Hyderabad, Sept. 9 -- For anyone living in Hyderabad, the impulse to escape the city's relentless pace usually leads to familiar doors: a quick drive down the Outer Ring Road to regional resort pockets or the usual Suryalanka Beach in Andhra Pradesh.

Yet, not many know that Andhra Pradesh unfolds into some of the most striking, undertouristed landscapes in Southern India. Beyond the major commercial hubs and pilgrimage centres lies an offbeat corridor of red-rock canyons, subterranean river networks, quiet handloom coasts, and misty, high-altitude forest hamlets.

Siasat.com has curated a list of four offbeat Andhra Pradesh getaways that offer a refreshing change of scenery, all within striking distance of Hyderabad.

1. Gandikota

Perch...