India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (219 page)

If you want to do some serious reading up on Hyderabad other than the brochures supplied by the Tourism Department, then try two of the bigger and better bookstores in the city—
Walden
(6-3-871 Greenlands Rd., Begumpet;
040/2341-3434
with a branch at Trendset Towers, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills;
040/2335-1613;
open daily) and
A. A. Husain & Co.
(5-8-551 Abid Rd.;
040/2320-3724;
closed Sun).

Useful numbers: For
24-hour pharmacies,
call
Apollo Hospital
(
040/2323-1380;
www.apollohospitals.com
) or
Care Hospital
(
040/2323-4444;
www.carehospitals.com
). The local
telephone search engine
(
040/2444-4444
) is extremely helpful in providing phone numbers and addresses of almost everything in the city.

GETTING AROUND
Actually comprising the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, Hyderabad is spread over a vast area, and its few sights are scattered, so you’re best off renting a car and driver for a half- or full day. See
SOTC
(details below) for 24-hour car-hire service; or call
Easy Cabs
(
040/4343-4343;
www.easycabs.com
); a half day tour costs between Rs 700 and Rs 1400, doubling for a full day extension.) Aside from this the Old City is best explored on foot.

GUIDED TOURS & TRAVEL AGENTS
The
Andhra Pradesh Travel & Tourism Development Corporation
(see “Visitor information,” above) runs full-day guided tours of the city (Rs 270) and 3-day trips to Tirupati (Rs 1,750 including a night’s accommodations). There are also daily tours to Nagarjuna Sagar (150km/93 miles away; Rs 450; only on the weekend), where excavations during the construction of a dam revealed an ancient Buddhist site. All the salvaged structures and antiques are now housed in a museum on an island.
SOTC
(3-5-874 Hyderguda Rd.;
040/6699-9922;
www.sotc.in
Mon–Sat 10am–6pm) can make all your travel, sightseeing, and car-hire arrangements. For alternate quotes, call
Sai Bon Voyage
(
98-8562-8111
or 040/6684-3333;
www.saibonvoyage.com
).

WHAT TO SEE & DO

To see Hyderabad in a day, first drive to
Qutb Shahi Tombs
(9:30am–6:30pm; closed Fri), where Hyderabad’s dynastic rulers are buried. The tombs, built in grey granite with stucco ornamentation, are an interesting mix of Persian, Pathan, and Hindu styles. Standing at the center of its own garden, Sultan Muhammed Quli Qutb Shah’s tomb is considered the most impressive. Built around the same time as his tomb, the mortuary bath
(Hamaam)
—where the dead were washed before being laid to rest—lies at the center of the enclosure. From here, consider walking to
Golconda Fort;
have your driver show you the route, which is about 2km (1 1⁄4 miles) and takes you through lively villages where you may even be invited in for a cup of
chai
and a chat. Allow at least an hour to explore the ruins of the historic citadel, arranging for your driver to pick you up at the entrance.

Next, head to
Charminar,
a four-sided archway with soaring minarets. It was laid out by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah as the centerpiece of a great new city when Golconda’s disease epidemics forced him to move his seat to the banks of the Musi River. Explore the Old City quarter on foot, heading westward into
Laad Bazaar
, where double-story houses with tiny wooden shutters line narrow lanes. Wandering through these perpetually congested narrow lanes, you’ll encounter numerous
burkha
-wearing
women scanning the stalls for bargains, and you’re likely to score a deal on anything from old saris, pearls,
bidri
(surface ornamentation)
work, and silver and gold jewelry to paper kites, henna, turmeric, and cheap china.
Lac
bangles, made from shellac encrusted with shiny, colorful stones, are a Hyderabadi specialty that you’ll find in huge quantities here. It’s also where the people of Hyderabad go to buy traditional bridal wear, or
Khopdia Joda,
consisting of a
kurta
pajama,
choli,
and
ghunghat.