Bejewelling South Andhra Pradesh

The largest state in the South of India, Andhra Pradesh offers everything. From the mesmerizing beaches that dot its 1,000 km long coastline to serene lakes, dense forests to dynastic forts, delectable seafood to rich Biryani, historic places to sanctuari

Andhra Pradesh is definitely the geographical wonder with a 1,000 km stretch of serene coastline, perennial chains of rivers, backwaters, beaches apart from its history, heritage, monuments, art & craft and its exotic cuisines. The destination presents something new for every taste of domestic and international travellers. Attractions like Horsely Hills (hill station), Araku Valley (hill station), Surya Lanka (beaches), Belum (caves), Konaseema (backwaters) and Kurnool (river and lakes) are waiting to be discovered.

Growing tourism Infrastructure

Andhra has developed high quality infrastructure to meet the needs of domestic and international tourists. Hyderabad has emerged as the undisputed convention city of India. Besides, APTDC (Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation) has 42 hotels with capacity of 1,220 rooms to meet the needs of budget and high-end tourists. Most of these hotels have swimming pool, Restaurant and bar, banquets and health clubs, etc. The state boasts about their eight wayside facilities, located on the highways to cater to the needs of the travellers.

The excellent infrastructure of roads, rail facilities, airports and ports, makes Andhra Pradesh easily accessible from every part of India. The availability of transport, accommodation and the variety of cuisines make the state a preferred tourist destination.

Increasing arrivals

Andhra Pradesh has emerged as the number one domestic tourist destination in India. It attracted more than 155 million domestic tourists last year placing the state right at the top in the ranking of states with the maximum number of domestic tourists. The state attracted 3.23 Lakhs international tourists in 2010.

About Andhra Pradesh

Centuries ago, Andhra Pradesh was a major Buddhist centre and part of Emperor Ashoka's sprawling kingdom. Not surprisingly, traces of early Buddhist influence are still visible in several places in and around the state. After the death of Emperor Ashoka, several dynasties from the Pallavas, Chalukyas and Vijayanagaram kings to later Qutb Shahis, Mughals and Nizams ruled this princely city.

The British and French took over from the Nizams. Andhra became a part of Indian Union in 1947. The present state was formed in 1953, merging a part of the then Madras State (present Tamil Naidu) and the princely state of Hyderabad.

Key destinations

Hyderabad

The Bustling city presents a unique mix of old and new, flourishing together in perfect harmony making it one of the most enchanting places in the world. Known as the city of pearls, the city today is also a globally known IT hub. The historic city’s warm hospitality, impressive monuments, mosques, minarets, art and architectural richness, and technological progress takes one through an amazing journey of its glorious past and a spirited voyage into its promising future. The exotic foods, variety of accommodation, innumerable attractions, shopping offering pearls, gems, handicrafts, garments and more and the different colours of culture & festivals make Hyderabad one of the most memorable tourist destinations.

Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam, popularly known as Vizag, is the second largest city in Andhra Pradesh. The city boasts of pristine golden beaches in proximity of green hills, ancient Buddhist heritage, geological wonders, famous temples, inviting culture and mesmerizing arts & crafts.

Nagarjuna Sagar

About 150 km from Hyderabad, Nagarjuna Sagar is a massive irrigation project on the River Krishna. It is the world's tallest masonry dam that irrigates over 10 lakh acres of land. It was during the building of the dam that the ruins of an ancient Buddhist civilisation were excavated here. Some of the relics unearthed have been carefully preserved on a picturesque island called Nagarjuna Konda, located in the centre of a man-made lake.

Tiger sanctuary

The largest wildlife sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh lies between Nagarjuna Sagar and upstream Srisailam. Spread over 3,500 square km, it encompasses thickly wooded hills in five districts-Nalgonda, Kurnool, Mahboobnagar, Guntur and Prakasam.

Tirupati

Amidst the thickly-wooded hills in Chittoor district is the temple town of Tirumala with Tirupati at the foothills, the abode of Lord Venkateswara. Tirupati and Tirumala today are modern destinations of pilgrim tourists. Not only the bliss of a divine 'darshan' but added attractions provided by nature presents it as the ideal pilgrimage-cum-holiday destination.

Warangal

Warangal, once the capital of the Kakatiya Kingdom lying south of the River Godavari, is the fifth largest city in Andhra Pradesh located about 157 kms from Hyderabad. It is an important cultural centre of the Telangana region. The ancient history, beautiful lakes, fine architectural temples, rich fauna and flora have contributed to the importance of Warangal as a Tourist Centre.