starline ferry Vijayawada is a busy, rapidly growing city and an important port at the head of the delta of the mig

Minerva Grand HOTEL $$$ (Map p 896 ; %66117373; www.minervagrand.com; SD Rd, Secunderabad; s/d incl breakfast from 4000 /4400; aiW) It s rare to find a hotel that has genuine style; this place has nailed it. Standard rooms (one wheelchair-accessible) have striking deep-fuchsia walls, white furniture, tasselled bedspreads and piles of pillows. More-expensive rooms are also bold in design, and all rooms have hardwood floors, gentle lighting and sleek, spacious bathrooms. A diamond in the rough of Sarojini Devi Rd.

Submarine Museum MUSEUM ( Beach Rd, adult/child 25/15; h2-8.30pm Tue- Sat, 10am-12.30pm & 2-8.30pm Sun) A fascinating opportunity to look inside the 91m-long Indian navy submarine. The soviet-built Kursura saw battle in 1971 during the Liberation War, (which saw India side with East Pakistan in their struggle for independence from Pakistan resulting in the birth of Bangladesh) and, exploring within, you ll find a fantastic jumble of knobs, switches, wires, valves, gauges, nuts, bolts and dials.

Vijayawada is a busy, rapidly growing city and an important port at the head of the delta of the mighty Krishna River. It s bustling, but it s also intersected by canals, lined with ghats and ringed by fields of rice and palm. The surrounding area is intensely lush and green.

Vizag s train station is on the western edge of town, near the port. Visakhapatnam Junction station is on the Kolkata-Chennai line. The overnight Coromandel Express (sleeper/3AC/2AC 333/881/1199, 13 hours) is the fastest of the five daily trains running to Kolkata. Heading south, it goes to Chennai (sleeper/3AC/2AC 310/817/1112, 14 hours). Frequent trains head to Vijayawada including 2717, the Ratnachalam Express (2nd-class/chair 108/477).