[Zappo]

I always take the Khammam route. You come out on the GQ at Rajahmundry. 2 months back when I came via that route though I found a few potholes too many due to all that late rains. But still that route remains my favorite. Do not even think of taking the vijaywada route. Its pathetic in terms of traffic density and also adds to the distance.

By the way, 3 am is pretty early! I always leave at 5 am from Hyd and still reach Vizag latest by 3 pm. Some spirited driving has also seen me into Vizag by 2 pm at times.

P.S.: I have always stayed at Hotel Senora. Its by the beach and at 1500 rupees double bed rooms (huge AC'd rooms) is pretty good VFM I thought. However the last I went there the place was undergoing major renovation, mainly from outside.

[vikram.vns]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

Rushikonda is full for Dec end vacation time - are there any other places that are recommended that are beach side and in 1500-2000 rs bracker range

Also check with :

1. Legend Hotels & Resorts, Phone No : 0891 - 6642599. Mobile : 9246772369.
2. Sea View Guest House, Phone No : 0891 - 2713844, 2713222, 6640609, 6641012.
3. Sai Priya Resorts, Phone No : 0891 - 2790333, 2790585.
4. Bheemili Beach Resorts, Mobile No : 9985143434, 9885702525.
5. Jaabily Beach Inn, Phone No : 0891 - 2706026, Mobile : 9848359977
6. Senora Beach Resorts, Phone No : 891 - 2797046, 2723666, 2526963.

In all the above I stayed in Sai Priya Resorts & Sea View Guest House ( 4 years Back ) and they are good.

[neel385]

Originally Posted by pulsar56

EDIT: Neel, are you in Bidar? We all can meet up when a Drive happens next time!

Yup I am in Bidar and it will be great to meet up. Do let me know about about any drive!!

[LonelyPlanet]

Please advise if the following iterarny is do-able
Day 1) Drive from Hyd to Vizag reach by 3 pm and spend time at RK beach
Day 2) Drive to Araku, Borra Caves & Tyda
Day 3) Spend time at Rishikonda, Kailashgiri, Submarine museum
Day 4) Drive back to Hyd

Are there any other items of interest @ Vizag. Is the schedule too cramped ?

Can someone recommend good petrol bunks in Vizag (or on the way).

[akroy]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

Please advise if the following iterarny is do-able
Day 1) Drive from Hyd to Vizag reach by 3 pm and spend time at RK beach
Day 2) Drive to Araku, Borra Caves & Tyda
Day 3) Spend time at Rishikonda, Kailashgiri, Submarine museum
Day 4) Drive back to Hyd

Are there any other items of interest @ Vizag. Is the schedule too cramped ?

Can someone recommend good petrol bunks in Vizag (or on the way).

Very much doable and easy. Make sure you start at around 5AM. Pls go via the Suryapet route and not via Vijaywada.
Now that Reliance pumps are closed, pls stop at COCO outlets to fill petrol.

THere was a Blr - Vizag travelogue sometime back posted in TBHP. Pls chk that as well.

Abhi

[vnabhi]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

Please advise if the following iterarny is do-able
Day 1) Drive from Hyd to Vizag reach by 3 pm and spend time at RK beach
Day 2) Drive to Araku, Borra Caves & Tyda
Day 3) Spend time at Rishikonda, Kailashgiri, Submarine museum
Day 4) Drive back to Hyd

Are there any other items of interest @ Vizag. Is the schedule too cramped ?

Can someone recommend good petrol bunks in Vizag (or on the way).

Yes, the itenerary looks fine. But reaching at 3 pm seems to be tough, unless you start from Hyd at 3 am, which is an unearthly hour. For all practical purposes, if you start at 5 am, you can reach Vizag at 5 pm---you might encounter some traffic and many traffic signals on the 25 km stretch from Steel Plant gate (Kurmanna Palem) to the beach.

For day 3, you can drive leisurely on the 30 kms scenic coastal road to Bhimili---it is the same road that takes you to Kailashgiri and Rishikonda. You can also visit Thotlakonda on that road, which is around 4 to 5 kms beyond Rishikonda , just off the Bhimili road.

If you like visiting temples, then you can visit Simhachalam temple that is 10 kms off the Araku road. You may even visit Annavarm temple on your return journey to Hyd---it is around 120 kms from Vizag on NH5, and only 2 kms off the GQ to Rajamundry.

[LonelyPlanet]

Given the political situation in the state - is it safe to drive down during the Christmas break to Vizag ?

[Ardy]

Originally Posted by LonelyPlanet

Given the political situation in the state - is it safe to drive down during the Christmas break to Vizag ?

I am in the same dilema, but I think it should be fine. I was reading on one of the threads about another BHPian who drove from Vizag through Hyderabad last week.

I am leaving for Vizag with friends and family on 24th and returning back to Hyderabad on 28th evening.

Hope to see you somewhere enroute or in Vizag.

Cheers.

[scorpydave]

Dear Bhpians,

I'm planning to drive down from Vizag to Hyderabad along a friend of mine on a four wheeler. Any updates on either of Hyd-Khamam-Ashwaraopet-Rajahmundry or Hyd-Kodad-Vijayawada-Eluru route would be helpful.

[romyeo4u]

Originally Posted by scorpydave

Dear Bhpians,

I'm planning to drive down from Vizag to Hyderabad along a friend of mine on a four wheeler. Any updates on either of Hyd-Khamam-Ashwaraopet-Rajahmundry or Hyd-Kodad-Vijayawada-Eluru route would be helpful.

I think Hyd-Khammam - route has more villages and speed breakers. the other is NH5 - superb till Vijayawada.

[Ravveendrra]

Coming back from the NE we used another route - continue on NH5 (GQ) till Guntur, then turn towards Pidugralla and proceed to Macherla. Go to Nagarjunasagar dam and come to Hyd. It is longer than the other two but makes for tension free driving. The only bad patch of road is between Macherla and Pidugralla. The Aswaraopet, Khammam route might be better.

The NH9 between Hyd-Vja is avoidable unless you time your departure accurately. Now that 4 laning has started on it, expect diversions etc. in the months to come. GMR (the contractors for the upgradation) expect that work will be over in 2012.

Cheers,

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

Coming back from the NE we used another route - continue on NH5 (GQ) till Guntur, then turn towards Pidugralla and proceed to Macherla. Go to Nagarjunasagar dam and come to Hyd. It is longer than the other two but makes for tension free driving. The only bad patch of road is between Macherla and Pidugralla. The Aswaraopet, Khammam route might be better.

The NH9 between Hyd-Vja is avoidable unless you time your departure accurately. Now that 4 laning has started on it, expect diversions etc. in the months to come. GMR (the contractors for the upgradation) expect that work will be over in 2012.

Cheers,

Am planning to do Hyd-Vizag on this 28th. We plan to start at 6AM in hyd, can we reach VIzag by 6PM ? Also, dad is keen that I take the VJA route as its an NH, and restaurants, pumps etc. are plenty. Is the khammam route much better than this? I've driven Hyd- VJA before, but have no idea about khammam. Thanks in advance.

[Ravveendrra]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Am planning to do Hyd-Vizag on this 28th. We plan to start at 6AM in hyd, can we reach VIzag by 6PM ? Also, dad is keen that I take the VJA route as its an NH, and restaurants, pumps etc. are plenty. Is the khammam route much better than this? I've driven Hyd- VJA before, but have no idea about khammam. Thanks in advance.

The problem with the Hyd - Vja road is not so much the road itself as the thick traffic. This is why timing your departure is imp. Cross Ramoji Film City by 6.00 a.m. and you should be fine on that road. By crossing Ramoji at 6.00 you avoid most of the oncoming night buses and will be ahead of most of the morning buses. Lorries too tend to leave Vanastalipuram around 6.00 and most of the lorries coming in from Vijayawada would have reached or pulled off the road for breakfast etc.

The distance to VTZ via Vja is about 660 KM and driving time is estimated to be 10 hrs. But, one can easily take an hour off this time since you will be on the GQ longer. The GQ just outside Vijayawada (till Hanuman Junction) is really crowded and will slow you down but, it is a breeze after that - all the way to VTZ (Rajahmundry being a notable exception) also watch out for traffic on Tuni bypass.

The distance via Khammam is about 600 km and the driving time is estimated at 9 hrs. This time might stretch a little since some stretches are reported to have bad surface. The funny thing about the Khammam route is that we will be on the worst section of NH 9 between HYD - VJA, i.e. till Suryapet. The Vijayawada road gets better and wider after Suryapet.

Personally, I always choose a better road over a shorter route. That is why the AP to AP team chose to go past Vijayawada, on to Guntur and via Pidugralla, Macherla and Nagarjuna Sagar on our return, though the route is about 40 km longer. We have no regrets about that choice as the drive was relaxed and tension free thanks to the lack of traffic.

Taking a moving average of 70 kmph you will reach VTZ in 10 hrs, add two hours for lunch, breakfast and maybe one tea break and you should be able to do it in 12 hrs. One trick to make good time is to carry enough water, juice, fruit, dry fruits and dry snacks in the car and eat/drink on the move. Breaks really add to the total journey time, a short bio-break adds about 15 minutes to the journey time a tea break adds about 20 mins, a meal break adds about 45 minutes. I suggest you take your first break in or after Vijayawada.

Cheers and have a good trip.

[bhuvan_prasad]

Originally Posted by Ravveendrra

The problem with the Hyd - Vja road is not so much the road itself as the thick traffic. This is why timing your departure is imp. Cross Ramoji Film City by 6.00 a.m. and you should be fine on that road. By crossing Ramoji at 6.00 you avoid most of the oncoming night buses and will be ahead of most of the morning buses. Lorries too tend to leave Vanastalipuram around 6.00 and most of the lorries coming in from Vijayawada would have reached or pulled off the road for breakfast etc.

The distance to VTZ via Vja is about 660 KM and driving time is estimated to be 10 hrs. But, one can easily take an hour off this time since you will be on the GQ longer. The GQ just outside Vijayawada (till Hanuman Junction) is really crowded and will slow you down but, it is a breeze after that - all the way to VTZ (Rajahmundry being a notable exception) also watch out for traffic on Tuni bypass.

The distance via Khammam is about 600 km and the driving time is estimated at 9 hrs. This time might stretch a little since some stretches are reported to have bad surface. The funny thing about the Khammam route is that we will be on the worst section of NH 9 between HYD - VJA, i.e. till Suryapet. The Vijayawada road gets better and wider after Suryapet.

Personally, I always choose a better road over a shorter route. That is why the AP to AP team chose to go past Vijayawada, on to Guntur and via Pidugralla, Macherla and Nagarjuna Sagar on our return, though the route is about 40 km longer. We have no regrets about that choice as the drive was relaxed and tension free thanks to the lack of traffic.

Taking a moving average of 70 kmph you will reach VTZ in 10 hrs, add two hours for lunch, breakfast and maybe one tea break and you should be able to do it in 12 hrs. One trick to make good time is to carry enough water, juice, fruit, dry fruits and dry snacks in the car and eat/drink on the move. Breaks really add to the total journey time, a short bio-break adds about 15 minutes to the journey time a tea break adds about 20 mins, a meal break adds about 45 minutes. I suggest you take your first break in or after Vijayawada.

Cheers and have a good trip.

wow, that was a really comprehensive reply, and very helpful. thanks a lot. Will follow your advise and pass Ramoji by 6. I also prefer a better longer road to a shorter bumpy one. Also, the car is new, so would rather take the longer road. Will post the proper travelogue and lots of pics, after the whole road trip is done.

[TrueDreamer]

Originally Posted by bhuvan_prasad

Will post the proper travelogue and lots of pics, after the whole road trip is done.

Will be waiting for this one and do include if you see GMR started some work on NH9 by then if you chose Hyd - BZA route.