interstate traffic reports 1 Sights & Activities Beaches BEACH The long beaches of Waltair overlook the Bay of Bengal, with its

Vijayawada is considered by many to be the heart of Andhra culture interstate traffic reports and language and has an important Durga temple. Nearby Amaravathi, meanwhile, was a centre of Buddhist learning and practice for many centuries.

The bus station has a train reservation booth (h8am-noon & 5-7pm Mon-Sat, 8am-2pm Sun). For Hyderabad, an overnight train goes daily to Kacheguda (7604; sleeper/3AC/2AC 240/650/870, 10 hours). Overnight train 8564 runs to Visakhapatnam (sleeper/3AC/2AC interstate traffic reports 340/940/1300, interstate traffic reports 20 hours), stopping at Vijayawada. The daily Udyan Express interstate traffic reports (6530) heads to Mumbai (sleeper/3AC/2AC 350/950/1300, 21 hours).

Andhra plays hard to get: its charms are subtle. But if you look closely, you ll find a long, fascinating history of arts, culture, spiritual scholarship and religious harmony. In Hyderabad s Old City, Islamic monuments, Persian-inspired architecture and the call of the muezzin speak of the city s unique heritage.

1 Sights & Activities Beaches BEACH The long beaches of Waltair overlook the Bay of Bengal, with its mammoth ships and brightly painted fishing boats. Its coastal Beach Rd, lined with parks and weird sculptures, is great for long walks.