Best time to visit : December to March
The eastern coast of the Indian peninsula is usually less explored than it western counterpart. But, as one starts exploring this coast along Bay of Bengal, some hidden gems like Kakinada emerge on the scene. A port city in the South Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Kakinada surprises its visitors with numerous facets and tourism opportunities. On one hand, it welcomes the nature and leisure tourists to its beaches, islands, wildlife sanctuaries, lush green paddy fields and mangrove forests. At the same time, it presents a wonderful ensemble of historical sites, religious and pilgrimage places and cultural heritage. Tourist places are located in and around the city and complete tourist information is required to explore all of them.
Facts
Kakinada serves as the headquarters of East Godavari District. Previously known by the names like Kakinandiwada and Cocanada, the city exchanged hands among powerful rulers like Nandis and colonial powers like the British. Today, the city is fondly called ‘Pensioners’ Paradise’ because of the peaceful environment it offers. Because of its resemblance to Chennai (earlier called Madras), the city is also referred to as the ‘Second Madras’. India’s second most expansive mangrove forest is located in the city’s south east. Summers here can be extremely hot and humid and the monsoons bring heavy rainfall (with the probability of cyclones). Colonial buildings, deep sea port, Godavari Deltas, marshy wetlands, annual festivals like Kakinada Beach Festival and the flourishing modern infrastructure including multiplexes, shopping malls and entertainment venues define different characters of the city.
Get ready to have a mind-blowing food experience in Kakinada, the city that promises a lot to the food lovers. Pesarattu prepared from moong daal is a delicious breakfast item, while biryani cooked in the famous Hyderabadi style is a must-try. Another recommended category is that of seafood, including fish, prawns and shrimp. The irresistible taste of Kakinada khaja, a local sweet, is what one remembers for long time. Other popular sweets include pootarekulu and poornalu. Spices and pickles (prepared from mangoes and cauliflowers) add zing to the flavours. Some of the popular restaurants here include Seasons, Yati Foods, Haveli, Varmas, Dakshin and various Udupi Restaurants.
The city has many good shopping malls and stores that sell trendy clothes, fabulous jewellery designs and books in different categories. Some of them include Vaibhav Mall, Khanzana Jewellery and book stores near Balaji Cheruvu. Beautiful sarees in huge variety are available for the female tourists. Locally grown cashew nuts and locally prepared pickles are other good items to purchase.
Nearby Places:
- Pithapuram (about 22 km.): A popular pilgrimage destination with many temples like Kukkuteshwara Swamy Temple, Sree Veerabrahmendra Swamy Temple, Kunthi Madhava Swami Temple and Sripada Sri Vallabha Samsthanam.
- Mummidivaram (about 44 km.): Famous for a number of important religious sites like Balayogi Temple, Lord Shiva Temple, Ainavilli Ganesh Temple and Valibaba Shrine.
- Rajahmundry (about 64 km.): Popular for ghats (river banks) and temples like Gowthami Ghat, Kotilingala Ghat, Godavari Bund – Pushkhar Ghat, Venkateswara Swamy Temple, Ashta Lakshmi Temple and Sir Arthur Cotton Museum.
- Nagullanka (about 79 km.): Extremely eye-pleasing greenery of paddy fields and coconut trees make it a picturesque tourist place which is also popular for the attractions like Appanapalli Temple and Antarvedi Temple.
- Samalkota, Chebrolu, Peddapuram and Visakhapatnam are other popular tourist attractions near Kakinada.