Take a train from Vizag to Arukku Valley to view the mesmerising coffee plantations

By Reshmi Hemrajani

Going on a vacation is mostly about hopping on a flight and getting to the destination as soon as possible. Today, we advocate slow and relaxed train travel in India. It also brings back the childhood days when holidaying meant travelling in a train. It also meant admiring the changing landscapes as the train passed through towns and villages; playing cards or memory game; chitchatting over warm tea in earthen cups (locally called Kulhad); yummy munchies and lot more. Here is a list of three train routes that you should explore:

Take a train from Vizag to Arakku Valley, the route passes through the most beautiful landscapes including coffee plantations.

The Nilgiri Mountain Railway should definitely be on your bucket list. Going through rocky terrain and meandering its way through tea plantations, the steam locomotive covers 46 km to Ooty in four and a half hours.

A train ride from Vasco da Gama takes you from the serene beaches to the precarious curves of the Western Ghat Mountains offering a breathtaking sight of the Dudhsagar Waterfalls, one of Indiafs highest and most exquisite falls.