Do you know Kakinada? Have you ever visited? Some of you may have been to this city, some may not, but you all have heard the name through the world famous Kakinada Kaja. It is a city in coastal Andhra Pradesh along the Bay of Bengal. The place is renowned for its tradition, culture, food and natural beauty. It has popular tourist spots to visit such as ancient temples, parks, beaches and more which make Kakinada a beautiful tourist destination worth visiting. Are you keen to see this beautiful city to enjoy the amazing sights and taste its delicious food? Check out this article here, we have provided top 10 must visit tourist places in Kakinada during your vacations. Have a look.
About Kakinada:
- Kakinada also known as Cocanada, is a popular coastal city in Andhra Pradesh.
- It is the 6th largest city in Andhra Pradesh by population.
- It is the headquarters of Kakinada district and the former East Godavari district headquarters.
- This city is a well developed city connected with various cities of India by rail and buses.
- Kakinada has a port, apart from being a port, Kakinada is also a major fishing harbour.
List 10 Best Tourist Places to Visit in and Around Kakinada(CCT):
Here is the list of best tourist places in Kakinada, check it out if you are interested in going there:
- Sri Bhavannarayana Swamy Temple, Sarpavaram – Oldest temple in Kakinada
- Hope Island Beach – Unexplored places in Kakinada
- Vakalapudi Beach in Kakinada – Major tourist attraction in Kakinada
- Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Temple – Famous temple in Kakinada
- Repuru Saibaba Temple – World’s biggest Saibaba statue
- Uppada Beach – The most beautiful place in Kakinada
- Pithapuram – A pilgrimage centre near Kakinada
- Sri Chalukya Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy Temple, Samalkota – Famous temple near Kakinada
- Sri Jeeyar Swami Aasramam, G Vemavaram – A peaceful tourist spot near Kakinada
- Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary – Nature trip near Kakinada
Let’s see the best tourist places in uppada, pithapuram, corangi, so on:
1. Sri Bhavannarayana Swamy Temple:
Sri Bhavannarayana Swamy Temple at Sarpavaram Village, 6 km from Kakinada Bus Stand, is a famous place in Kakinada. It is the oldest temple in Kakinada dedicated to Sri Bhavannarayana Swamy (Vishnu). You can reach this temple by bus or auto. As you approach, you will see a tall gopuram with deity forms. As soon as you enter the temple and see the surroundings and the idol of Bhavannarayana Swamy you get a sense of complete devotion. And the pradakshana place has idols of Alvars and a beautiful garden. It is an ancient and attractive temple that attracts tourists from different parts of India.
2. Hope Island Beach:
Hope Island Beach is one of the best tourist places to visit in Kakinada. It is located in the middle of the sea and to reach here you have to take a boat from Kakinada Fishing Harbour. And you can experience a thrilling ride in the middle of the sea. Here you can enjoy the amazing beach and bring your food as there is nothing to eat there.
3. Kakinada Beach:
As Kakinada is a coastal city, tourists visiting Kakinada cannot miss the beautiful Kakinada Beach. To go to the beach, take a bus or auto from Kakinada bus stand towards Uppada. You can visit the beach in the morning for a magnificent sunrise and record it with your camera or enjoy it with your family in the evening and take their pictures. The glass bridge on this beach is a special attraction. Recently a decommissioned TU-142M aircraft has been installed at Kakinada Beach and will be converted into a museum. This is the second TU-142 aircraft museum after Visakhapatnam. It is the best romantic place to visit in Kakinda.
4. Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Temple:
Sri Bala Tripura Sundari Temple is located near Pindala cheruvu on Temple Street Road in Surya Rao Peta, Kakinada. It is one of the famous temples in Kakinada. Sri Ramalingeswara Swamy and Goddess Bala Tripura Sundari are worshiped in this temple. Although this temple is in the center of the city, it is a huge and spacious temple. And the surroundings are very clean and with the beautiful pindala cheruvu in front of the temple you feel divine when you enter the temple. Here Sharannavaratri festival and Maha Shivratri festival are celebrated with great pomp.
5. Repuru Saibaba Temple:
The 116 feet Virat Saibaba statue is one of the must-sees for tourists in Kakinada. This temple is located in Repuru village on Kovvada Kakinada route, 7 km away from Kakinada. This 116 feet tall Sai Baba statue looks very beautiful with green fields and trees around it. It is the tallest Sai Baba statue in the world. Adjacent to this is there is a clean and beautiful Sai Baba Temple which is run by the Shirdi Sai Baba Sevashram, Repuru.
How to reach:
- Repuru is 7 km from Kakinada and you can reach here by road. You can choose any travel option like a bus or auto to reach this destination.
6. Uppada Beach:
Kakinada is a seaside city that has some beautiful beaches, one of which is Uppada Beach. When you see Uppada, you think of Uppada silk sarees, right? But I am writing about the famous tourist spot Uppada Beach. It is the most beautiful tourist place in Kakinada to visit with your friends or couple during sunrise. The cool breeze and ocean waves hitting the rocks and splashing over you is a beautiful feeling.
Caution: Be careful when you go with children because the waves are pretty high and the rocks might be slippery.
7. Pithapuram:
Pithapuram is a small town 14 km from Kakinada and a must visit place near Kakinada. It is a historically famous town and a famous pilgrimage site that attracts many tourists from all over India.
Kukkuteswara Swamy Temple popularly known as Pada Gaya Kshetra is the most popular temple located at Pithapuram on the Kakinada – Visakhapatnam highway, 14 km from Kakinada. In this temple, Lord Kukkuteswara Swamy, a form of Lord Shiva and his consort Rajarajeshwari Devi are worshiped here. And, the temple premises also have idols of Purhutika Devi, one of the 18 Shakti Peethas, and an idol of Dattatreya Swamy, and a large pond. People consider this temple as Pada Gaya Kshetra and do pinda danam to pay homage to the deceased soul here.
Maha Shivratri and Dussehra are the biggest festivals celebrated here.
A very holy place is Sripada Srivallabha Mahasamsthanam, Pithapuram is the birthplace of Sripada Srivallabha, an incarnation of Lord Dattatreya. It is very close to Pada Gaya Kshetra. Devout tourists coming to Kakinada from different parts of India must visit this temple during their journey.
How to Reach:
- There are frequent APSRTC buses available from Kakinada to Pithapuram.
8. Sri Chalukya Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy Temple:
Chalukya Kumararama Bhimeswara Temple is one of the beautiful and oldest temples located in Samarlakota village in the Kakinada district. This temple is dedicated to Kumara Bhimeswara Swamy (Lord Shiva) and his consort Bala Tripura Sundari and was built in the Dravidian style by the Chalukya Bhima in the 9th century. It is the most prominent temple among the five Pancharama Kshetras. This 1100 year old temple is still beautifully maintained. As soon as you enter this temple, you will feel the devotion by seeing the Ekashila Nandi opposite the Shiva Lingam at the entrance of the temple. This temple has a 14 feet high white Shivalinga which is worshiped from the second floor, Bala Tripura Sundari and Kala Bhairava Swamy idols. Like Draksharamam temple, this temple has 2 floors and here you can see 100 pillars mandapam and inscriptions on the pillars and beautiful Koneru. Special pujas are performed here during the months of Kartika and Maghamasam. Shivaratri is the biggest festival celebrated in this temple every year. It is one of the places you must not miss when visiting Kakinada.
How to Reach:
- You can reach here by bus or auto from Kakinada or you can reach Samalkot by train from any part of India.
9. Sri Jeeyar Swami Aasramam:
Sri Jeeyar Ashramam is Just 15km from Kakinada. If you are looking for a peaceful location near Kakinada this is the best place where you feel peace and devotion. This Ashramam has beautifully maintained Venkateswara Swamy Temple, a Temple garden with statues of deities and saints and Goshala are being special attractions. The temple is open from 7:00 am to 11:00 am and from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. You can reach here by APSRTC Bus or Auto. The place is very close to the popular tourist attraction Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary.
How to Reach:
- To reach this place you can take a bus from Kakinada towards Yanam and get down at G Vemavaram or hire an auto to reach the location.
10. Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary:
Are you a nature lover? If so, make sure Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary is a must-visit tourist place on your Kakinada itinerary. Coringa is the third largest mangrove forest in India, just 15 km by road from Kakinada towards Yanam. Mangroves are trees or shrubs that grow in coastal wetlands. This mangrove forest is formed in the delta region where the Godavari and Gautami rivers meet in the Bay of Bengal. It is a major tourist attraction near Kakinada. You can reach here by bus and walk 1.5 km or hire an auto or taxi. For entry, they charge you 40 rupees for adults and 20 for children and extra for a camera.
An attractive wooden entrance welcomes you into the mangrove forest. From the moment you enter you feel like nature welcomes you with these green trees and cool breeze. The sanctuary has a 3 to 4 km wooden walkway where you can enjoy the beauty of mother nature. And the sanctuary has 24 species of mangrove trees and 120 species of birds including golden foxes, sea turtles, fishing cats and smooth coated otters etc. After fully viewing the forest, you will notice the boating point at the end of the forest, you can enjoy the view of the forest from the boat and enjoy the boat ride till the Godavari merges into the Bay of Bengal.
FAQs for Staying in KKD:
A. How to Reach Kakinada:
- Bus: There are many buses available to reach Kakinada from any part of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Train: Kakinada has a railway station to reach by train
- Air: The nearest airport is Rajahmundry, which is 70 km away, where you can opt for a bus or cab to reach your destination Kakinada.
B. Best Time to Visit Kakinada:
Kakinada is the best place to travel in winter with pleasant weather and cool temperatures. Winter in Kakinada starts in November and ends in March.
C. 5 Best Hotels to Stay in Kakinada:
- Royal Park Hotel
- Venky Residensy
- Hotel Jaya Residency
- Hotel City Inn
- Grand Kakinada
D. Top Parks to Hangout with family in Kakinada:
- Janmabhumi Park, Gudari Gunta
- Shilparamam Park, Beach Road
- Boat Club Park, Ramanayapeta
- Vivekananda Park, Rama Rao Peta
- Gandhi Nagar Park, Ontimamidi Junction
Hope you are happy with these Kakinada tourist places. Comment if you want us to include any tourist spots. Have a wonderful trip! Finally, leave your worries, relax, shop there, taste delicious food and make this trip beautiful.
E. What are the best foods to try when visiting Kakinada?
- Kakinada is famous for meals at Subbayya Gari Hotel and Kaja available at Kotaiah Sweets popularly known as Kakinada Kaja.
- Andhra Pindi Vantalu and Pickles, Seafood and non-vegetarian foods.
- And non-vegetarian and seafood varieties at restaurants Yati Foods and Kshatriya Foods.
F. What are famous shopping places in Kakinada?
- Sunday Bazaar in Kakinada
- SRMT Mall
- Spencer’s Hyper Market