Best time
October to March is the season: cool mornings, clear valley views and the best months for Vanjangi's sunrise. The monsoon from June to September turns the ghats green and the waterfalls full, with mist that can hide the views. April and May are warm but still cooler than the coast.
- October to February, 10 to 28°C: The season: cool mornings, clear views and the best months for Vanjangi’s sunrise.
- March to June, 18 to 32°C: Warm but still cooler than Vizag; the valley is dry and the train ride is comfortable.
- July to September, 18 to 26°C: Monsoon: the ghats are green, the falls are full and mist can hide the views.
What to pack
A jacket for the valley mornings, which drop to 10°C in December, and light cotton for the coast. Shoes for the Katiki falls walk, a torch for Borra caves, and warm layers if you are going up to Vanjangi before dawn.
Getting there
Araku is 115 km from Vizag, about three and a half hours by road up 36 hairpin bends, or the morning Kirandul passenger train through 58 tunnels and 84 bridges, which is the reason many people come. The group trips use the road up and the train on one leg where seats allow.
Araku is about 700 km from Hyderabad, so the fixed-date group trips take the overnight train to Vizag and drive up the ghat the next morning. A flight to Vizag and a three-and-a-half-hour drive is the fastest way.
Chennai to Vizag is about 800 km by road, or 12 hours by train, and Araku is three and a half hours further up. Flying to Vizag and driving up is the usual plan.