Adventure Tourism Gains More Ground In Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: The port city is witnessing a rise in adventure tourism, with new activities ranging from para-motor air safaris to gravity cruises.

“We wanted to give people an adventure experience and restarted our operations,” said C. Venkata Surya Teja, CEO of Vihang Adventures, a company with a long history in the region.

The company had established helipad tourism at Vijayawada Utsav and organized adventure activities at Visakha Utsav from 2015 to 2018.

The para-motor experience is currently available at two prime locations: Rushikonda Beach from 3pm to 6pm and Sagar Nagar Beach from 6am to 9am. A five-minute flight will cost Rs 2,500 per person.

“We have an internal safety system that includes harnesses, helmets, belts, etc,” Surya Teja said, adding that operations depend on weather conditions. “If it is a rainy day or the wind speed is over 15 knots, we cannot operate. That is why we operate in the early sunset and sunrise hours.”

The company has signed an agreement with the state government to promote helipad tourism across AP. The agreement was formalized in the presence of Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu during the CII summit in Visakhapatnam.

The adventure boom extends beyond the beaches. A monkey pouch lining activity has been launched at the Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, offering visitors a thrilling ride down a rope-like line with a zipline turn. The price of this ticket is 300 rupees.

Already home to a popular cable car, Kailasagiri has expanded its offering of three activities: zip lining and sky biking. A glass bridge was also opened to visitors.

Traveling to Visakhapatnam from Odisha, Lisha and her group of friends are excited about the new treats the city has to offer. He told Deccan Chronicle that the city has always been a transit hub for their trips to Araku.

“Now Vizag is moving up the experience stack,” Lisha said. “We tried Paramount—an impressive, high-energy, fun, well-run attraction. We also visited Maya World—which was even more exciting.”