Hill
range and gives a chance to see the entire Visakhapatnam town from the
top. The Dolphin's Nose, a single massive
rock
jutting into the Bay of Bengal about 350 metres above sea level and resembling
a dolphin.This famous landmark
has turned
this port into a natural harbour. The powerful beacon of the lighthouse
on this hill directs ships up to 65
kms away.
Visit the historic Temple at the Simhachalam, built in 11th Century by
king Krishna Deva Rayam, is one of
its kind
in the country, resembling the rich cultural heritage Visakhapatnam holds.
Located on the Hill top, at a height
of 244
mts, popularly called the Hill of the Lion Lord, is the temple of Lord
Vishnu in the avatara of Sri Narasimha
Swami
Varu. Finish tour visiting the Lumbini Park, and the century-old Kurupam
Tomb. Return to hotel for overnight
DAY
06 VIJAYWADA- KAKINADA
Morning
after breakfast, depart by surface for the port city of Kakinada. Nestled
in the cove of east coast of India,
it is
the headquarters of the East Godavari District and is situated on
the western side of Koringa Bay. On arrival
check
into hotel Ankita Manor. After fresh & change proceed for half
day guided city tour visiting the Bhava-
Narayana
Swami Temple. The architecture of the temple depicts a perfect and harmonious
blend of the both the
Chalukyan
and Chola styles. The idol is a consummate piece of workmanship. Visit
Draksharammam, located
26km
from Kakinada, in the village of Ramachandrapuram. It is famous for the
Bhimesvara temple.The temple is
one of
the very ancient shrines of India and is known to history from the time
of Satavahanas and it is one of the
most
important 'Shaiva Aramas'. Inscriptional evidences in the temple indicate
the antiquity of the shrine dating
as early
as the 11th century, when the Chola king Rajaraja was reigning at Rajahmundry.
The construction of the
temple
is said to have originated with the Sun. The 'Linga' here is one of the
five bits worn by Taksha round his
neck.
The Bhimesvara Lingam, which is a 'Sphatika' (White) Lingam, is also one
of the three Lingams in 'Trilinga
Desa'.
The Shiva Linga, in this is 5m high and stands sixth in the line of 'Jyotir
Linga'. Half of the Lingam is white
while
the other half is black. Many are attracted to this place because
of grand appearance and unique height of
the Linga.
Draksharamam is also sacred to the Muslims. The mosque and the tomb of
Syed Shah Bhaji Aulia are
greatly
revered by them. Return to hotel. Balance time free for own activities.Overnight
stay in hotel.
DAY
07 KAKINADA - ANNAVARAM- KAKINADA
Morning
after breakfast, proceed by surface for half day guided excursion to Annavaram.
Lying 48 kms from Kakinada
it is
one of the reputed centres of pilgrimage in the Andhra Pradesh on account
of a temple of 'Sri Vira Venkata Satya-
Narayana
Swami'. The temple is situated on the sacred Ratnagiri Hills.The construction
of the main temple resembles
a chariot
with four wheels in four corners. The 'Kalyanamandapam' constructed in
front of the temple is decorated with
modern
architecture. As you go down the way, you come across Ramalaya and then
the shrines of 'Vana Durga' and
'Kanaka
Durga'. Another important item of interest in the temple precincts is the
sundial showing the Indian Standard
Time.
Around the main temple and the Kalyanamandapam at a lower level, a 'Mandapam'
was constructed to provide
space
to conduct one thousand 'Satyanarayana Vratams' at a time. Return to hotel.
Balance time at leisure. Overnight
DAY
08 KAKINADA - SANKARAM - VISHAKAPATNAM
Morning
after breakfast, depart by surface to the eastern port city of Andhra Pradesh
- Visakhapatnam, popularly
known
as Vizag, is an amalgam of the old and the new, where ancient temples lie
in the shadows of gigantic ship
yards.
Beautiful beaches and the vast blue sea, green-capped hills, breathtaking
valleys, dense jungles and crystal
clear
cascades, million-year-old caves, a famous hill temple dating back to the
11th century, ancient Buddhist sites,
the only
submarine museum of the subcontinent, lush green parks, and salubrious
climate - Visakhapatnam has
it all.
En-Route
stop
to visit the 7th century Buddhist Stupa at Sankaram. The excavated ruins
are located on the
contiguous
hills locally known as Bojjanakonda and Lingalametta about 40 kms away
from the city. The site can
be termed
as an archaeologists delight. Sankaram has numerous monolithic votive stupas,
rock cut caves, buildings
and images
of Buddha in the non-tantric form of Hariti. There are a few plain and
small caves on the same hillock,
which
formed the Viharas(Shelters) for the teachers, monks and students. On facade
of the cave is a life size statue
of Buddha
in meditation. The caves date back to the 7th century A.D. The main stupa
was first carved out of rock
and then
encased in bricks. Drive on to Vizag and on arrival check into hotel The
Park.
Overnight stay in hotel.
DAY
09 VISHAKAPATNAM
Morning
after breakfast, proceed for full day guided city tour, visiting the Kailash
Giri resort Center also known
as "Thomas'
Folly", is surrounded by greenery and and bounded by beautiful hills. There
are idols of Shiva and
Parvati.
Other attractions include Butterfly Park, a Revolving Restaurant and the
Rope Way. You also have the
option
of taking The Toy Train which runs for a distance of 2.5 Kilometers
on the Kailasagiri Hill range and gives
a chance
to see the entire Visakhapatnam town from the top. The Dolphin's Nose,
a single massive rock jutting
into
the Bay of Bengal about 350 metres above sea level and resembling a dolphin.
This famous landmark has
turned
this port into a natural harbour. The powerful beacon of the lighthouse
on this hill directs ships up to
65 kms
away. Visit the historic Temple at the Simhachalam, built in 11th Century
by king Krishna Deva Rayam, is
one of
its kind in the country, resembling the rich cultural heritage Visakhapatnam
holds. Located on the Hill top,
at a
height of 244 mts, popularly called the Hill of the Lion Lord, is the temple
of Lord Vishnu in the avatara of
Sri Narasimha
Swami Varu. Finish tour visiting the Lumbini Park, and the century-old
Kurupam Tomb. Post lunch
visit
Bheemunipatnam, Ramakrishna and the Rishikonda beaches. One of the loveliest
beaches on the East Coast,
the Ramakrishna
beach is a favorite resort for tourists, while the Rishikonda Beach, lying
just 8 kms away from
Vizag
has golden, unspoilt beach, washed by the sun warmed sea. Spend time at
the beach. Overnight stay.
DAY
10 DEPART VISHAKAPATNAM
Morning
after breakfast, day free at the beach to relax. Later on time transfer
to Airport or Railway Station
to connect
for onward journey
END
OF OUR SERVICES
USD
999 PER PERSON
ON TWIN SHARING BASIS # SINGLE
SUPPLEMENT
USD 499
October thru April Include Accommodation
in 3/4 Deluxe Star Hotels in standard AC rooms on twin sharing basis, with
daily breakfast at all places
All
surface, including arrival & departure transfers, at all places mentioned
in itinerary using non air - conditioned vehicle
Services of local English speaking guide at places of visit Sightseeing
& Excursions with entrance fees, as mentioned in the itinerary
using
private non air-condiioned vehicle All
presently applicable taxes, including hotel, state, toll, bridges, drivers
daily allowance, parking
fees
at monuments, airports, etc, insurance of vehicle & gasoline All
Transfers and Luggage Handling Within India
Professional
service charges for preparing & executing the tour program
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COST
VALIDITY - 31 MARCH 2009 --TERMS
-- For
Group Travel concessions Please email us WE HAVE
NO ARGUMENTS WITH COMPETITORS WHO CHARGE LESS... THEY KNOW
WHAT THEIR PRODUCT IS WORTH NO ESCALATION
* NO HIDDEN COSTS