Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC; %24-hr info 23450444; www.aptdc.in; h7am-8.30pm) Bashirbagh (Map p898 ; %23298456; NSF Shakar Bhavan, opposite Police Control Room); Secunderabad (Map p896 ; %27893100; Yatri Nivas Hotel, Sardar Patel Rd); Tankbund Rd (Map p898 ; %65581555; h10.30am-5pm) Organises tours.
Kondapalli fort (admission 5, camera 100; h10.30am-5pm), strategically situated on the old Machilipatnam Golconda trade route, was built in 1360 by the Reddy kings, and was held by the Gajapathis, the Qutb Shahis, the Mughals and the nizams before becoming a British military camp in 1767. Today it s a quiet, lovely ruin. On weekdays, you ll likely have the place to yourself and you can easily spend a few hours hiking around. Kondapalli village, 1km downhill, is famous for its wooden dolls. The fort is 21km from Vijayawada; an autorickshaw is 400 return.
Vijayawada is considered by many to be the heart of Andhra culture and language and has an important Durga temple. Nearby Amaravathi, meanwhile, was a centre of Buddhist learning and practice for many centuries.
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