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Every once in a while, the internet stumbles upon a quiet corner of the map and rebrands it until it becomes a tourist hotspot. Recently, some travel creators have set their sights on a spot that is just three hours from Hyderabad and are calling it the “Ladakh of Telangana”.

Scroll through social media, and you will inevitably run into cinematic drone shots of green, barren shorelines that meet deep blue waters. The captions promise a slice of Pangong Tso in the Deccan plateau. The place in question is Vizag Colony.

Siasat.com explores what this spot is, what makes it so popular, and whether it actually lives up to its current viral moniker.

Exploring Vizag Colony

Tucked away in Chandampet Mandal, Nalgonda district, Vizag Colony sits on the backwaters of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, about 170 km from Hyderabad.

Despite being deep in Telangana, the village owes its name to coastal Andhra. In the 1950s and 60s, around 24 fishing families migrated inland from Visakhapatnam (Vizag) to work on the construction of the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam. Once the dam was built, many families stayed back to build a settlement near the fertile backwaters, naming it Vizag Colony as a tribute to their hometown.

This peaceful settlement is also the starting point for trips to Yelleswaragattu Island, a small but beautiful spot accessible by a short 20-minute boat ride. You can take a Rs. 200-per-person boat ride across the still backwaters to reach this lush mini-island. For more adventurous visitors, an overnight camping experience with a local fisherman is available for around Rs.1500.

Other than exploring the island, you can also get on motorboat and coracle rides across the vast expanse of the reservoir. You can try the local fish delicacies, go on photo walks and go off-roading on the open fields leading down to the water.

Is it really the Ladakh of Telangana?

If the internet insists on a Himalayan comparison, it is probably much better to call it the ‘Green Ladakh’. In the past, it has also been popularly nicknamed as ‘Telangana’s Mini Goa’.

What makes Vizag Colony so striking right now is the contrast of sweeping, open terrain against the vast expanse of the water. Rain carpets the shoreline in thick, emerald grass while the deep blue backwaters stretch out towards hills in the distance. When shot from above, those wide-open horizons give off a distinct, high-altitude valley feel, just wrapped in lush, vibrant green.

The ‘Ladakh’ tag is a clever social media reframe that puts Vizag Colony on the map. But even without that borrowed name, it stands as one of the best weekend escapes from Hyderabad on its own merits.