With all the major tourist destinations in the cities and towns of the district remaining closed for visitors in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, those with itchy feet appear to be finding solace in the offbeat spots and natural bounty in the hinterland.
The waterfalls in the tribal mandals of the district and the scenic spots in Visakha Agency have been receiving a good number of visitors since the last few weeks.
All the tourism destinations in the city and towns in the district including its pristine beaches have been closed for visitors ever since the coronavirus cases began to rise in March.
Confined to their houses since the last several months, many people are now making short trips to the waterfalls and scenic valleys in the Agency. Lambasingi, the most-favoured winter destination of the State, is receiving good number of visitors during the weekends, say the locals.
Sariya waterfalls near Devarapalle, Kothapalle waterfalls in G. Madugula mandal, Yerravaram waterfalls near Chintapalle and a few others in Sileru, Darakonda and Ananthagiri mandals have been recording considerable footfalls after the lockdown norms were relaxed.
“We get to spend some time in the lap of the nature. Even a short visit to these waterfalls help us deal with the anxiety pertaining to the pandemic. Many are preferring a day-long trip,” says a youth, who recently visited Visakha Agency.
Safety measures
“Many people, especially youngsters, are visiting the waterfalls in remote areas, as there is no hassles of passing through entry or exit gates. There are no huge gatherings too. However, we wore masks all through out visit and used sanitisers frequently during the trip,” he says.
“We have been witnessing visitors spending their day at Sariya waterfalls after the lockdown norms were relaxed,” says P. Anand, a resident of Devarapalle.
Short trips
The Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corrporation (APTDC) officials say that the hotels under their purview in the Agency have been receiving tourists since the past few weeks. “However, a majority of them are either locals or people from the nearby places. They are coming here on short trips and most of them are returning by the evening,” says an official.