Hunky Town Hyderabad. Review on Hyderabad

I've been in Hyderabad two years and no regrets.

For someone who came to town with the intention of working and getting by - this city has been easy to slide into and blend in.

In General :

Hyderabad is made up of a large conservative muslim community

But thanks to the floating population who manages to dilute the culture - the social circles are a delight to be a part of.

We have twin cities - Hyderabad and Secunderabad - separated by the Hussain Sagar lake - amdist which stands the famous Buddha statue.

Pearls,cloth and leather you will find here aplently - in heaps,piles and quality respectively.But be wary since there are numerous shops in the city that sell cheap and fake merchandise

English is by and large an understood languge though you may not find too many locals using it often in communication

Elementary Hindi will help you get by in terms of local transport and directions

The roads are wide in the city but since there is a landscape change underway - some parts of the central city have become cramped what with the construction of flyovers and new buildings.But the traffic moves - unless it's a rainy evening!

Personally - I find this a really clean city - alot of effort goes in to maintaining it.

But dont go looking for dirt - I'm talking only about everything in the city limits :))

For Pearls :

Take an auto ( the meters in the city currently start at Rs 10.00 and post 10pm are subject to a one-and-a-half rate) and head to Panjagutta.The next stop(in terms of a bus route) is Somajiguda.This is to give you an approximate of the back to back nature of these two localities !A walk between these two places will certainly give you all the visibility into pearl/jewellery shops of repute in the city.If you need a starting point - it's Alukkas or Mangatrai

For Cloth:

Head out in an auto to Pathar Ghatti-close to the heels of Charminar.Once there - walk along the street shops and check wares.You get fabrics of all kinds - the hight end and the opposite.A great place to check out bangles is further down at Charminar.The key here is to bargain and know when to stop.

The roads that lead to charminar are narrow.Advisable to walk all over to get a better glimpse of the goods.However,this place is crowded at all times of the day and akin to our crammped streets of old Delhi.Hence,carry your water,comfortable footwear,cool cottons and a backpack to stash your wares after purchase.

Needless to add that finding a parking spot is a painful activity.

Charminar - as a monument has to be viewed by evening when the lights come on. However there is a visiting hours to be able for one to get in and view the insides. Nominal entry fee here.Do be there by 5pm so you can get a quick round.

Charminar-is a great hub for bangles,stones and cheap merchandise.FYI

Know that most of the community prefer to indulge in heavy jewellery or clothes in strong colours.Hence,it's a known fact that those who prefer subtle soft colours need not spend time shopping here since the local tastes in clothes in HEAVY !

Which means : Read : Sequenced clothes,bright or odd mixes of colours,bold prints and the like - quite unlike my personal taste for earthly colours and cottons.

For Leather:

Personal favourites would be the Malls but if you would like to check the local stores there are a few in Secunderabad and a few in Koti(in Hyderabad).

General Time Pass :

At Somajiguda - we have the Hyderabad Central,Life Style Building(near Begumpet Railway station) and Shoppers Stop(close to the airport) - are the cities one stop shopping joints.They have in-house cafe's and lounge areas to relax if the window shopping gets a tad too tiresome !

Mebaaz,Brissha,Kalanjalin are some of the high-end clothing banners in Secunderabad.Worth a peek for women hooked to tasteful south indian sarees is 95 Park Lane in Secunderabad - you'll LOVE the colours and the weave !

The parks are a joy!Sprawling,well maintained and by and large clean

Check out the IMAX theater and the PMR complex for the heck of things and while you're there - pig out at the eating joints

Talking of eating brings me to Hyderabad House,Universal Bakery,Vacs and sweet shops like Krishna Chettiars! To check out the best - use the my favourite URL as a one-stop information site - https://fullhyderabad.com/home.html

There is nothing that you can't find here - even reviews on the places !

I can't wind this review of the city up without mentioning the water holes aka pubs and the lounge bars.10 Downing Street,Liquids,Touch,Bottles and Chimmney,Ahala - these are to name a few.If its an evening where you dont want to splurge - stick to 10D and Bottles and Chimmeys - located in Begumpet itself.The rest - rich and tastefully done up interiors serving the same stuff at an eye popping price :))

The crowd you meet here is easy to look at and by and large maintain the group psyche.So get your own and take the night away.The night life ends at 11pm after which - it's safe to head out elsewhere to a private party if you are aware of one. Or else head home.The streets are safe for women to get into autos and head home. But then again - dont push it and play safe always.

You'll enjoy the city - one day - two days - visiting,staying..anywhich ways.