Visakhapatnam — known universally as Vizag — is a port city on the east coast of Andhra Pradesh, squeezed between the Eastern Ghats and the Bay of Bengal. It is the largest city in the state by area and one of the fastest growing in India, yet it retains a relaxed coastal character that bigger Indian cities have long since lost. The combination of beaches, hills, and a working naval port gives it a distinctive feel.
The city's beaches are its main draw. Ramakrishna Beach runs along the seafront and is lined with parks, the INS Kursura submarine museum (a decommissioned submarine you can walk through), and the Kali Temple perched on a rocky promontory. Rushikonda Beach, a few kilometres north, is cleaner and better for swimming, with gentle waves and golden sand backed by green hills. The hilltop views from Kailasagiri, accessible by cable car, take in the entire coastline.
Vizag is also the gateway to the Araku Valley and Borra Caves, a hill station about 115 km inland in the Eastern Ghats. The train journey through the mountains — passing through dozens of tunnels and over deep gorges — is one of the most scenic rail trips in southern India. North of the city, the hilltop ruins of Thotlakonda reveal a Buddhist monastery that traded with Rome two thousand years ago. Back in the city, the old port area and the bustling MVP Colony neighbourhood have good street food, particularly the local Andhra-style seafood — try the fish curry with tamarind at one of the small restaurants near the harbour.