Lambasingi

Overview

At about 1,000 metres above sea level, Lambasingi sits a little higher than neighbouring Araku Valley. The village is in Chintapalli mandal, Alluri Sitharama Raju district, and it is known for winter cold that is out of character for a state most people associate with heat and coast. A Lambasingi tour is a winter outing for people who want cold mornings in the Eastern Ghats, and the months from November to February are the sensible ones to plan around.

Winter is the reason the place has a following. December and January are the coldest months, the January minimum averages about 10 degrees Celsius, and on rare nights the temperature has been recorded dropping to freezing point. The village carries the nickname "Kashmir of Andhra Pradesh", which says more about how unusual the chill is for the state than about any resemblance to the mountains of the north. The cold season is also when the village draws its largest crowds, so book any stay ahead if you are going in December or January.

The hillsides here carry plantations of coffee, pine and eucalyptus, and there have been small attempts to grow apples and strawberries in the cool air. Treat plantations as working land: ask before you walk into one, and buy from the growers when produce is on sale. Gaur live in the surrounding forest, and the area has drawn ornithologists because of its range of bird species, so a pair of binoculars is worth packing.

Plan the trip around the hours near dawn and dusk, when the cold is sharpest, and carry warm layers even if the afternoon turns mild. Araku Valley, with its coffee museum, tribal museum and ghat railway, fills a separate day if you want to combine the two hill stops in one trip from the coast, though each stop rewards an early start. Road route and drive times were not confirmed from an official source, so ask locally or check a map for your starting point before you set off, and leave extra time if the weather is poor.

Known for

A January minimum averaging about 10 C, with rare nights near freezing