Kondakarla Ava

Cradled in the foothills of the Eastern Ghats is the beautiful lake of Konda Karla-Ava Situated at 50 Kilometer from Vizag on Sankaram (Buddhist Place)- Etikoppaka (Craft Village)- Kondakarla Ava Circuit, Kondakarla Ava is the second largest fresh water lake in the state. It has been recognised as Eco Tourism Destination.

Best Visited During November - March when it attracts large number of Birds from all corners of the planet Kondakarla Ava is home to an array of flora and fauna.

As Soon as you enter Kondakarla Ava The scenic beauty takes you over. The tranquil waters of a lake surrounded by coconut trees on one side and green hills all around provide a great escape from the air and sound pollution, which are so common in cities. A nature lover's paradise Little wonder it was a popular holiday resort of the Vizianagaram Maharajas and the British in the pre-Independence era.

Activities
There are lot of activities that can keep you explore the land. here are some of the activities that you can get prepared for.

Bird Watching

Bird Watching in Kondakarla is the one of the most excitng things to do. Come here you will have your binaculors used to the full potential. Birds coming from distant lands like siberia will treat you with the charm of their own

.Boat Ride
A Boat ride in the lake will give you some of those exciting moments of your life that you will cherish for te life time. The fishermen use palm logs converted into canoes to ferry villagers across and take tourists on joy rides. The countrycraft can be tied together to provide more room for tourists who wish to go in groups.

Here are the excerpts from a tourist who went on to the lake and boat ride

"Soon small fresh water crabs and insects began crawling over my trousers. The boatmen tells me not to panic and a little later, as he guided the boat into deep waters, the crabs disappeared much to my relief. I found an ancient stone Shiva lingam submerged in the waters. The locals tell me that the lingam is not visible when the level of the water is higher. The lake has a treasure trove of underwater plants and lotuses. It is also home to a wide variety of edible fish. Atop the hillock situated close to the lake, on the Vadrapalli side, is an ancient temple of Lord Venkateswara. Though the temple is in a state of neglect, a trek to the top is worth the effort as it offers a bird's eye view of the lake and its picturesque surroundings."

Around
About 2 km. away from Vadrapalli village is the ancient temple of Sri Dakshina Kasi Visweswara Swamy. The Shiva Linga here is the is the biggest crystal lingam in the world. This temple draws good crowds during the month of Karteekam.

Getting there
Visakhapatnam is about 60 km away. The RTC operates one bus from Gajuwaka to Vadrapalli village everyday. There are no direct buses to Kondakarla. However, there are 16 buses plying from Anakapalle to Chuchukonda,which is about 10 kms. away from Anakapalle and two kms. away from Kondakarla village. Autorickshaws can be hired from Chuchukonda.

The best option is to make your own arrangements.The four-lane National Highway (NH-5) to Anakapalle about 50 km. will leave you with 10 Km Journey on rugged road which is worth the excitement and serinit that you are going to experice in Kondakarla

Where to stay:
There are no lodges or hotels in the vicinity of the lake except a guesthouse which was constructed during the British time at Kondakarla village. The Tourism Department has recently identified a few houses in the village that provide paying guest accommodation to tourists.

Best time to visit:
Between November and February when migratory birds visit the lake in large numbers.