Best time
October to March is the season, with dry, pleasant days on the coast and clear mornings in the hills. April to June is hot and humid; the monsoon from July to September is green and quiet, and the sea is rough.
- November to February, 20 to 30°C: The best months on the coast, and cool enough in the hills for a sunrise trip.
- March to June, 30 to 38°C: Hot and humid; beaches are for early morning and evening.
- July to October, 26 to 33°C: Monsoon and cyclone season, a rough sea, and the lowest hotel rates.
What to pack
Light cotton and sandals for the coast, plus a jacket if the trip goes up to Araku or Lambasingi. Sunscreen for the beaches, and modest clothing for Simhachalam temple.
Getting there
Vizag is about 620 km from Hyderabad. The overnight train is the way most people do it — services leave Secunderabad, Kacheguda and Lingampalli through the evening and reach Visakhapatnam Junction in the morning, about 12 hours, and IRCTC sells Vizag and Araku packages built around them. The fixed-date group trips travel the same way. By road it is 11 hours; the flight is 70 minutes.
Chennai to Vizag is about 800 km, 13 hours by road or 12 by train along the coast; the flight is 80 minutes.
Bangalore to Vizag is a 90-minute flight, or an overnight train of about 18 hours; by road it is close to 1,000 km.