alaska milepost Kondapalli fort (admission 5, camera 100; h10.30am-5pm), strategically situated on the old Machilipa

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, alaska milepost 1km downhill, alaska milepost is famous for its wooden dolls. The fort is 21km from Vijayawada; an autorickshaw is 400 return.

Tirumala Link buses have two bus stands in Tirupathi: next to the main bus stand and outside the train station. The scenic 18km trip to Tirumala takes one hour ( 54 return); if you don t mind heights, sit on the left side for views. A prepaid taxi is 350.