Two to three days covers the city well. Spend one on Beach Road with the submarine and aircraft museums, another on Kailasagiri, Rushikonda and the red sand hills toward Bheemili, and a morning at Simhachalam. Add a night if you want to see Araku Valley and the Borra Caves.

Yes. Vizag is the everyday short form of Visakhapatnam, taken from the colonial spelling Vizagapatam and in use since the late 18th century. You will also hear Visakha, and part of the city still goes by Waltair, its British-era name, especially around the old railway station.

Araku Valley lies about 110 km inland in the Eastern Ghats, at roughly 900 m above sea level. Trains and buses run up from the city, and the Borra Caves sit in the Ananthagiri hills along the way. Most visitors stay overnight, and November to February is the favorite season.