Araku Valley Experience: Amazing landscapes. Great waterfalls. Good place to stay.

Food, sight-seeing and shopping: Coffee House, opposite to the Tribal Museum - one gets local coffee powder and sweets. Food in general is mediocre. As a non vegetarian, one may enjoy the local delicacy, Bamboo Chicken.

Activities & things to do: Enjoy the Local Landscapes Visit Tribal Museum and Padmapuram gardens (more of a formality) Visit Borra Caves - Limestone caves MUST VISIT - Chaaparai falls and Katki Falls (the latter involves a treck) Ananthagiri - coffee plantations

Travel tips, How to reach, travel warnings etc: One way (up/down) needs to be taken by train - to enjoy the 50 odd tunnels and 80 odd bridges. While going to Araku, the valley would come on the right and the hill slopes would come to the left. Dont miss the Signboard in Shimliguda station. One way by road - Enjoy the ghat road section and damuku view point. Local guides help to arrange trips right from when you get down in the station / bus stand. Carry umbrellas and extra clothes if one needs to enter the falls. Shoes for trecks. As far as I saw, there was only one ATM - SBI, available there. Best time to visit - between oct to feb.