Hopping along gurgling natural streams, sinking with the soothing chirp of birds or simply exploring the geological wonders of the coast – the myriad shades of monsoons offer an irresistible platter of travel options.
Metro Plus shares a list of monsoon experiences you simply cannot miss. While the city has cooled off, its nearby vistas have also turned a verdant hue with cool backwaters, rich flora and fauna and lush waterfalls. So, get into travel gear and take off to these spots.
Kondakarlava
Nature’s pallet isn’t always the hues of greens. The monsoon not only brightens up the verdant landscape but brings out colourful hues of flora and fauna.
Most travellers may be aware of the serene stretch of backwaters of Kondakarlava, but not many people know of the hidden habitats of birds perched near the sugarcane fields enroute the place. With monsoon being the nesting season of the baya weaver birds, the rows of hanging nests from power lines dotting the green fields is a sight to behold for photographers and nature lovers.
Here, shutterbugs can spend endless time catching the busy gregarious little birds in action - building nests with fine grass and feeding the young ones.
The best part is to watch the tiny birds build the cleverly-woven beautiful long nest, perched in colonies of 10 to 20.
Be sure to watch the nature’s marvel before the monsoons fade away. After spending time bird watching, take a boat ride into the backwaters to discover the monsoon charm of this pre-independence era holiday destination.
Thotlakonda beach
You may have done the usual drill of exploring the precious Buddhist site of Thotlakonda. But how about discovering the wonders of natural rock formations by stepping on the beach opposite the Thotlakonda arch? Trust the monsoon season to lead you to a series of enchanting rock formations along the coast at this stretch. A result of millions of years of geological weathering process, several formations of these Khondalite rocks - one of the major rock types of the Eastern Ghats belt - dot the coast, some in the shape of dunes and some forming bridge-like structures.
Khondalite is the oldest rock of the Eastern Ghat Super group mainly composed of quartz, feldspar, garnet, sillimanite, rutile and minor amounts of graphite at places.
A largely unexplored phenomenon in the Vizag coast, these are ideal spots for photo shoots or spending a languorous day by the seaside exploring the rock formations. In recent times, a few film shootings and photography shoots were also held in certain spots.
But remember to explore the rock formations during the monsoons. At other times of the year, the rocks get hidden under the sand cover and high tidal waves.
Trekking
Seasoned trekkers describe the monsoons as a period when even the most popular locations get magically transformed into a mystical world waiting to spring up surprises at every corner.
Bathed in various shades of monsoon moods, you can embark into a canopy of green precipices of the splendid Eastern Ghats with a weekend trek of Sivalingapuram – Borra Caves - Katiki waterfalls.
The route is peppered with photogenic ravines, serpentine streams falling and rising on nature’s canvas and a misty lush greenery that is bound to lift the tired spirit.
The long trek takes you through the nature’s domain, amidst gravity-defying gorges ending on to the tidal spray of water pearls cascading down from a height of more than 50 feet at the Katiki waterfalls. The waterfall has its source at the Gosthani River and is at its best during the monsoons. The uphill trek can be a bit tiring. So, make sure to come armed with a bottle of water and your trekking shoes.
