map with street view The citadel is built on a granite hill, 120m high and surrounded by crenellated ramparts constructed

Vizag s well-organised RTC Complex (%2746400) has frequent bus services to Vijayawada (deluxe/Volvo 250/530, eight/seven hours) and, in the afternoon, Hyderabad ( superluxury / Volvo 470/870, 14/12 hours).

Most people map with street view stay at the ashram (%287390; www.srisathyasai.org.in), a small village with all amenities. Lodging is cheap but basic. Advance bookings aren t taken; visitors under 25 must be in a family or group.

Vijayawada is on the main Chenna Kolkata and Chennai Delhi railway lines. The daily Coromandel Express (2841) runs to Chennai (sleeper/3AC/2AC 214/544/732, seven hours) and, the other way, to Kolkata (2842; sleeper/3AC/2AC 395/1054/1440, 20 hours). Speedy Rajdhani (Thursday map with street view and Saturday) and Jan Shatabdi (daily except Tuesday) trains also ply the Vijayawada Chennai map with street view route. Trains galore run to Hyderabad (sleeper/3AC/2AC 190/478/639, 6 hours) and Tirupathi (sleeper/3AC/2AC 198/502/674, seven hours). The computerised advance-booking offi ce (%enquiry 2577775, reservations 2578955; h8am-8pm Mon-Sat, till 2pm Sun) is in the basement.

The citadel is built on a granite hill, 120m high and surrounded by crenellated ramparts constructed from large masonry blocks. map with street view The massive gates were studded with iron spikes to obstruct map with street view war elephants. Outside the citadel there stands another crenellated rampart, with a perimeter of 11km, and yet another wall beyond this. At Naya Quila (new fort), adjacent to the golf course, you can find a magnifi cent 400-year-old baobab tree (Hathiyan elephant tree), with a circumference of 25m, said to be planted by seedlings carried by African regiments from Abyssiania. Exploring the crumbling rampart in the area you ll find cannons strewn about (some with beautiful inscriptions) and great views of the fort and tombs.