Road Trip from Visakhapatnam to Nallamala Hills
India is a treasure box with lots of hidden gems under its wings. Whether these locations are in the North, South, East of West, these places have some truly astounding features that call for your attention. And surprisingly, you don’t even know or discover major parts of these places unless you travel there through roadways. Yes, roadways actually let you explore places completely, unlike air and rail trips wherein the journey is carried out in a certain restricted area and space, so you don’t get the local flavour of life, living and cuisine. One such diamond in the crown of India is the Nallamala Hills in Andhra Pradesh which can be best explored through a road trip from Visakhapatnam.
Lying on the Eastern Ghats, spread across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the Nallamala Hills are a delight for nature lovers. The enchanting hills have a lot to offer for spectators, and there is a plethora of tourist attraction sites near the Nallamala Hills that are extremely popular and amazing, each in their own way. So when you are driving towards this magnificent destination, ensure to keep your phone memory empty in order to take lots of beautiful pictures of some of the gorgeous views you are going to encounter.
Important tips to remember:
- Distance from Visakhapatnam to Nallamala Hills— The distance between Visakhapatnam to Nallamala Forest is 593.7 Km
- Time required to reach— 11 hours and 30 minutes
- Best time to visit the Nallamala Hills— As the weather in the hills is warm throughout the year, October to January is the best time to travel towards this location.
Routes to reach Nallamala Hills from Visakhapatnam!
There are two routes listed on the directions map from Visakhapatnam to Nallamala Forest via the National Highways. Though both the roads are in good condition, but the first route takes you to your destination an hour earlier, that’s why it’s mostly recommended.
- Route 1 — Reaching Nallamala Hills from Visakhapatnam via NH16 and NH 65 that is of 588.5 km and takes around 12 hours 36 minutes to reach.
- Route 2 — Lets you reach the Nallamala Forests via NH16 and NH30 that is about 639 km and takes around 13 hours and 50 minutes to reach.
Top Tourist Attractions at the Nallamala Hills
- Mahanandi
- Srisailam
- Cumcum Lake
- Ahobilam
- The tiger reserve of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam
- Ethipothala Falls
- Nagarjunakonda
- Amareswara Temple
- Srisailam Dam
The picturesque Nallamala Hills are truly a treat for the eyes and also have some really exceptional and captivating attractions to tempt you to come back again and again. From having the lush Nallamala Forests, which is a haven for wild species, to the religiously important towns, this place provides a great visiting destination for all! But still to ensure your trip from Visakhapatnam to Nallamala Forest and hills is well planned beforehand, read about the famous tourists’ attraction points near Nallamala Hills, and save them in your wish-list.
1. Mahanandi
It’s a village situated at the east of the hills which prides in having nine prominent shrines of Nandi, which ultimately is the reason for the village’s name, Mahanandi. There’s another monument here called the Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple, an important temple holding lots of religious significance standing at this location since the tenth century. What’s more, if you want to relax after a visit to the temple, just head to the two freshwater pools which are located in the close vicinity of this temple. It’s believed that these pools have a healing property that can cure lots of ailments.
2. Srisailam
The religiously significant town, the Srisailam is situated at the top of the Nallamala Hills. Often visited for the Mallikarjuna Swami Mandir, being amongst the 12 Jyotirlinga Temples in the country, it attracts devotees constantly all year round. Apart from it, the Brahmarambha Mandir located in Srisailam is another one of the Peethas of Shakti found in the country. Though the spiritual importance of the town is enough to bring you here, don’t forget to admire the beauty and simplicity around — which can be really intriguing and refreshing at the same time.
3. Cumcum Lake
The primitive and the very old man-made lake in Asia came into being in the 15th century, and is one of the most peaceful and favourite tourist places in the region. The serenity of the lake gets enhanced with the conjunction of the hills in the backdrop and makes it the perfect place for a nice click or some solo time for self-contemplation.
4. Ahobilam
Ahobilam is one more famous tourist site located at the foot of Nallamala Hills and is loved by adventure lovers for trekking from the Nallamala forest in order to reach the Ugra Stambham situated at Ahobilam. This holy location is famously tagged as the Nava Narasimha, which literally means the nine mandirs of the Narasimha.
5. The tiger reserve of the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam
This reserve is rightly tagged as the biggest tiger reserve in the country. The very rich and picturesque reserve is spread in around 5 districts having some really alluring greens and flowers and lots of animals under its protection. While taking the jungle safari here, you can easily spot the Indian leopard, Bengal tiger, King cobra, python and many more such rare and dangerous animals.
When you have driven all this far to explore these enthralling hills, it would be a waste not to explore some really heavenly places located in the vicinity of these hills. That’s why we have compiled a list of such fascinating places that should be visited while you are near the hills.
6. Ethipothala Falls
If you want to view a tangible paradise on earth on your way, visit these falls which are only around 20km away from the Nallamala Hills. Coming from the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, the water falling is a trickle, but beautiful and would be a perfect destination to soothe your senses.
7. Nagarjunakonda
Just about 23.5 Km away from the hills, you’ll come across this island at Gundur district which is a Buddhist town holding lots of religious and historical importance.
8. Amareswara Temple
Around 30 Km away from the hills you’ll visit the Amaralingeswara Swamy or Amareswara Temple which is considered to be another significant pilgrimage destination for the Hindus and a must visit place.
9. Srisailam Dam
Located just around 37km from the hills is the Srisailam Dam, which hosts India’s third largest Hydroelectric Project, and is also a charming place to enjoy a fun picnic with friends and family.
To round off, the Nallamala Hills are known to be a paradise for nature lovers and also for wildlife enthusiasts. Enjoy the drive to this paradise in the car rental from Revv, a popular choice because of the quality of cars and pricing. So, if you are a wildlife enthusiast, gear up and pack your stuff and start your journey towards this astounding location during your next holiday.
