|
 Far
from the maddening crowd. Away from the hustle and bustle
of city life. Take a well deserved break from the rat
race. Time off to refresh and recharge yourself. How
better to do this than to escape to a sylvan world which
takes you close to nature and near to nature's wondrous
creations.
Welcome to Andhra Pradesh, the fifth largest state
in India and an ideal destination for nature lovers
and wildlife enthusiasts. Blessed with an enormous variety
of flora and fauna, dense forest cover that derives
sustenance from the mighty rivers flowing by, Andhra
Pradesh
has everything in its fold. Get a glimpse of rare species
of animals, birds and plants in their undisturbed natural
habitat. Come let's set off on an exciting journey of
discovery and exploration of Andhra Pradesh's natural
riches.
You can plan your itinerary with Hyderabad, Vijayawada
and the temple town of Tirupathi as bases, from where
you can easily access the wildlife sanctuaries and national
parks in the surrounding areas through daily trips.
 Hyderabad
as base
Nagarjuna Sagar Srisailam Sanctuary:
Located about 130 kms from Hyderabad, this is one of
the biggest success stories of Project Tiger, a concerted
effort to preserve the magnificent striped predator
in its natural habitat. Thick foliage along the river
Krishna, covering an area of 3568 sq kms, is home to
animals like the tiger, panther, sloth bear, wild dog,
black buck, nilgai, wild boar, chowsingha, sambhar,
etc. If you so choose, you could spend the night here
in the well-appointed, well-furnished cottages and the
house at Srisailam and Mannur. The best time to visit
is between October and May.
 Manjira
Sanctuary: For avid bird watchers, there's no
better place to come across feathered friends. Just
50 kms from Hyderabad, this river habitat supports marsh
crocodiles as well as rare species of aquatic birds.
Well equipped inspection bungalows at Sangarareddy and
Sadasivapet, allow you to rest and refresh yourself.
The best time for a visit is between October and June.
For reservations contact: Divisional Forest Officer,
Wildlife Management Division, Medak. Phone: 08452-62591
 Kasu
Brahmananda Reddy National Park: An exciting
day's programme could include an early morning trip
to the park located in the heart of Hyderabad itself.
The sprawling 142.50 hectares offers you the opportunity
to catch a glimpse of the jackals, mongooses, wild boars,
apart from over 100 species of birds, 20 species of
reptiles and 15 species of butterflies. The park can
be visited at any time of the year.
Mrugavani National Park: A short drive
from Hyderabad, this is where you can spot wildlife
like Russel's viper, cheetal, python, quail, sambar,
etc. Cottages are available. For bookings contact: Phone:
040- 3230 561, extension 313 . Other wildlife sanctuaries
like Kalwal Sanctuary (260 kms from Hyderabad), Pranhita
Sanctuary (300 kms from Hyderabad), Sivaram sanctuary
(260 kms from Hyderabad), Eturunagaram Sanctuary (250
kms from Hyderabad), Pakhal Sanctuary (230 kms from
Hyderabad) are also famous for their fauna and flora.
 Vijayawada
as base
This town is an ideal base to cover the following
sanctuaries.
Kolleru Sanctuary: This 673 sq kms wet
land marsh habitat supports a large variety of water
birds which include garganys, teals, pochards, spot
bills, brahminy ducks, open bill stroks, herons, etc.
The best season to visit is from October to May and
comfortable accommodation is available at the forest
rest house at Eluru.
Papikonda Sanctuary: Amidst the fertile
Godavari basin, this 591 sq km forest sanctuary has
typical vegetation of the Eastern Ghat. Animals that
can be spotted here are the tiger, panther, gaur, cheetal,
chowsingha, sambar, black buck, barking deer, hyena,
etc You can also enjoy a boat ride from Rajamundry upstream
on the river Godavari with packed lunch. The best season
to visit is from October to May.
Coringa Sanctuary: The sanctuary is a
part of the river Godavari and has a rich growth of
mangrove plantation. The Otter, a protected species
is found here among other animals which include the
fishing cat, sea turtle and estuarine crocodile. Accommodation
is available at the forest rest house in Coringa and
Rajamundry and the best season to visit is from October
to May. For reservations contact: DFO, Rajamundry -
Phone: 0883- 61744 or DFO, Kakinada - Phone: 0884 79831.
Kinnerasani sanctuary (80 kms from Vijayawada) and Krishna
Sanctuary (80 kms from Vijayawada) are the other sanctuaries
around Vijayawada.
Tirupathi as base
The site is one of the holiest of Hindu shrines,
Balaji Venkateshwara temple at Tirumala. Tirupathi is
ideally situated to cover the places of interest in
this region.
Nelapattu Sanctuary: A 4.4 sq km fresh
water irrigation tank provides the perfect nesting ground
for a wide variety of rare bird species. Grey pelican,
open bill stork, white ibis, teals, etc are found here.
The best time for a visit is between October and March.
The forest bungalow has two comfortable rooms.
Pulicat Sanctuary: The 500 sq km shallow
lake of brackish water formed from the backwaters of
the Bay of Bengal is a virtual paradise for a multitude
of wading birds. The presence of greater and lesser
flamingos, grey pelican, grey heron, etc make this one
of the country's finest destinations for bird watching.
The best time to visit is from October to March.
Sri Venkateshwara Sanctuary & National Park:
Just 10 kms from Tirupathi, the forest that is a unique
mix of dry deciduous and moist deciduous is home to
a fascinating variety of trees and animals, which are
endemic to this region. For those interested in spending
the night here, fully equipped forest cottages ( 2 nos)
and 12 rooms with catering facility is available at
Talakona which is 50 kms from Tirupathi. Apart from
this, Kaundinya Sanctuary and Sri Lankamalleshwara Sanctuary
are also famous wild life sanctuaries around Tirupathi.
For further information contact:
Chief Wild Life Warden
Aranya Bhavan
Hyderabad-500 004
Phone: 040- 323 2668
E-mail: aptourism@hotmail.com
URL: www.aptourism.com
AP Tourism Information Centres:
Bangalore: 080 238 3361
Chennai: 044-5340 949
Mumbai: 022-208 2846
New Delhi: 011-336 6328
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