Vijayawada or Bezwada as it is locally called is located 90 kilometres from the coast in the midst of granite outcroppings at the mouth the river Krishna, is the third largest city in Andhra Pradesh. Vijaywada is primarily a business hub and has a sprinkling of temples and is a decent city-getaway. This business town is surrounded by the Indrakiladri hills on the West and on the northern outskirts runs the Budameru River. Vijayawada is the hotbed of politics in Andhra Pradesh, and is also known as the publishing capital of this state. So plan your next trip to Vijayawada and enjoy your holiday here.
How to Reach Vijayawada?
By Air : Vijayawada Airport is the main airport of the city. It is located 24 km away at Gannavaram. The airport has regular flights from Delhi and Hyderabad. The airport has basic facilities like trolleys, wheelchairs, child care room, medical facilities and food and drink bars. To get from the airport to the city you can either take a bus or a taxi from outside the airport. Some hotels arrange for pick ups and drops as well.
By Rail : There are trains to Vijayawada to all parts of the country including Delhi. Vijayawada is on the Calcutta-Chennai coastal line. It is connected by rail to Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and Karnataka.
By Road : Vijayawada has a huge bus station with very well organized, efficient and frequent bus connections to other places in the region. From Hyderabad the driving time is 5 hours.
Best Time to Visit Vijayawada
The best time to visit Vijayawada is between November and March,much like most of Andhra Pradesh. The weather at this time of the year is very pleasant with temperatures ranging between 30° C and 12° C.
The summer months starting in April and lasting till September see temperatures touching the 40° C mark, are hot and humid, so at best avoidable.
Things to do in Vijayawada
Vijaywada is primarily a business town, but that does not mean that it lacks in things to do here. There are two temple of note that one can visit here and if you are looking for souvenirs to take home buy a kalamkari painting or two. A little out of town is the old Buddhist centre of Amravati or if you have an interest in the arts, do make a visit to Kuchipudi where the dance form of the same name originated.
Places Near Vijayawada
Some of the interesting places near Vijayawada that you can visit are mentioned below.
Amravati which lies around 60 kms from the city is the famous old Buddhist centre is an interesting place to visit near Vijayawada. Amravati used to have a stupa with relics of the Buddha, which was larger than the renowned Sanchi Stupa. Though the stupa is no longer intact, the remnants on the site give you a good clue as to how marvellous the structure was. The fence around the mound originally had 4 gates facing the 4 cardinal points. One has been restored and on it one can see typical carvings tracing the journey of Gautam from Siddhartha to Buddha, the Enlightened One. The museum at Amravati houses a collection of Buddhist art and sculptures, which were excavated from the ruins. It’s obviously a valuable collection – the best pieces are on display at the British Museum in London.
Kuchipudi also around 60 kms from Vijayawada, is the birthplace of the proponent of the famous Kuchipudi style of dance. There is a dance school here that keeps the traditions of the Kuchipudi style of dance alive.
Kondapalli Fort, is a major tourist attraction and a picnic spot, located at a distance of 16 kms from Vijayawada.
Hotels in Vijayawada – Choice is Yours
There are numerous hotels in Vijayawada ranging from 3-star, 4-star and 5-star deluxe to budget hotels.