The ordeal of tourists pertaining to basic amenities and accommodation at their favourite winter destination of Lambasingi, nestled in the picturesque Visakhapatnam Agency, will be a thing of the past with the Tourism Department is all set to inaugurate newly built cottages shortly.
The single-digit temperature and the serene valleys of Lambasingi (known as Lammasingi too), near Chintapalle, receives thousands of nature-lovers from in and around Andhra Pradesh every winter.
The village shot to fame in December 2012, when it recorded zero degrees Celsius for the first time. However, lack of toilets and drinking water and no place to stay have remained a dampening factor to many so far. Women tourists always remained wary of unavailability of toilets and other amenities. Left with no option, tourists had to cut short their stay at Lambasingi, confining their visit to a few hours.
In its attempt to find a permanent solution, the authorities proposed accommodation and few other tourist amenities about two years ago. The basic works were launched last year after the officials handed over around 18 acres to the Tourism Department.
According to tourism officials, the project includes temporary structures (cottages) and permanent blocks. The project also mooted kitchen, restaurant, parking area, walking paths, seating arrangements among others. Walls have been decorated with mural paintings.
“Almost 90% of work has been completed. Some final touch-up, including construction of the pathway, are pending. We are planning to open the rooms for tourists by November 15,” Tourism Regional Director Radha Krishna Murthy told The Hindu .
Four temporary structures and five permanent blocks would be made available from mid-November, while another four permanent blocks would be ready by the month-end, he added.
Keeping in view the demand for rooms, Mr. Murthy said that temporary structures would be increased as it would not take much time.
Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) officials would inspect the facility to finalise the room tariff. “Once it is done, the rooms will be available in the APTDC portal for booking,” Mr. Murthy added.
