Araku Valley is a hill station

Hill station

A hill station is a town located at a higher elevation than the nearby plain or valley. The term was used mostly in colonial Asia , but also in Africa , for towns founded by European colonial rulers as refuges from the summer heat, up where temperatures are cooler...

 and a Mandal

Subdivisions of India

The Administrative divisions of India are Indian subnational administrative units; they compose a nested hierarchy of country subdivisions. Indian states and territories frequently use different local titles for the same level of subdivision The Administrative divisions of India are Indian...

 in Visakhapatnam district

Visakhapatnam district

Visakhapatnam district , also known as Visakha Zilla, is an administrative division of Andhra Pradesh, India. The administrative headquarters of the Visakhapatnam District is Visakhapatnam.-Post-Independence:...

 in the state of Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

 in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.It has got an amazing nature with thick forests surrounded all over.Araku is popular for its world famous coffee plantations.For every traveller it gives a wonderful and a unique experience.

Geography

Araku is located at 18.3333°N 82.8667°E. It has an average elevation of 911 meters (2992 feet).

It is located 115 km from Vishakhapatnam, close to the Orissa

Orissa

Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...

 state border. This place lures people with pleasant weather, hills and valleys. The natural beauty of this valley comes alive with its rich landscape. The area of the valley is roughly 36 km², and the altitude is between 600 and 900 meters above sea level.

The journey to this place on the Ghat

Ghat

Ghat is the capital of the Ghat District in the Fezzan region of southwestern Libya.-History:In historical times, Ghat was a major terminal point on the Trans-Saharan trade route and a major administrative center in the Fezzan...

 road with thick forests on either side is in itself interesting and pleasant. One can have a wonderful trekking trip. Traveling on train gives you a memorable experience. A total of forty-one tunnels and numerous bridges will greet you on the way. The Ananthagiri hills on the way to Araku Valley are famous for coffee plantations. The Borra caves

Borra Caves

The Borra Caves, also called Borra Guhalu in Telugu language , are located on the East Coast of India, in the Ananthagiri hills of the Araku valley of the Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh...

, located 29 km from Araku Valley, are a nearby tourist attraction full of stalactites and stalagmites.
Located on the Eastern Ghats

Eastern Ghats

The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...

 of India, the valley is inhabited by tribal people. One of the other attractions of this valley is a Tribal Museum which showcases tribal handicrafts and lifestyle.

Transportation

The valley is connected through both rail and road to the city of Vishakapatnam. There are two railway stations at Araku and Araku Valley on the Kothavalasa

Kothavalasa

Kotha-valasa or Kotta-valasa is a census town and mandal in Vizianagaram district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.-Geography:Kothavalasa is located at . It has an average elevation of 209 meters .-Demographics:...

-Kirandul

Kirandul

Kirandul is a city and a municipality in the Dantewada district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh.It is a small town with NMDC colony, bus stand, railway station,Government Hospital and a college. Kirandul used to have a satellite township called Kailashnagar.-Demographics: India census, Kirandul...

 railway line of Visakhapatnam division of the East Coast Railway

East Coast Railway

The East Coast Railway is one of the sixteen railway zones of Indian Railways came into existence from 1 April 2003.The geographical jurisdiction of this railway zone extends over three states encompressing almost all parts of Orissa along with parts of Srikakulam, Vizainagaram and Visakhapatnam...

, on the Indian Railways

Indian Railways

Indian Railways , abbreviated as IR , is a departmental undertaking of Government of India, which owns and operates most of India's rail transport. It is overseen by the Ministry of Railways of the Government of India....

 network.

Panchayats

There are 14 panchayats in Araku Valley mandal.

• Baski (village and panchayat)
• Bondam (village and panchayat)
• Chinna Labudu (village and panchayat)
• Chompi (village and panchayat)
• Gannela (village and panchayat)
• Iragai (village and panchayat)
• Kotha Bhalluguda (village and panchayat)
• Lotheru (village and panchayat)
• Madagada (village and panchayat)
• Madala (village and panchayat)
• Padmapuram (village and panchayat)
• Pedda Labudu (village and panchayat)
• Siragam (village and panchayat)
• Sunkarametta (village and panchayat)

External links

• Pictures of Tribal museum, Horticulture nursery, Tribal dancing & Borra caves in Araku Valley