A Road Trip To Ananthagiri Hills

Ananthagiri Hills is situated at a distance of about 90 km from Hyderabad City and a popular destination for trekking and for those who love adventure, even the serenity of nature can fascinate immensely. During night camping, it seems as if you are under a star-studded roof. But we had planned a road trip with the bike, it was a day journey, but still, if you are planning for a trip to Ananthagiri hills, then make sure to visit the tourist attraction of Araku valley and Vizag.

We were aware of the hot weather as we planned our trip in the month of Feb. We packed our bag, water bottle, go pro studded in our helmet, sunscreen and sun cover hand gloves, we started at 6 am. It was a sudden trip as we four (me, pratik, shalini and ashish ji) the travel freaks, on a road trip to Ananthagiri Hills in Vikarabad on the following day morning  5th of Feb 2020.

The route was straight and simple. We started at Kondapur. Vikarabad is around 75 kms away from Hyderabad. Ananthagiri Hills is another 10 kms away from Vikarabad. The road condition is very good hence the journey was very smooth. We took our first stop at Chevella for our breakfast. hot Idlis & Vadas made an ideal breakfast for us. Having done with our breakfast, we again set off for Vikarabad.

Ananthagiri Hills is located 10 km from Vikarabad, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana, India. The hills are the main water source for Osmansagar and Himayathsagar. It is considered as one of the dense forests in Telangana region. Ananthagiri has a famous temple located in this forested region, which is also the birthplace of Musi River (Moosi River). 

First, we went to Anantha Padmanabha Swamy Temple around 9 am. We come across a huge Hanuman-ji idol and Gadud Ji idol in front of the Temple. The Temple is situated at the Ananthagiri Hills. We learnt that Lord Vishnu is in the form of Sri Anantha Padmanabha Swamy and Ananthagiri is named after him. We could hear the chirping of the birds as well as screams of peacocks. Different kinds of birds were visible during our entire journey.

Multicolored flowers have bloomed along the roadside. It was a windy day. Riding against the wind was quite an amazing experience. We reached there at 1:30 pm and then we enjoyed a lot, we simply went to the selected spots which you can easily see in our videos embedded here. we had our lunch at Hairtha Resort It was nearly 4pm. There was nothing much left for us to do. Hence, after having our evening munchings we decided to start our return journey to Hyderabad.

The evening journey was equally fun though we were bit exhausted by our all-day biking. We enjoyed the dusk on our way back Hyderabad. A road trip is so incomplete without roadside dhaba food. Hence, we decided to have food at a road dhaba. We stopped by a dhaba near Chilkur Balaji temple and devoured on a plate of vegetarian food as we are absolutely vegetarian. Food was typical dhaba style super spicy food, which we assiduously enjoyed. Having done with sumptuous food, we started again for Hyderabad. It was a wonderful day outing away from the hustle and bustle of the city, amidst the greenery, meadows, the forest, trails, the nature at its best in the monsoon. It is an ideal weekend getaway spot from Hyderabad. I would love to visit this place again, preferably in the monsoon as the hot weather was little troublesome, but still, we enjoyed a lot.

It is also considered one of the earliest human habitat areas in South India. Ancient caves, medieval fort like structures and ancient temple shows the history of the area. Ananthagiri Hills are known to be the oldest location of forested civilisation at an altitude of 1168 in the Ranga Reddy district in the vicinity of Vikarabad. It is a much desired place, which is covered, by red soil and ideal for some adventure sports.

Visitors rate it as one of most beautiful places for a weekend drift from Hyderabad (But going there during the rainy session is the best i.e from July to October) as during summer or even during the start of summer it seems very dry out there. The road is in good condition, which takes you into the dense forests with beautiful trees and streams all along the way. The city oozes beautifully stunning and utterly scintillating elegance combined with the scent of coffee taste and exotic flora beauty. Near the lighthouse, if you take a 2 km diversion, you can reach the topmost point in the Vikarabad region, which offers an excellent viewpoint. A trip to Vikarabad on a cloudy day with a little drizzle is simply an unforgettable experience.

For accommodation in Ananthagiri hills you can choose Hairtha Resort at Ananthagiri Hills which has a tariff of Rs.1500 per day and the second option is Deccan Trails. Haritha valley resort operates a restaurant serving both vegetarian and non-vegetarian cuisines. The small reservoir, the lush green jungle, the jungle trail are all an added attraction to this place covered by thick vegetation, small brook and beautiful streams with fresh water.

As we had limited time span during our visit, so we explored only the main known destinations of the hills, but if you are planning a vacation then there are many places to explore. Here is a list of attractions that must be included in your trip to the Ananthagiri Hills and Araku Valley.

Anantgiri Temple,The Borra Hills And Caves,Galikonda Viewpoint,Katiki Waterfalls,Tribal Museum,Anantgiri Hills View Point,Kotipally Reservoir, Tyda Park, Bhavanasi Lake, Musi River, Coffee Plantations and many more.