[himavanth_m]

We were just back from our Bhutan and Tawang trip on July 16th (Travelogue to Bhutan and Tawang will come up soon). And a week later, the travel bug had caught us again. This time we did not have the comfort of taking leaves. So it had to be a weekend destination. Godavari river during monsoons is one of the best sights that one can see. Additionally, we had some work at Kakinada as well. So the final destination for us was to reach Kakinada for the work. This travelogue is about how we reached the destination.

So let me start the travelogue giving some information about the area

Krishna and Godavari are two major rivers that cut across the state of Andhra Pradesh. Both these rivers, before joining the Bay of Bengal , branch out into multiple rivers. This forms a fertile delta in the area close to the sea.

1. Diviseema: The fertile delta formed by the Krishna river is called Diviseema. Hamsaldeevi beach is one of the beaches in this delta that sees little or no tourism.
Link to one of my drives to this place:
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/shifti...ml#post2134904

A little to north of this place is Machilipatnam, where one can visit Manginapudi beach and Chilakalapudi Temple. I can write pages and pages about the places in this delta, but this travelogue is not about Diviseema.

2. Konaseema: As many of you might have expected, the delta formed by the river Godavari is called Konaseema. This area is famous for Rice fields, greenery and export quality Prawns. There is a mangrove forest called Coringa Wildlife sanctuary located here. This place is filled with ancient and beautiful temples. I will give information about the temples as we go along.

A teaser pic of my Safari before I start off with my travelogue:

An unknown beach on the way


Live to Drive on the banks of River Godavari


And last but not the least, a dash into the mud roads

[himavanth_m]

Day 0:
We started at 8 PM from Hyderabad on Friday night. The aim was to reach Vijayawada and sleep there at a friends place. From Vijayawada a second car would join us on the trip to Konaseema.

Hyderabad Vijayawada 4 laning has seen some great progress. Right now the 270 kms stretch would take about 5 hours. The number of diversions drastically reduced and road surface is smooth throughout ( This means atleast 2 lanes of the 4 laning project is completed throughout). My guess was that it would take another 5 to 6 months to completely finish the 4 laning. Once that is done, the we would no longer witness the terrible Hyderabad Vijayawada highway anymore. It would just be a breeze to drive along this highway albeit with a lot of traffic.

The VTPS (Vijayawada Thermal Power Station) is a beautiful sight enroute especially at night.


The Power Plant is located at a place called Ibrahimpatnam/Kondapally ( 20 kms from Vijayawada). This power plant is capable of generating 1760 MW of power. This power plant's actual name is Dr Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station. This plant has received the most Productive Plant award for 21 consecutive years.

Kondapally: This is an industrial town with a lot of industries around. This place is famous for the toys made of wood. This is a cottage industry here.
There is also a beautiful Fort at this place. Link to the information about the fort: Kondapalli Fort - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pic of the toy for those interested. ( Source: Dollsofindia.com). Google search will give numerous examples.


Since we were at night, we did not bother visiting the Fort since our main target was to reach Konaseema. I had visited this place when I was young.

We finally reached Vijayawada at 2 AM. The Next day we had a lot of places to cover.

[himavanth_m]

Day 1: Drive to Kolleru Lake
A second car ( Hyundai Accent) joined the journey from here on.

Our original plan was to leave by 6 AM and go via Machilipatnam ( Famously known as Bandar) and visit Chilakalapudi Temple and Manginapudi Beach. However we finally got ready by 8 AM. So we had to skip these two places and reach Konaseema directly.

So our first destination now changed to Kolleru Lake.

The route taken:
Vijayawada - Gannavaram ( Take right onto Gudivada road)- Gudivada (Touch NH214 here) - Mandavalli - Kaikaluru - Atapaka - Kolleru Lake

Some Pics enroute:

There are lots of Railway crossings enroute



The Accent and my Safari


The scenic roads:


Kolleru Lake: Kolleru lake is the biggest Shallow fresh water lake in Asia. It is a rich bio-diversity spot and it is one of the few breeding sites of Grey Pelican ( Spot-Billed Pelikan as Wikipedia calls it - Spot-billed Pelican - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

The sanctuary is approachable from 3 sides of the lake by road, directly to the following places. ( Wiki mentions 4, but I am not aware of the authenticity of the 4th route )

a. Atapaka – 2.5 km from Kaikaluru town
b. Bhujabalapatnam - 6 km from Kaikaluru town
c. Gudivakalanka – 15 km from Eluru

There are two main parts of the lake where one can reach although there are 3 ways to reach the lake mentioned above

1. Smaller lake: This is the place where most tourist come to visit. Here the Government of Andhra Pradesh has set up artificial Breeding nests for the Pelicans (This is place a above )
2. The actual Lake: There is a different route to reach this place. Here, there will not be too many tourists but a lot of locals.(This is place b above) One can take a boat ride from here to enter into the middle of the lake. I would not recommend visiting this place as there is not much one can do here and it is quite dirty. More on this later.

Note that it is very easy to miss the left to Kolleru Lake for place a. It is best to ask for directions once you reach Kaikaluru. Both the cars were going at a different pace. So my Safari took a different left and went to the actual lake( place b above) while the accent reached a smaller lake (place a above). At Kaikaluru, all the villagers will direct you to the tourist spot of Kolleru lake.

The place to ask for destinations



Some pics of the lake where the Accent has reached

The tourist entrance to the lake


Anyone for boatride?


When you have a DSLR, this pic is a must aint it?


Monsoons is the best time to visit this lake. The following two pics are a proof for that



Another must pic when you have a DSLR.


The main lake: The wrong place where the Safari has reached.



The last pic is an example of why I mentioned to not visit the main lake. This lake has suffered a lot due to man's greed. I read somewhere near Maredumilli that 'Earth has enough resources to cater to Man's need, but not enough resources to satisfy Man's Greed'. This lake is an example for that. The selfish interests of mankind exploited the lake's integrity and thousands of fish tanks have been dug thus effectively converting the lake into a drain. While searching for Kolleru Lake on the net, I read somewhere that Technical experts believe 20 years down the line, this area may be inhospitable for human beings to survive.

More information about this lake (Source: AP Goverment Website):

• The kolleru lakes serves as a natural flood balancing reservoir for the two rivers Godavari and Krishna.
• It was described in an imperial gazette as “Peerless Fishermen Paradise and Birds Heaven”.
• The streams and rivulets viz. Budameru, Ramileru, Tammileru and Errakaluva flow into the lake.
• Apart from these, 9 major drains and 7 medium drains empty their water into the lake.
• The lake is connected to sea by a narrow drain called Upputeru which runs for a distance of 64 Kms.
• The depth of the lake varies from 1 to 1.6 mts and it reaches 3 to 4 meters during high floods. The lake covers (7) Mandals in West Godavari District and (2) Mandals in Krishna District.
• The rest of the lake is being diminished by water diversions or was infested with weeds like elephant grass and water hyacinth.
• 42% of the 245 km² lake was occupied by aquaculture, while agriculture had encroached another 8.5%.
• Sri Peddinti Ammavari Temple is one of the oldest and famous temples found in kolleru.

[himavanth_m]

Day 1 (Contd): First view of Konaseema ( Dindi )

We had nothing to do at the Kolleru lake. We were way ahead of the people in Accent who were enjoying a splendid time at the lake. We had a lot of time to kill and so we decided we head towards Palakollu and visit the Lord Shiva temple there.

The route taken:
Kaikaluru - Akividu - Bheemavaram - Palakollu : NH214 throughout

Once you cross Bhimavaram, we enter Konaseema. This place turns absolutely stunning in Monsoons and very few places match the untouched beauty of this place.

One can also see a lot of fish farms and Prawn farms after crossing Bhimavaram. A pic of one such Prawn farm.


In the above pic, you can see water being aerated. Export Quality Tiger prawns come from here!
Before I proceed further I would like to mention about Pancharama Kshetras.

There are 5 Shiva Lingas in Andhra Pradesh that are supposedly part of the same Shiva Linga that was once worn by Rakshasa King Tarakasura.

1. Draksharamam
2. Amaravati (Guntur)
3. Samalkota
4. Bheemavaram
5. Palakollu

As per the Hindu legend, one story states that The linga worn by Tarakasura gave him immortality and no one apart from Son of Lord Shiva could kill him. During the war between Kumaraswami (Or Murugan for Tamilians or Karthikeya - Son of Lord Shiva ) and Tarakashura, Kumaraswami broke the Linga into 5 pieces and they fell at the aforementioned 5 places. In order to keep the pieces at the said locations, temples were built over them and worshiped.

1. Draksharamam: The Lord Shiva here is known as Bhimeswara Swami and this ling was installed by Lord Surya or the Sun God. This is also called Dakshina Kasi. This place is close to Rajahmundry. I have documented more about this place in the following post
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ml#post2722018
So I will not expand about this place further

2. Amaravathi: This place is near Guntur. The Shiv Ling here is called Amaralingeswara Swamy and it is installed by Lord Indra. Apparently the Shiv Ling here is continuously growing. To stop growth, a nail has been put on the top of the ling. The red stain on top of this Linga is attributed to the blood oozing out of the Linga due to the nail.

This place is also the site of the great Buddhist Stupa build by the King Ashoka.

3. Samalkota: The Bhimeswara Shiva Linga here is installed by Lord Kumaraswami himself. This place is about 10 Km from Kakinada ( Port town in Andhra Pradesh which I will to later in this travelogue). I have not visited this place so I do not know too much information.

4. Bhimavaram: The Shiv Linga here is installed by lord Chandra or Moon God. This is also 2 storeyed temple like that at Draksharamam and Amaravathi. There is also Rama Krishna Mission established at Bhimavaram which is very beautiful. Since I did not visit this temple during this journey, I have no pics of the same.

5. Palakollu: This is the 5th Shiva Linga and it is called Ksheera Ramalingeshwara Swami.

Even though I visited Palakollu Lord Shiva temple, I did not take the pics as the DSLR was stuck with the Accent who were enjoying their time at Kolleru Lake.

I think I have given enough information for the readers to get bored and no pics to complement. So continuing. Our next destination was to reach A.P. Tourism resorts (Haritha Resorts) at a place called Dindi which is very close to Palakollu. This place is about 30 minute drive from Palakollu.

Route:
Palakollu - Chinchinada Bridge - Dindi.


At Palakollu, if you enquire about Chinchinada bridge, anyone would give you directions. This is a recently constructed bridge. Before this bridge was constructed, the only way to reach the other side of Godavari was to go to Narsapur, take a Ferry (Which can take cars as well) and cross the river to Sakinetipalli. Then travel by road again. However, there have been many accidents and mishaps that happened and so the bridge was constructed recently. Many lives have been taken by the violent Godavari especially in monsoons. The ferry is still operational, but during monsoons, it does not run for the cars. Only people carrying ferries are operational. After crossing the bridge, board showing the directions to resorts are present.

Pic of the Accent on the Chinchinada bridge


Banks of River Godavari


For anyone who wants to visit Kerala and do not have time can visit this place. The backwaters of Godavari are just as beautiful if not more. The Dindi resorts are on the banks of the river godavari and one can see the beautiful Backwaters.

Way to Dindi Resorts. For those interested, the sign board also has phone number I think can be used for booking stay


Harita resots has very good rooms at reasonable rates. One also has the option to stay in a boat. The boats also have Air conditioned rooms.

A pic of the resorts hiding behind the Coconut trees


Violent Godavari River view from the resorts


Some fisherman fighting against the currents in the Godavari river



If I did not mention the name of the place, how many of you would have mistaken the following pic for Kerala? Ain't it perfect? I am assuming most of you

[himavanth_m]

Day 1 (Contd): Dash to an unknown beach

At Dindi resorts, we met our hosts who would take us to Antarvedi and also treat us to a sumptuous meal!

Our route:
Haritha Resorts (Dindi) - Malkipuram - Kesavadasu palem ( Our Hosts home)


The house is built in traditional style with slanting roofs. At the home our gracious hosts treated us to Chicken, Fish and Tiger Prawns. We could not stop stuffing ourselves with the food. It was the tastiest food we had.

The Road that leads to this place called Kesavadasu Palem. All the best finding a route to this place in Google maps


The traditional style house. Reminded me of my ancestral home which I stayed in when I was young



After the meal, it was time to head to the beach nearby. The beach is just about a km from this place.

First view of the beautiful beach. Absolutely no one on the beach. It is in pristine condition.


Apparently a resort is planned around this place which is going to come up in the next 2 years. Hopefully this beach will stay this way for a long time to come.

After initial checking of the sand, it was thumbs up to take the safari onto the beach.

Here comes the Safari for some fun


Live to Drive


I will let the pics do the talking for a while








Time to say Good bye to the beach


A link to the video that we took of the drive on the Beach

Beach Drive in Konaseema - YouTube

We spent a good 1 hour at the beach. After enjoying the beach, it was time to head back, thank our hosts and reach the next destination!

[himavanth_m]

Day 1 (Contd): Antarvedi ( Where Godavari Meets Bay of Bengal )

I have taken some village roads and I have no clue about the village names. So I will not be able to tell you about the Antarvedi route from here. However, for people who want to reach Antarvedi, I will give the route from Palakollu.

Route:
Palakollu - Chinchinada Bridge - Malkipuram - Take Antarvedi road from here - Antarvedi

Alternatively, one can go to Narsapur from Palakollu, take the ferry to Sankinetipalli and then head to Antarvedi by road again

Antarvedi: Lord Brahma, in order to get freed from the sins he had committed against Lord Sankara, had performed Rudrayaga and installed Lord Neela kantheswara there. As that place was made a stage or "Vedik" to perform the Yagam, it was named as "ANTARVEDI". The Godavari River at this place is called Vashishta Godavari and it is said to have brought here by one of the Seven Sages (Sapta Rishi) - Maharishi Vashishtha.

This is also the place where the violent Godavari meets the mighty Bay of Bengal and the meeting place is called Sapta Sagara Sangam. (In telugu it is called Anna chelli Gattu meaning Banks of Elder Brother and Younger Sister in true translation ). The water here is sweet strangely.

There is a Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple here and this is built in the 15th century

More information of this place can be found at
Antarvedi - A Top Story of Lord Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple in EG Dist, AP State of India

Note: The link says this place is also called Dakshina Kasi. However at Draksharamam, the temple priest mentioned that Draksharamam is called Dakshina Kasi. So I am now unsure about which place is actual Dakshina Kasi.

Pic of the Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple


Feeding a cow with bananas. It is always a pleasure feeding an animal.


After the temple visit, it was time for us to hit the Beach again and see the place where Godavari Meets Bay of Bengal!

Antarvedi Light House enroute


First view of the violent Bay of Bengal


The beach


Random Shot


Waves on one side (Sea) and calm water on the other (River)


For all the people who want to travel to this place a word of caution: Please do not venture out into the waters especially on the River side. Godavari river gathers huge depths really fast. The water may look calm, but 2 feet into the water, the depth increases to unbelievable levels and there is strong currents underneath. So be careful. It is safer to enter where there are waves. Waves indicate shallow depth. The phenomenon of waves come about because there is not enough depth. That is the sole reason that we see waves. However, even the wave currents in Bay of Bengal, especially in Monsoons are very strong. Do not venture out too deep into the Sea. Local guidance is best as they would know the waters much better.

The fact remains that a lot of people have died trying to reach Antarvedi by boat. In order to prevent this, the government has built Chinchinada Bridge. During monsoons, even if the ferry's are available to reach Antarvedi, I would strongly advice against taking it. Take the safer Antarvedi road. If you want to take the ferry, visit this place after the flow in Godavari river calms down. Monsoons is not the right time for adventure on this river. I have heard lot of stories personally either from my family or from locals there about the violent currents of this magnificent river. So better safe than sorry.

The Waves showing their mighty power


The deceivingly calm Godavari River.


Gushing wind and roaring sound of waves makes for a memorable walk on the beach


One last look at 'Sagara Sangamam'


Oh man, there are Red crabs on the beach. Are these the Red Fiddler crabs?


One of the Oil Rigs on the KG Basin (Krishna Godavari Basin)


KG Basin is home to one of the worlds biggest Natural Gas Resources. It is also the biggest Natural Gas discovery since 2002. Reliance Industries has the sole authority to mine out the Natural Gas. Most of the people are aware of the alleged corruption regarding the deal. I would not like to comment on that. But I hope Reliance Industries takes steps to minimize the ecological impact. I have gone through some of most the beautiful places and I would like it to stay this way for the foreseeable future. Imagine - Generally each day will be one post, I had to split just the day 1 into 4 posts in order to completely describe the beauty and history of this place!

Antarvedi Light House. The light is on meaning it is Dusk and time to leave the place


After a memorable day where we visited Kolleru Lake, Dindi Resorts, Unknown Beach and Antarvedi, it was time for us to reach the final destination where we could sleep for the night. And the place is Kakinada. By the time we left Antarvedi it was 7 PM. We reached Kakinada by 10 30 PM.

Route taken:
Antarvedi - Malkipuram - Razole ( Here we touched NH214 again) - Amalapuram - Yanam - Kakinada

This is about 120kms and it takes about 3 hours or more.

[himavanth_m]

Day 2 : Kotipalli

The next day we wanted to visit Kotipally. This place we missed during our last trip to Maredumilli due to time constraints and this time we did not want to miss. So we got up at 8 AM and headed towards the banks of river Godavari. Godavari is at its beautiful and violent best during monsoons. The time we went, heavy flow was expected in a couple of days. So we were in a way lucky that the flow has not yet reached. This enabled for us to have a beautiful boat ride at this place.

The route taken:
Kakinada - Penuguduru - Draksharamam - Kotipally Distance is about 35 Kms.

From Kakinada, take the Mandapeta route. On the way one would have to take left at the Penuguduru bridge. It is easy to find and locals are well aware of this place. From here on it is just one road to Kotipalli.

The road is a beautiful narrow two laned road with Fish and Prawn farms on either side of the route intesperced with Paddy fields. If one stays here for a week, I am sure he/she would be bored of the greenery. It is just green all around. Calm canals flow on the side of the road. Occasional bridge is constructed to cross the canals. Coconut trees are lined on either side of the road. It is a stunning drive.

Coconut Trees lined up


Smooth Tarmac


A couple more to give you an idea


Who wouldn't want to drive on these roads?


Finally our destination


On the way to Kotipally, the first place of prime importance would be Draksharamam. Since we already went to this place, we decided to skip it and head to Kotipalli directly. I have discussed about Draksharamam earlier in the thread.

Kotupalli: This small village is on the Banks of River Godavari. This is home to another beautiful Lord Shiva temple.

Remember I have talked about Pancharama Kshretras. While most believe that the 5 temples mentioned by me earlier are the true Kshetras. However there are a few who believe Shiv Ling at Kotupalli is one of the Pancharama Kshetra instead of the Samalkota. I have not researched too much into this aspect so I do not want to comment further. However, I will mention some significance of the place that I heard from the temple priest.

The Linga found here is the smallest Linga in Andhra Pradesh and it is of the size of the one's fist. This Linga is supposedly installed by the Lord Chandra or Moon God. While the Linga at Annavaram( Another holy place close to Kakinada) is installed by Lord Surya or the Sun God. Next to this Shiva Linga under the same Gopuram is an idol of Lord Vishnu. It is very rare to find Shiva Linga and Lord Vishnu idol under the same Gopuram. It is infact one of the only two places in AP. The second one being Annavaram. At Annavaram, the Lord Vishnu idol and Shiv Ling are on the same Petha. If you visit any other temple, even if Lord Vishnu idol and Shiva Linga are under same temple premises, they are never under the same Gopuram.

Kotipalli is also called Koti Theertham. For those who believe, it is said that if you help one brahmin at this place, it is equivalent to helping 1 Crore Brahmins (Koti in telugu means one Crore). So any good deed performed at this place is equivalent to doing the same good deed 1 Crore times. So Linga at this temple is believed to be a very Powerful.

For more information about the place, the following 2 links will be of immense help to those interested
Kumararama - One of the five Araamaa shrines of Shiva* in Andhra Pradesh
Kotipalli - A Top Story of the Holy Shiva Pancharama Kshetra in South India

I think I got too carried away in providing information. So I will come back to the travelogue. As soon as you arrive Kotipally temple, the first thing you notice is the massive Pond in front of the temple and the huge Shiva statue in the middle of the pond.


The first view of the temple:


The pic of Lord Shiva Statue from front



After offering our prayers, we went straight to the banks of River Godavari without any hesitation. At the banks, we took a 15 minute boat ride into the river Godavari. We could have gone onto some island here, but in the interest of time we decided to take short boat ride only

My Safari Parked on the banks of River Godavari


Expansive view of River Godavari from Kotipalli


Well the safari looks majestic from far away as well. I just cannot stop admiring the beauty of this vehicle


View of Kotipally from the Boat


The fisherman performing the daily chores


Boat Ride





After spending some time in the boat, we headed back to Kakinada to take care of some work.

A canal enroute:


How can we be in Konaseema without taking a pic of the green paddy fields?


While driving, suddenly this group of ducks decided to pay us a visit


We safely negotiated these ducks, livestock and other vehicles to finally reach Kakinada. We also wanted to visit another holy place called Ryali (Temple of Lord JaganMohini) which is about an hours drive from Kotipally. But we had other work to take care of. So we had to miss Ryali. However, I visited Ryali when I was in 9th ot 10th class and I will provide information about the place after I finish my travelogue.

[himavanth_m]

Day 2 : Mangrove Forests of Coringa.

By the time we finished our work, it was 4 PM. So we had enough time to visit just one more place - The Coringa Wildlife sanctuary.

Coringa : This is another place where Godavari River meets the mighty Bay of Bengal. All the area surrounding the Godavari estuary has become marshy and it is the home to one of the biggest Mangrove Forests in India. The other two famous Mangrove forests being Sunderbans (West Bengal) and Pichavaram ( Pondicherry). This place is about 10 kms from Kakinada. Trees grow over this salty marshy land. However the people here use the wood from the forest for firewood and is causing a great deal of environmental impact here.

When you ask the locals the way to Coringa, they tell you directions to a village named Coringa. However, the entry to sanctuary is about 5 KMs before itself. There is a very small sign board showing the direction to the entry point and it is easy to miss it.

After entering the forest, the board mentions that this is home to Olive Ridley Turtles and Long Billed Vulture. A couple of other species was mentioned but do not remember them.

The main entry route into the sanctuary:


A walking path is provided to reach the banks of the river close to the sanctuary. Inbetween there is a left which takes you through the dense trees. It is a good experience to take this walk.

A wodden bridge that take you into the trees


The thick forest on either side. One can see the mashy land beneath as well.


Due to the marshy land, the wodden bridge is constructed. Otherwise it is impossible to walk on the ground. In the above pic, you can also see the wodden bridge at a distance.

After this we went on a boat ride to the place where meeting place of the river and the sea. One can see the distinct colour difference of water. Godavari river is red and muddy in color while the sea has much clearer water. The turbulence in the river causes this color for the river.

Below are some pics from the boat ride


A closer view of the Godavari falling into the lap of the sea


Mangrove forests on the banks of this river


Another pic of Mangrove forests on the delta.


Back from the boat drive we found a watch tower to climb on to. From the top of the tower, we could see the mangrove forests as far as the eye could see.

The vast expanse of Mangrove Forests


Another view of the vast expanse. This pic has the road that takes us to the boat ride


A closer view of the walkway


My safari parked at the entrance of the sanctuary!


Now it was time to head back to Hyderabad after a wonderful 2 days experience. But we decided to have some fun on the mud road that leads to the Sanctuary (Note: These roads are not part of Sanctuary)

Isin't she beautiful? I had a lot of fun with this truck and hopefully I will have a lot more





The final closing shot on the roads to Coringa


We finally left Kakinada after dinner at 10 30 PM. The route we took:
Kakinada - Mandapeta - Vijayawada - Hyderabad

We reached Hyderabad at 5 AM. A couple of hours sleep later, we were off to our offices. The two days have offered us a beach drive, enriching experience at ancient temples and mud filled fun at Mangrove forests. We felt like these water bodies were asking us to have our fun, but from a safe distance and within the limits set by them. We were truly humbled by the calm-looking mighty Godavari and ferocious waves of the Bay of Bengal.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[selfdrive]

Great account of your trip there! I especially like the overcast weather, it looks menacing.
I remember crossing a rail bridge on the Godavari during my only trip to Vizag and wondering at the sheer expanse of the river.

Thanks for reviving that memory and giving more views from this part of the world.

[venki.bala]

Simply superb. Ever since i went to Kotipalli for a friends wedding in 2009, i have been planning to visit these places, but in vain. Himavanth, your travelogue is inspiring me to do this year. I will keep in touch with you before finalising my plan. I am thinking of Nov - Dec time frame as then Mata Godavari would be showing her calm face. Thanks for sharing. Once again simply superb snaps

[getsurya]

Himavanth,

Good write up with splendind pictures!

I have never missed an opportunity to drive to these places. The nature is in abundance and enchanting, to say the least!

Good pictures from you brings back the nostalgia of the mist filled morning rides in Konaseema which have to BE EXPERIENCED only!

Thank you and Happy Motoring!

[msvg]

Too good Himavanth Great travelogue.
I have visited Godavari river near papikondalu,its simple amazing river.
I will refer ur travelogue oncei plan for another trip to Godavari river..

thanks aton

[joshuakeys]

Himavanth Thanks for posting those wonderful pictures, Its been been a while that i have been to these kind of places, Your pictures remind me of PAPI Knodalu, Not sure if Papa kondalu & konaseema are neighboring places.

Once again thanks for sharing

Cheers

Josh

[himavanth_m]

Originally Posted by venki.bala

Simply superb. I will keep in touch with you before finalising my plan. I am thinking of Nov - Dec time frame as then Mata Godavari would be showing her calm face. Thanks for sharing.

I would recommend going in September end or October if there is no cyclonic depression or heavy rains in that region at that time. Nov/Dec would be a bit too late. Whenever you plan, please message me without hesitation and I will be more than happy to help you.

Originally Posted by getsurya

Good pictures from you brings back the nostalgia of the mist filled morning rides in Konaseema which have to BE EXPERIENCED only!

You are correct when you say Konaseema has to be Experienced only. I tried to show a glimpse of some of the places there. But there is more to Konaseema than what I have tried to capture.

Originally Posted by msvg

I have visited Godavari river near papikondalu,its simple amazing river.
I will refer ur travelogue oncei plan for another trip to Godavari river..

You are welcome. Glad that my travelogue will help for your planning

Originally Posted by joshuakeys

Himavanth Thanks for posting those wonderful pictures, Its been been a while that i have been to these kind of places, Your pictures remind me of PAPI Knodalu, Not sure if Papa kondalu & konaseema are neighboring places.

Yes, Papikondalu is next to Konaseema.

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I remember crossing a rail bridge on the Godavari during my only trip to Vizag and wondering at the sheer expanse of the river.
Thanks for reviving that memory and giving more views from this part of the world.

The bridge that you have crossed is near Rajahmundry. There are about 3 bridges crossing the river near that place. The rail cum road bridge there is the second longest rail cum road bridge in Asia and was built in the 1970s. This 3 km long bridge is a magnificent sight. Below are pics from wikipedia

Panorama view


You can see the cars on top and railway track below


Sunset at the bridge


As I have mentioned earlier, I would like to mention the following must visit places in and around Konaseema that I have missed during this trip but I have gone earlier

1. Ryali
2. Biccavolu
3. Ainavalli
4. Pithapuram
5. Samalkota temple
6. Annavaram Temple
7. Draksharamam

If you are at Kakinada, there is also a beach called Uppada beach which is beautiful beach. We decided to skip this beach because we had already been to 2 beaches during the trip.

More information about the aforementioned places can be found at the following link
East Godavari Tourism - A Top Story of Famous Tourist Places near Kakinada

The above link also gives information about some more places around that area that I have not been to but are very beautiful. I will hopefully cover all the places mentioned in the link if not more in the near future.