Hyderabad, June 1 -- June has arrived, and yet the heat refuses to go down. Add to that the stress of a new school year starting. It is usually this time of the year that families scramble to get a good last vacation in. So, if your idea of a perfect getaway involves dense canopy covers, misty mountain air, and roads that curve like ribbons, you do not even have to venture too far away from Hyderabad. The Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh are calling.

Tucked away in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district, Rampachodavaram remains one of Southern India's best-kept eco-tourism secrets. Far less commercialised than typical hill stations, it offers an untouched, raw slice of nature that rejuvenates the soul.

The emerald of the Eastern Ghats

Rampa...