Road trip to Rayalaseema – V – Haritha Resort, Gandikota

 https://sujathastravelblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/horsley-hills.html

Horsley Hills

Horsley Hills, named after W.D. Horsley, a British collector, is in Madanapalle Taluk of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh at an altitude of 4000 feet. Horsley had built his home here in the 1870's.

It is just 150 km from Bangalore and promises a very pleasurable driving experience, hardly any traffic throughout the journey on nice, smooth roads. SO MANY biker groups ride to the hill station especially on a weekend because, in less than 3 hours, including pit-stops, you reach a place that is strikingly serene.    
        The silence of the valley is a draw for many. Sit here and enjoy the absolute solitude.

Horsley reminded me of Nandi Hills. The similarities are many - the nice drive up to the hills, the pleasant weather, and many scenic viewpoints. Here are a few of the viewpoints:

Imagine sitting here - watching the sun rise or set - with the only sound being the whoosh of wind blowing your hair...

Sit here in the evening with a book or at night with a drink & let the world pass by.

Walk around on these paved pathways with the monkeys on the trees and the birds on the branches. My solo, early morning walk along here was a cherished one.

The difference between Horsley Hills and other hill stations is that there is no commercial activity here. None at all. No endless rows of shops selling silly winter scarves & hats or kids' plastic bat & ball or chaat corners or other assorted hole-in-the-wall eateries. We only found 1 guy selling guava on his cycle.  

And that is reason enough to go see Horsley Hills, at least once, for a day. 

Ooty is completely commercialized and overcrowded. Horsley caters well to the government officers who come for a conference or office outing and is a favorite among families and couples too. Families love the peace and quiet and unhurried pace of things and couples enjoy the privacy the Hills offer. And with 4-5 engineering colleges in Madanapalle, the closest town just half an hour from the base of the hill, there is no dearth of lovers who throng the Hills or of boy gangs who come here for a quick ride from the town. 

You can explore the hills in a single day because everything is within a 2 km driving radius.  Walk around and enjoy the quiet, listen to the constant chirping of birds and soak your skin to the warmth of the sunlight peeking through the thick foliage.
 






   






Well paved roads, swimming pool, comfortable accommodation and decent food facilities all managed and run by the state tourism board. 

When we went (5-6th Nov weekend) we knew there were a lot of people staying, going by the number of cars parked in various parking spots. Yet, when you walk around the property you won't find them, the sense of solitude and 'me my thoughts and the nature' vibe is very strong.

Enroute to the Hills, there is this beautiful Saibaba Temple. 

It looked newly built. I checked the donation list displayed on the wall. One devotee had donated Rs 15 Lakhs!! The priest gave a biscuit each as prasad !! Marie biscuit ! That was a first for me!
So, for a hill station visit from Bangalore, 1N 2D stay, over the weekend, just to relax and recharge your batteries, fill your car with petrol for Rs 2000, pay Rs 3500 for AC accommodation in the Governor's Bungalow and then head straight to Horsley Hills.

Governor's Bungalow

Rest House

At the heart of Rayalaseema, is a little known but once a fort of glory, the Gandikota Fort. With a history of 900 years and some natural scenic beauty to go with it, Gandikota should be on your must visit places. So it was for us for quite sometime now and it was the final and most awaited destination of this trip.

The fortress resort

We are huge fans of the AP Tourism’s Haritha resorts, they are economical, well maintained, the food is good, safe and ensure a comfortable stay. When we got to know that Gandikota had a Haritha Resort, we planned our itinerary to include a stay at the resort. We had such a good time that we wanted to dedicate a post for it.

The resort is located less than a kilometer from the fort, it was past 9 PM when we reached the resort, we didn’t have much time to do anything except have dinner and a little barbecue late in the night. There is a caretaker here who manages the resort and the logistics.

Gandikota is fast becoming a popular place for adventure trekking, while we were there, a group of visitors was getting ready to pack dinner and spend the night at the fort ! Gandikota Fort does not have timings and is open for you to explore as long as you stay safe. There are only 1-2 guards but there is no guarantee they would be around for help, the caretaker of the resort told us lot of people did such adventures and it was safe, except for snakes once in a while ! On a full moon night, it would be awesome to stay at the fort, we made a note to try it out the next time.

Haritha Resort at Gandikota is one of the best resorts of AP Tourism, it is far off from civilisation and very pleasant. The resort has been designed like the fort.

Each room looks like the houses in a village belonging to the medieval times, complete with a platform where you can sit and chat. They even have a terrace, some in our group slept on the terrace in their sleeping bags !

We woke up before sunrise and went up to the terrace to catch some fresh air but we had our breaths taken away by a view of the Gandikota Fort stretching before us and the gopuram of the Madhavaraya temple. We had no idea that the resort had this kind of view and boy, it caught us totally unaware and we almost jumped in surprise !

On the other side, there are vegetable fields and the hills beyond. An ancient mandapa stands in the middle of one of the fields. It was totally relaxing and rejuvenating to sit on the terrace in the cool breeze with all these views around.

We spent close to an hour discussing philosophy and spirituality and it was time for breakfast, we need some food for more thoughts !

The dining area at the resort opens out to a nice garden, the ambiance is lovely.

There is also a play area for kids.

The restaurant does not have too many options on the menu. The food is prepared based on the number of people visiting that day. The caretaker is hospitable and goes out of his way to give you a happy meal. For breakfast, we had pooris and we relished the curry that went with it, hot and spicy, it gave us a taste of Rayalaseema !

You could take a walk around the resort, relax under the trees, chat up on the terraces of the rooms or have a campfire outside.

There is an information booklet on Gandikota at the resort, if you want to know about the place and what to see. The caretaker told us the fort stretches for miles across the hills and the gorge and of late several adventure groups have been exploring it by trekking, rock climbing and hiking. There are no guides but if you want the resort could arrange for some locals to accompany you.

Go to any corner of the resort, you can see this view of the fort.

We couldn’t wait to go there.

Info tidbits

– If you plan a trip to Gandikota, make sure you stay at the Haritha Resort. The resort has 10 rooms, 5 AC and 5 Non-AC. The tariff varies from Rs.800/- to Rs.1200/-

– The route to the resort is slightly isolated, there may be a few bus services, advisable to have your own vehicle. Most people visit the resort on weekends. On weekdays, you may be the only people staying here !

– Since the floating crowd is not much, food is made to order. You may not have too many options but the food is good. They even pack the food for you if you want to take it along with you to the fort.

– You can book accommodation online through AP Tourism, the place has not yet been listed on the online booking website, you could call the helpline or Gandi Resort at Kadapa and ask for details of Haritha Resort at Gandikota Fort.

 

Lambasingi- Mini Kashmir of South

A land of green where you can fill with romantic dreams in the sprinkling of snows that you will be getting mesmerized. Yep, a small town with an altitude of 1000 metres above the sea level positioned in the Vishakhapatnam district which is always known to be the mini Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh. A best place to get rid of all pressures and tensions out of our mind and you can feel fresh. If you step into this place you deserve more than what you seek. Dream it by having a sip of tea with nature surroundings that will make you feel fresh and so romantic. The most important part of this town is the temperature goes below 0 degree Celsius in winter.

You will be astonished by relaxing here and you won’t feel to move from this place when you step into this place.

Thus life is an only opportunity and you should live at the moment by discovering new places and make your life a memorable one. Are you ready to step in to this wonderland? If so, start your journey by booking bus tickets online in Ticketgoose.com which is said to be one of the best bus booking portals in India.

Kothapali Waterfalls

Kothapali Waterfalls is one of the popular picnic spots among the tourists which is said to be the undelightful part of happiness. This Kothapali waterfall is located 27 km far away from Lambasingi and you will get stunned by the beauty of Kothapali waterfalls. Common let’s all get together to look at this nature’s beauty.

Ghat Road

Getting disturbed on spending time with your loved ones? If so your place is here which is known to be the Ghat road. This lonely, peaceful place into the woods is a must visit destination for all couples. You might think why it’s so special? Both the sides of Ghat road is covered with full of woods with the blankets of fog and it remains silent. Imagine that if you have a walk in this amazing place you will be lost in yourself by nature. Why to wait, when this beautiful place waits for us.

Sprawling of Pepper & Coffee Plantation

If you do enter into this place the aroma of coffee and pepper will pull you aside and the major source of income is through plantation of pepper & coffee which is exported to US and many European nations.

Common let’s rock and roll to Lambasingi by making a tale of memories that we will cherish for our life time . Now, start booking your bus tickets in Ticketgoose.com with best bus ticket offers.