Flying a microlight Plane!!

What would you gift a close friend for his wedding?!

A wrist watch? A holiday card for honeymoon? A home center gift card to set up a new home? The list is endless, but guess what we got as a gift from hubby’s(Sunny)closest friend Mr.Pavan Prabhakar. Hold on to that thought, as you are in for another shock. It was 2 weeks before our second year marriage anniversary, when Pondy as Pavan is fondly called, spoke to Sunnny & reserved a day during the weekend. But the catch here was that the plan for the day was kept undisclosed!!

I would like to believe that Pondy took that long to come up with a gift cause he wanted it to be special, but he just sluggishly puts it as lack of ideas ;-) Whatever may be the case,we were eager to see what he had planned. A day before the “BIG DAY” we got to know that we would be flying in a microlight plane & if the weather permits we would be allowed to fly it ourselves! For an adventure of such magnitude, the least I can say here is that – I couldn't sleep for most parts of the night as the excitement was massive.

We were to pick up Pondy from his house by 6:30 AM on 19^th Oct 2013, so that we could make it to the Jakkur Airfield for our appointment at 7. As per the plan, we reached the location on time and were thrilled at the first look of the microlight we would be flying in. A team called the Bangalore Aerosports organizes these adventures along with microlight pilot training as other offerings.

Our ride for the day!

Sunny with our Pilot - Mr. Ashok Mehta

Trust me when I say this – a gentleman in his mid 50’s dressed in a casual random pattern shirt walks out and introduces himself as the pilot who will be flying with us. 

So, for a couple of minutes I was apprehensive about the idea of flying as I was reminded of Pondy’s inquiry session with the Aerosports team. Apparently a bunch of FAQ’s were dealt with a lot of technical briefing and the only understandable statement was the fact that, even if the engine turns off during the flight, the microlight is safe as it works as a glider and can be landed without much trouble!

However, Mr.Mehta, our pilot put us at ease almost instantly as he explained the manufacture of the microlight & how easy it is to fly. 

The amusing fact is that a 2-stroke engine powers this Indian made microlight & is fueled by petrol!! 

He was very proud to proclaim that these are the only microlight flights manufactured in our country & are exported for their superior build quality.

The weather was perfect & thus our hopes of flying the plane were intact.Only one person is allowed to fly along with the pilot as the microlights are built for two people.

A quick talk and we three decided to take on the adventure. Sunny volunteered to go first,followed by Pondy and finally me.

Ready to Fly

Although the popular saying states that “Experiences cannot be explained” I shall do my best to elucidate those adventurous moments & thus inspire more people to try it. 

Similar to a car in a driving school, the microlight has same controls for both the pilots. 

A joystick right in between your legs gives the illusion of doing a naive act ;-)

The initial information roll-out happened once we were in the cockpit, I’m unsure it is called that but it certainly sounds alluring! So once I was all strapped up & our pilot gave some introduction about the controls through the aviation headsets, a sudden spike of anxiousness grew. 

It was not long before I heard Mr.Mehta telecast a wireless message to the runway authority for a go ahead by saying “Victor Victor, ready for takeoff – awaiting clearance”, the flight was inching towards the airstrip at about 30 kms/hr. Once we got the clearance, he just looked at me & said : “Now, sit back & relax – your safety is my responsibility”. For a fraction of a second I closed my eyes & remembered my parents & my hubby :-P Like a dream, we cruised past 60-80 kms/hr along the runway & we took off.

Can take off in a strip -as small as 30 feet!

Within 2 minutes, we were soaring at about 800 feet & the flight slowly leveled up to gain stability. The 180 degree view through the windshield was the best thing ever. It was a treat to watch the birds fly by our side & watch the tiny lakes around Jakkur from an elevation of 1200 feet. Terms like nose-up, nose-down did sound funny since the joystick movement controlled those actions! 

After 5-7 mins, Mr Mehta reclined in his seat & asked me to fly the machine guiding all along. Not in the wildest of my dreams, had I ever thought that I would be flying a plane. 

Touching an elevation of 2000 feet, gave a sense of achivement & literally felt like I was on top of the world :-) 

It felt like time was racing past swiftly as it seemed like the shortest 40 mins of my life. Thanks to Pavan for this bombastic thought – we shall cherish this as long us our memory permits:-D

That's Pondy with us, after all 3 of us had witnessed the sweet feeling of flying!

Now, to the obvious question – How much did it cost?? Well, we didn't want to arbitrate the value of this gift from Pondy and thus kept mum about it until a couple of days later when we got flooded with queries from our dear friends on details & the cost. 

Hence, I decided to put this up on the blog & provide easy access to information. For the 40 mins microlight experience, we (rather Pondy) paid a sum of 7500 INR per person & reservations are to be done at least a week prior. Incidentally, there are a number of aviation operators who offer this facility but the point to note is the approval from DGCA.

Keen about exploring this facet of adventure? Check the following link for more details :)

http://bangaloreaerosports.com/offer.html

Happy Travelling!! 

Tour de Pondicherry

Pondicherry – A Place with the most conflicting reviews!!

It was our second anniversary & out of my Trip wish list we chose Pondi – as we had not seen any other city along the Bay of Bengal apart from Puri so far!

After some homework on the places to see/things to do, I failed to find a suitable place to stay as most of the economical options were either unavailable or away from the legendary White town. A day before our departure, I happened to meet a friend of mine who is a passionate biker & travel crazy like us. A casual conversation about weekend plans put me in dilemma about our decision to have chosen Pondi to celebrate a memorable day.

As per his view, he had failed to find anything impressive in Pondi in his 3 trips to the Union territory & advised me to change my mind if the bookings were not made. However, my obstinate brain is not easy to convince & hence we stuck to our plan! I would like to provide some brief about Pondicherry before we plunge into our travelogue as I knew very little about this beach town before I did some research.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus 

Pondicherry, one of the Union territories of India is a southern coastal city in the Bay of Bengal sea line. 

The French acquired Pondi in 1674 and held control, with occasional interruption from the British and Dutch, until 1954. 

The Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges (Church of Our Lady of the Angles) 

Thus, the French influence continues to this day & prayers are offered in Fresnch in most of the churches across the city.

Examples include the oval shaped city center with right-angled street intersections, and the boulevard that encircles the main part of town, architecture of the 18th and 19th century Christian churches and public buildings, a promenade along the beach, and even a statue of Joan of Arc. 

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Hence, to truly experience Pondicherry - I would recommend you to stay in the White town, which houses some of the old buildings & we get to witness the glory of the past.

Do visit some of the roads on the tamil side too, to see the difference in architecture and understand how the two cultures co-existed.

Joan of Arc

The hallmark of Pondicherry is the flat-topped cylindrical red kepi -- a hat worn by the police.

Pondicherry remains a seaport, seaside resort and tourist center. However, the main focus is the Ashram of Sri Aurobindo and Auroville.

On the Dasara weekend, Hubby & I left Bangalore by 8:30 AM – the late start can only be accounted to the fact that we were driving to Pondi in our Swift instead of our Bulla (RE – bike):-P To my relief, out of the shortlisted hotels we managed to reserve a room in Meeranjali Homestay. We informed them that we would reach there by around 3 PM considering an average speed of 60 kmph to cover a distance of 310 kms.

The roads from Krishnagiri till Tiruvannamali were in horrible condition & it took us more than 5 hours to traverse a distance of 130 kms. After a great lunch at Auro Usha restaurant, we started towards Pondi by 3:00 PM. Thanks to some advice by locals; we took the route via Viluppuram & made it to Pondi by 5 PM as the roads were very good.

It was 5:45 PM when we made it to our homestay & could only get to our room to take a shower by 6:30 as the owner of the property sat down to “brief” us about Pondi and places we must visit. Thus, by 7:00 PM we stepped out to catch a glimpse of the shore under lights! Before that, we had to treat ourselves to some food. I had prepared a list of the best places to visit & must eat places in Pondi as a routine for any trip & a quick search got us to ‘Your Daily Bread’. But, we had the worst French Baguette sandwich so far. It looked like people frequented the place for the non-veg & we cant comment on that :-D

The advantage of staying in the white town is that you are ten minutes away from the beach & eateries! Being a day person, I couldn't get the feel of the place as it was dark by the time we reached the famous Beach Promenade on the shores of Bay of Bengal. Promenade means a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. With the added bonus of no vehicles allowed on the Goubert Ave(Beach Road) from 6:30 PM to 6:00 AM; It looked like a carnival with thousands of people enjoying street food as the sound of the waves resonated in the background.

Beach Promenade 

Since Pondicherry is protected by a seawall which stretches 2 kilometers along its coastline, you can’t get into the ocean within the city. Thus, this beach is ideal for a stroll & to enjoy the view of the sea from the many eat-outs on Beach road. 

After a couple of shots on the beach, it was time for dinner. We decided to have some Italian food & barged into Don Giovanni restaurant in Hotel Corbelli.Simply put, it was a disastrous experience at the restaurant as the food literally sucked and the place was filled with house flies. No points for guessing that we don’t recommend it to anyone.

The savior for the night came in the form of some super yummy chocolate treats. After a lot of hunting, we found this little bakery by name Zaika(earlier called Choco-La) on Mission street just before closing time. Although the prices are steep, the taste of Choco-cup cake was sensational. A clear thumbs up & a must go. 

We cuddled up in bed in our calm home stay & called it a night hoping to catch the sunrise on our anniversary day!


Alas, the sleep monster was more powerful than our wish to see the sun rise on the Bay of Bengal & we only made it to the Beach Road by 7:30 AM.

Spent about an hour taking random shots along the Goubert Ave & got back to our homestay by 9. 

It was 10 when we walked into Surguru restaurant on Mission Street for breakfast. An old Tamil house now stands renovated as a veg restaurant & is crowded all day long due to its highly priced but yummy food. 

We hogged to our hearts content & drove out of Pondi towards Auroville by 11:00. 

Auroville is at a distance of about 8 kms from Pondi & the deviation on the highway is easy to miss as there are no sign boards around. Hence it helps to have the GPS or inquire before setting out. We reached Auroville in 30 minutes & hurried to get in as we learnt that it remains closed on Sunday noon.

A stroll around the information center & a walk of about 2 kms gave us a glimpse of the illustrious Matri Mandir. 

The most unfortunate part is that tourists aren't allowed to enter the Mandir & have to see it from a distance of over 200 mtrs! With slight disappointment we walked back instead of taking the mini bus which transports people back to the gate & started towards Pondi as we didn’t find anything else interesting in Auroville. As per recommendations by our homestay uncle – we ate lunch at Tantos & were really glad we took his advise as the Vegan Pizza,Mexican salad & Mediterranean Pasta were scrumptious yet easy on the pocket.

It was our dream to explore Pondicherry on cycles -the most nature friendly way of getting around! Hence, we hired 2 cycles for 5 hours at 50 INR per cycle from a shop on Mission Street and rode out to the beach road by 4:30 PM.Got a map of Pondicherry through the Tourist center & followed the route along the White town.

The experience was exotic as the pace was just enough to give us a chance to stop anywhere & click pictures of some unique architecture. 

We wished we had more time to cycle as the evening was getting darker & we still had many more streets to explore. 

By 8:30 PM, we decided to return the cycles & satisfy our growling stomach as the enjoyable cycle ride had burnt quite a few calories ;-)

With no mood to experiment on food – we chose the reliable Suruguru for dinner & were very happy with the food yet again. Thus, our second anniversary was well spent in leisure & we came back to the homestay to spend the last night in Pondi.

Sun hiding in the clouds

The alarm woke us up by 5 AM the next day & we literally ran out to the Beach road as we didn’t want to miss the sunrise at any cost. 

Apart from the initial glitch of moisture in the camera –it was a great moment to watch the sun make its way back into work.

Fisherman @ work

Gandhi Statue on Beach road, lit by the sunrise

After the sunrise, we walked along the rest of the streets in White town & were mesmerized by the influence of French on this little beach city.

It was b’fast time & we decided to try “Bon Bakes” which is located right next to the famous Daily Bread. It was without doubt the best b’fast we had in Pondi & we even packed some croissants for takeaway! 


After b’fast we visited the Aurobindo Ashram, the tranquility of the place in spite of hundreds of devotees was surprising.Without our knowledge we spent over half an hour in peace within the Ashram complex, the shrine of Sri Aurobindo – a renowned spiritual leader.

By 11 AM, we were back in our homestay to pack & head to Bangalore as the vacation was coming to an end! The icing on the cake was the wonderful veg buffet lunch at Hotel Athithya & we started from Pondi towards Mahabalipuram by 2:00 PM. 

Thanks to the ECR, we reached Mahabalipuram within 1.5 hrs & started our exploration from the Pancha Rathas – an excavated site!

The Pancha Rathas, bustling with tourists

Sea shore temple @ Mahabalipuram

 The best moment of the vacation was the sunset across the Sea shore temple.

It was 6:30 PM when we left Mahabalipuram & made our way through Kanchipuram,Krishnagiri to reach Bangalore by 11:30 PM.

My verdict about this vacation: Pondicherry is a town which can easily be called as a slice of France in India. Special, yet close-by. Beautiful, yet calm. Historic, yet modern. Different, yet familiar. Would love to return, explore the beaches & cycle along the coast! :) Best time to travel would be post monsoons: Sept to Jan! Do remember it can still be hot during these times, good to carry cotton clothes & shorts to beat the heat :)

The complete album available at: Pondicherry - Through the Lens!!

Where to EAT:

1.Surguru,on Mission Street - For vegeterian Meals & Snacks
2.Bon Bakes - For yummy breads & confectioneries
3.Tanto's - Pizzas,Pastas n Salads, on the way to Auroville
4.Le Boulevard - At Hotel Athitya for Veg Buffet on weekdays
5.Hotel Jayaram - For South Indian Delicacies
6.Choco-La, on Mission Street - Chocolate Heaven!
6.Hotel Auro Usha - At Tiruvannamalai(on Transit from BLR to Pondi)

Where to Stay:

Economical Options:-Guest Houses run by the Ashram(Restriction on timings & no alcohol)

1.Park Guest House
Addr: 1, Goubert Avenue (Beach Road)
Pondicherry - 605001

Phone: +91413 2224644 / 2233644

2.Cottage Guest House
Addr: 3, Rangapillai Street
Pondicherry - 605001

Phone: +91413 2233610
Working Hours: 8 - 12noon, 2 - 4pm 
(Sunday) 8.30 - 9.30am

3.New Sweet Home
Addr: 40, Rue Dupuy
Pondicherry - 605001

Phone: +91413 2233635
Working Hours: 6.45 - 9am, 
10.30am - 12noon, 
4pm - 7pm

4.New Guest House
New Guest House
64, Rue Romain Rolland,
Pondicherry - 605001

Phone: +91413 2221553 / 2233634
Email: newguesthouse@gmail.com

Working Hours: 6.30 am - 10 pm

Luxurious & private stay Options:Check Trip advisor :)

Happy Travelling!!!

A slice of Andra Pradesh - Lepakshi, Penukonda Fort, Belum Caves & Gandikota

The undiscovered yet marvelous Andhra Pradesh!!

Having been around a few states up north, I was eager to explore our neighboring state – Andhra Pradesh, popular as the spiciest state of India. When I started planning the trip the only place I had heard was Lepakshi. Thus, this became the focal point of our journey and I built the whole trip based on searches like “Places to see around Lepakshi” “Things to do in Andhra Pradesh”. I was immensely surprised by the amount of information available on the internet about tourism in Andhra. To say the least, it was bad. I couldn't find blogs/information on places beyond Lepakshi except for a handful. It took me about a week to jot down the travel route & destinations.

Lepakshi,Penukonda Fort,Belum Caves & Gandikota were the places on our itinerary & we got ready to head out of Bangalore the coming weekend. Owing to the Telangana issue, our family was a bit worried that we had made travel plans & after some reassurance that we are going on bike, we called it a day on Friday looking forward for the sunrise.

We left our home at Girinagar by 6:00 AM on Saturday morning & headed towards Lepakshi. There are two routes to reach Lepakshi, one of them being the NH7 – we chose the Gauribidanur road since we were hoping to see some sunflower fields! By the time we reached Gauribidanur it was 8 AM & after some inquiry we barged into Krishna Bhavan at the city center for some hot breakfast. Although not a big hotel, the food was good & hot. 

The normal route from here to reach Lepakshi is to take the road to Hindupur, but through a conversation at the hotel, we learnt of a inner route which avoids the highway & thus any hindrances to our plan due to road blocks would be avoided.

Following the advice, we took the right at the RTO checkpost after Gauribidanur & rode along some scenic roads, with flower gardens making it more colourful.

We were asked to take a left after crossing a village by name: “Vatadahosahalli” which was pronounced as ‘What-those-halli’ all along the way & we could hardly hold our laughter each time we heard the name!! 

To our despair, the road condition was degrading exponentially & we rode on routes which had not seen any tar in years.

The sun was slowly glaring on us as we entered Lepakshi at 10:30. Being a small village, it is advised to carry eatables with you since we didn't find even a single restaurant in the vicinity. 

The temple lies right in the middle of the village & was absolutely peaceful since it is less frequented by tourists.

I will not venture into the trivia of the temple because I’m sure you can look it up the web anytime, so getting away from the boring stuff & into the interesting part. The temple has some nice sculptures & mural paintings which aren't in great shape but certainly photo worthy. 

A treat to photography enthusiasts, as this temple provides ample opportunities to flex your creativity.We spent about an hour in the temple premises & started from Lepakshi after checking the huge Nandi idol about half a km away from the temple.

This time, we had to go through Hindupur to reach Penukonda- our next destination. On the highway, we took the left deviation towards Penukonda & reached the village entrance by 12:45 PM. As we headed into the village, on inquiry we were asked to go a little further to reach the Penukonda Fort. But, the route took us into the interiors of the village & reached a point from where we had to trek the hill to reach the fort. Thankfully, we met a gentleman who spoke some Kannada & guided us in the right direction.

A small courtyard on a hillock, on the way to the fort

There are two ways to reach the fort, which lies on a big hill about 4 kms from the village. Either, you can trek to the top of the hill or ride up the hill in your vehicle.

Since we were not prepared for a hike, we chose to ride our Bulla up the hill & were pleased when we saw fresh tar on the roads leading up to the fort.

Our happiness was short-lived & the road turned out to be in ruins providing us subtle hints on the state of the fort itself. There were situations where the road looked like it had just withstood an earthquake & we barely managed to get through. I had to walk more than a km of the stretch as the road was horrible & just wasn't ride-able.

About 4 kms of the ride up-hill took us about 45 mins and we couldn't be more disappointed at what was left of the glorious Penukonda Fort.  We didn't see more than a couple of localities who had hiked up the hill & were spending time leisurely at this private hang-out.

Vie from Penukonda Fort

Even-though, the view from the top was breathtaking, all the effort of getting there seemed useless since we didn't see any fort left. So, our take on the Penukonda fort – Not worth your time or penny!

Fort walls in ruins

 

All that is left of the huge fort

Fort Exit

By 3:00 PM we reached the Penukonda village & after some search found “Seenappa Mess”. The small house which transforms into a mess during lunch time & serves unlimited authentic Andhra vegetarian meals at Rs 45/- . Trust us when we say, this was the best Andhra meal we have had so far. Rice,Pappu,Rasam,Sambar,Palya,curd & pickle were served with diligence & care. So, if you are passing by the NH7 & see a board reading Penukonda do not miss checking out this mess during lunch time (12 to 4 PM – Note: It is closed on Sundays)

Highway gardens!

 The ride on the NH7 was a treat as the road is in great condition & we also saw some flower plantations on the way. 

After a few clicks of the beautiful gardens, we rode leisurely to reach Anantapur by 4:45 PM.A distance of 70 kms was covered with ease in 1.2 hrs.

NH7 views

Anantapur being a district is pretty big and thus, stay options are plenty. Budget hotels to 3 star hotels are available & we settled in a mediocre hotel by the name: ‘Nama Hotel’ in the city center.

Plenty of options are available for non-vegetarians, but we did have to do some roaming around to find a decent veg restaurant. Anyway, an eventful first day in the state of Andhra had come to an end and we were eager for the next day!

We left Anantapur after b'fast by 8:45 AM the next morning & headed towards Belum. The Belum caves had got featured in the Kannada magazine –‘Sudha’ a couple of days ago & the write-up,images were stirring enough to keep our excitement high. Unfortunately, the road from Anantpur to Tadipatri – a distance of 58 kms is under expansion & it was a horrifying experience riding through them as the temperature was also high to make the journey a pain(in the ass - literally :-P). On reaching Tadipatri, we took the road towards Belum(you will have to depend on GPRS for directions if you do not understand Telugu, as we couldn't find anyone who spoke/understood English all along). A 30 kms ride from Tadipatri on manageable road, got us to Belum at 11:45 AM and we were well behind our schedule.

Belum Caves from a distance

However, the exhilaration to witness our first cave overshadowed the time factor & we couldn't wait to get started. Guides are available at the cave entrance if you want to, but we chose to explore it on our own. A few steps lead you down the underground caves at Belum which is believed to span over 3 kms, but only 1.5 kms have been made accessible to public. Artificial lights & fresh air facility makes it an enjoyable experience, but for people who suffer from claustrophobia the caves might be a huge concern as a leisure walk in the cave takes about 2 hours and all of it is underground with no openings.

I would do no justice to the beauty hidden in the underground cave with mere words , thus will leave you with some pictures :) 

Trickes down, pure water

 

Spiral staircase to reach the lower level

The PathaLa Gange within the cave 

 

Cave Entrance/Exit

The sheer joy of witnessing a nature marvel had drained out all the energy & we were hungry by the time we got out of the cave to get some fresh air. The most memorable event of our trip was lurking around in the garden at Belum as we met a few strangers but left with pleasant memories of having met the sweetest family! 3 ladies from Tadipatri along with kids had traveled in an auto rickshaw for a picnic at Belum. 

We were surprised at their generosity of offering home-made delicacies to us. But our skepticism was washed away in a flash when we witnessed their hospitality & concern for travelers.

After a photo session with the family, we collected their address to send a picture as a token of thanks from our side.

By 3:00 PM we left Belum & headed to our next destination – Gandikota. The ride to Gandikota from Muddanur reminded us of our ride to Spangmik from Pangong Lake in Ladakh since we found no trace of civilization for over 20 kms. Although an interior village, the connecting roads were in great condition & we cruised past 80 kms to ensure we reach in daylight. But due to some confusion, we traversed about 50 kms excess and reached Gandikota by 5:45 PM.

A nice landscapes on the way

The village of Gandikota resides inside the fort walls & the George – known as the Grand Canyon of India is within walk able distance. Although Gandikota is a historical site with a palace, fort & other royal buildings; the most impressive one of the lot is the spot where the Pennar River flows into the Gandikota dam.

Gandikota - The Grand Canyon of India

Some remains of fort around the gorge

As the sun slowly set, we headed out of Gandikota with a promise to return as the place is ‘Out-of-this-world’ beautiful!! So, next time you are planning for a trip – do consider the above 3 destinations :)

I'm sure some of the places might have impressed you & would want to explore them.

Details of the places visited for your reference!!

Lepakshi

This can be reached via two routes:

Through Chikballapur: Distance about 130 kms. Preferred route, excellent roads – Takes on the NH7 after crossing Devanahalli.

Through Doddaballapur: Distance about 120 kms. SH after Doddaballapur, manageable roads.

Things to Do: Temple visit, primarily for photography

Options to Stay: None, you will have to travel to the closest town Hindupur (distance – 15 kms)

Restaurants: None, only small shops selling refreshments.

Access: Buses available till Hindupur, you could take an auto rickshaw to reach Lepakshi.

Entry Fee: None, only parking fees

Penukonda Fort

Distance/Route: 52 kms from Lepakshi. NH7 after Chilamathur

Things to Do: Fort trek, Palace

Options to Stay: Minimal, better options available at Anantapur(distance – 71 kms)

Restaurants: Available, Only a handful of Veg options.

Access: Own vehicle is the best option.

Entry Fee: None

Belum Caves

Distance/Route: 85 kms from Anantapur, 325 kms from Bangalore (via Gooty- better roads)

Things to Do: Cave exploration, Photographers heaven

Options to Stay: None, closest town is Tadipatri(distance – 30 kms)

Restaurants: A veg restaurant available in the premises

Access: Buses available till Tadipatri, auto-rickshaws charge about 300 one way to reach Belum

Entry Fee: Rs 50/- for adults & 35/- for a child

Gandikota

Distance/Route: 61 kms from Belum Caves, 280 kms from Bangalore

Travel through the Jammalamadugu-Tadipatri Road if coming from Belum.

If travelling from Bangalore, Chikballapur àGorantla à Kadiri à Muddanur à Gandikota

Things to Do: Fort, Gorge, Palace

Options to Stay: Saw a Andhra Pradesh Tourim Hotel in Gandikota, but unsure of the facilities

Restaurants: Didn't find any, as it is a small village with no tourist facilities

Access: Own vehicle is the best option.

Entry Fee: None

PS: It can get really hot in Andhra Pradesh, hence choosing the right time to travel is imperative for an enjoyable journey. Best time to travel would be Post monsoons: August to October.

Would be more than glad to respond if you need any more information about these places, so do write back.

Happy Travelling!!!!