After a 5:00am morning walk along the beach road in Vishakapatnam, when they close the street to motor vehicle traffic and pedestrians and bicyclists take over the 4-lane road, we headed up to the tribal area in Araku Valley outside the city accompanied by a professor from GITAM University who grew up in one of the tribes. The windy mountain road was lined with monkeys sitting in the sun and scenic views at every turn. The area has become somewhat of a tourist area for Indians after the government helped the villages modernize with supplying subsidized building materials for homes and supporting the coffee bean industry in the mountains. We stopped a few times along the drive and unexpectedly and quite graciously got invited inside for tea and fresh mango while all of the children wanted to hi-five and play cricket. I could have stayed much longer but we had to leave so we could get back down before nightfall. 

Beach road, Vishakapatnam.

On the coffee plantation in the mountains.

Tribal dancers of Araku Valley.