manitowoc car ferry Vijayawada is considered by many to be the heart of Andhra culture and language and has an important

Buses run from Vijayawada to Amaravathi every half-hour or so ( 24, two hours), but it may be quicker manitowoc car ferry to head to Guntur ( 12, 45 minutes) and take another bus from there. The drive here will take you through some lovely lush scenery and memorable glimpses of village life.

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.

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.