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Misty charm of the valley

Wrapped in soft-cotton-wool mist, Araku Valley is just the right place for a cosy vacation, writes NIVEDITA GANGULY

PHOTOS: K.R. DEEPAK

WINTER MOODS A picturesque view of the green fields

An ocean of rolling green grass, draped in clouds and mist, and high altitudes, it is cool and windy here. Try going to Araku in winter. This recommendation may not go down well with most tourists who throng to the hills in summer and the plains in winter. They are the sorts who will never eat ice-cream in cold weather. But once you get there, the cool atmosphere surcharged with the romance of nature would inspire you to go ahead.

The lush green environs of Araku valley is an ideal place to unwind. Located 110 km. away from Vishakapatnam and tucked away in the thick of the Eastern Ghats, Araku is surrounded by beautiful green valleys. Huge coffee plantations lie scattered in the valley. To explore the place thoroughly, the best option is to have your own cab booked from Visakhapatnam.

Meandering curves lined by silver oak and a tribal villages en route, interspersed by beds of the seasonal yellow flowers, the drive though a steep and challenging one, is breathtaking. The early morning mist has a strange ability to turn the mundane into magical. On one side is the valley polka dotted with yellow Niger flowers and on the other side are the steep hillsides covered with trees allowing only vertical shafts of sunlight to slice through.

The sensuous soft-cotton-wool mist envelopes everything around you. It's only much later that you get to see the sun glistening above your head.

While the million year-old Borra caves, fascinating view of valleys from Anantagiri and the tribal museum at Araku are some of the common tourist spots, if you want to get the real feel of the valley, trek down to the interior villages.

The valley's beauty lies in the small pockets of hamlets and the simplicity of the lifestyle of the primitive tribal groups who have made it their home for several years. The tribals uninhibitedly display their emotions in a humble way. The modest huts dotting the hamlets along the valley are traditional and harmonious with their surroundings. Perennial freshwater streams gush out amidst the fields in the valley. The silence of the valley can be overwhelming on ears used to the din of rush-hour traffic with the soft gurgle of the little snaky stream. It's a completely different world sans all the sophistications of the city life, yet so refreshing that it leaves a balmy effect on the stressed senses.

The weather keeps displaying slight nuances. The sun takes an ad hoc decision to work full time, or part time, or to take the day off entirely. But whether it is sunny, cloudy or misty, whether it is windy or still, it is crisply chill especially during the early mornings and icy cold at night that forces you to curl your way under the blankets. The nights are lovelier still.

The weather is just right for a holiday now but make sure to pack up your woollens for a cosy holiday in the valley.

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