Lambasingi - Andhra Kashmir:
Every year as winter sets in, popular Telugu newspaper Eenadu comes with an article quoting andhra kashmir lambasingi touching freezing temperatures..awakening souls of travel enthusiasts around vizag and far away.Many would have witnessed such low temperatures in north or at some point of time ,but lambasingi is altogether a different experience.First things first..
How to reach:
From visakhapatnam:located at distance of 101 kms from visakhapatnam,if you are going by personal vehicle(worth go self driving in bike/car) travel on NH-16 towards vijaywada,take a right turn at tallapalem junction to reach narsipatnam(this is the best route though options are available).From narsipatnam, lambasingi is located at a distance of 30kms(maps are available only till u reach narsipatnam ,as you travel towards lambasingi signal is lost,only bsnl works to some extent).If you wish to travel from train nearest railway station is Anakapalli from there you should travel to narsipatnam by APSRTC bus.But from narsipatnam again hiring a cab is better option(very less frequency of buses to lambasingi)
Time to visit:
Best time to visit lambasingi is from mid November - mid January,only this time we can see lowest temperatures in the valley,make sure that you visit the placewell before sunrise in the morning (before 7.30Am),though difficult for many it's a must or else you will miss the beauty of the place you wished for.(occasionally you can see snowfall too)
Accommodation:
As such there is no well organised accommodation in lambasingi(though there are very few home stays available and tented accommodation available too),you can try that too if you can afford to experimentation and make ur trip exciting but would be ready to stay with bare minimum facilities(as on DEC 2017),best option would be to reach narsipatnam the day before and stay overnight,there are some decent hotels in narsipatnam town for a night stay(no on line booking available ,try calling the hotels directly and pay advance by transfer,especially during weekends as they get occupied soon,some good hotels i noticed are sri krishna residency,vooda residency).start early to lambasingi or else you will miss it(try to reach by 6.30 am,to see lambasingi at it's best,it takes 1hour drive from narsipatnam to reach lambasingi.
Food:
Usually people reach lambasingi only during early hours so breakfast is the only concern,for that you have sufficient road side stalls to serve hot breakfast,staying there for lunch is not a very good option.
The location:
With chilly winds and very low temperatures(falls to zero sometimes) the place is really very much unexplored,as you travel to the valley through picturesque curved roads the cool breeze sets the tone.For those who like to drive through ghats this is a perfect one,condition of road is excellent to drive through,and trust me u don't need to have excellent driving skills but watchful driving is a must and sufficient.
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| snow covered turmeric plantation |
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| enroute lambasingi |
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| Aerial shot from lambasingi village |
En route there are beautiful viewpoints and who would not like to have a photo clicked.unfortunately i could not see any roadside tea stall to have a sip of tea at that early hours(hope some comes up soon).As you reach lambasingi suddenly fog sets in from nowhere,and the temperature further drops.At the entrance of the village parking is available ,so you can park your vehicle there and start walking towards the village,the stretch would be nearly 2km and very picturesque,at the end u can find an open place with turmeric plantation and taking pics at that location is a must.On the stretch u can find some tiffin centres for a hot breakfast(tribals have put up stalls themselves with limited options to eat) and you will love it(at least i did),for those unwilling to walk that stretch just drive through to the end of the road and parking is available near turmeric plantations too.After staying for an hour or so(we stayed for 2 hours with a small kid),u can move to watch a small reservoir (5kms ahead) if u feel it is too early to leave the place.
Next article would cover kothapalli waterfalls,which is a must visit place along with lambasingi-a hidden jewel
