This holiday season, a boat ride along the backwaters off the coast of Nizampatnam into the sea is worth the experience for the travel geek.
The boat ride on the backwaters along with mangrove forests reminds the rain forests on Amazon river.
Tucked away in the south of Krishna delta, Nizampatnam is an embayment adjoining the Krishna Delta and has a fishing harbour. One has to take a fishing boat sometimes a trawler, if the group is big, from Nakshatra Nagar and Kothapalem, to experience the ride.
The ride along mangrove forests on either side of backwaters is an enchanting experience in winters. One can spot a variety of sea gulls swooping on the shallow backwaters for a catch and also one can catch a glimpse of fishermen’s life.
The backwaters open into the sea and after one can return back the same route. Locals say that there are two different tides in the morning and in the afternoon, and recommend tourists to take the morning ride.
Since the tourist potential of the region has not yet been realised, the quality of facilities is not good.
The fishing boats appear crude but the friendly folks are always willing to take tourists for a nominal fare. But for the adventure geek, the ride through the backwaters is still a game.
Tiny coastal hamlet
A tiny coastal hamlet, Nizampatnam village had seen some good times in the past. A flourishing port in 12-13th century AD during the reign of Velanati Cholas who ruled these parts with Dhanadapura as their capital and later Golconda kings, the coastal hamlet was in limelight again after the then Congress government proposed Vanpic port.
But the proposals got shelved during the land acquisition stage itself and post-bifurcation, there is again a fresh impetus to the development of a port.
Nizampatnam is at a distance of 60 km from Guntur.
One has to take the Guntur-Bapatla-Chirala (GBC) Road to the right of Kolkata-Chennai National Highway at Budampadu village.
On reaching Ponnur, one has to take left from Island centre.
After crossing Chandolu, a road along the Nizampatnam canal leads to the village.
