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Hyderabad City Tour Guide - Andhra Pradesh
Hyderabad Facts:
• Population 3,058,093 (1991)
• Altitude 537 metres above the sea level
• Languages Telugu, Urdu and English
• Best time to visit October to February
• STD code 040

Hyderabad engulfs you in traditional warmth. Be it the yummy lip smacking food, the old buildings including the Charminar, the city weaves a magic spell. A truly magnificent city in every way epitomizes true old world charm, yet progressing by leaps and bounds. The city has a history of over 400 years. It is the fifth largest metropolitan city in the Indian Subcontinent. The enchanting city has been shaped beautifully by a multitude of cross cultural influences. Every corner in Hyderabad can boast of a duality that is harmonious, the confluence of the Hindu and Muslim communities. With its pleasant climate, wonderful shopping areas, magnificent and much talked about cuisine and the amalgam of diverse cultures every street, every monument; every tree must have a wonderful story to narrate. Also called the City Of Pearls, the streets of Hyderabad once saw these precious items being sold on the street like the peanuts being sold these days. The capital city of Andhra Pradesh is one of the most techno savvy cities in India, second perhaps only to Bangalore. It soon might be India’s second Silicon Valley. The future, for the city of destiny, looks promising.

History

The fifth ruler of the Qutub Shahi Dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah founded the city of Hyderabad in 1586. He called it Bhagyanagar in honour of his lady love Bhagmathi, for whom the city was built. When Bhagmathi married Quli Qutub Shah, she was rechristened Hyder Mahal. The city too got a new name, Hyderabad.

The city is modelled after the Iranian city of Isfahan and was an attempt to recreate paradise on earth. The city bowled over the French traveller Tavernier, who compared it to Orleans. By the 1670s, the city was the central point of all trade in the East.
Hyderabad has grown enormously in the past 400 years and has now become a commercially aggressive city, competing with the older metropolises of the country. The city is attracting a lot of investment and other opportunities for economic growth. It has been playing host to some major trade shows and technology fairs in India in recent years.

How to get there

Air
Hyderabad is an important centre in the air transport network of south India. There are flights in either direction between Hyderabad and Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bhubaneswar, Nagpur, and Visakhapatnam. Hyderabad has an international airport too and sees flights mainly to the US and the Middle East.
Rail
The twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad are extensively covered by the railway network. There are train links with the metros, besides Bangalore, Bhubaneswar, and Visakhapatnam and towns within Andhra Pradesh.
Road
The city is easily accessible by road as it lies on the crossroads of National Highways 7 and 9. Buses of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) as well as private operators ply to all important towns and cities within the state.

Best time to visit

The most pleasant months are October to February. The maximum temperatures at this time of the year hover at 28 º– 29º C. The nights are cool at a minimum temperature of 16º C. In the summer months the temperature can soar upto 40°C in the daytime, dropping to a minimum of 30ºC at night.  The monsoons hit the city during June to December.

Dining Out

The trip to Hyderabad is incomplete without having itsmouthwatering and world famous rice preparation Biryani. Ingredient for non-vegetarian biryanis is chicken or mutton and vegetarians are loaded with different kind of vegetables nicely cooked with nuts and spices. Other compulsory items to consume are tamarind rice and a meat dish called Halim.
There's some good new for international travelers. The city has a lot to offer to tickle the tastebuds in the form of Chinese food.
The influential moguls who ruled the place gave birth to the Moghlai dishes here whereas the locals generally prefer having simple south Indian food. As mentioned earlier, the food is hot and spicy and these mouthwatering dishes may cause not just your mouth but also your eyes to turn watery.
Famous food courts are:
Bawarchi - Mughlai, Biryani

Mandar (towards Golconda Fort) - Andhra, Continental, North Indian food

Mithai (old city Agra) - vegetarian food

Shehran, Nayaab, Madina - Kababs, BiryaniHaiking (Hyderguda Quarter),

Nanking (Secunderabad) - Chinese

Taj Mahal, Riviera (next to Sangeet cinema) - vegetarian dishes

Nightlife

Bars

Aangan
Yatri Niwas possesses a joint venture between the state government's travel and tourism development and a private management restaurant called Aangan. Menu provides you with a lot of items to choose from be it Hyderabadi, Andhra, Indian, Chinese, Continental or Mexican food. Name it and have it here.

Hunter's Roost
Don't worry of your children while you consume your drink or finish off with your dinner. Hunter's Roost keeps children busy with slides and swings installed just for them. The ambience of the place is casual and the food tastes nothing but good.

Pubs

Upper Deck
Here's the perfect way to spend an evening. The rooftop restaurant and pub at the Pai Viceroy, Upper Deck is known for its regular clientele that keeps coming back over and over again. Not just for its Egyptian ambience mixed with natural green colours or for the quality and uniqueness of its cuisines and recipes but also for the fact that extra efforts by the extremely friendly bartenders makes the visit a worth. Experienced bartenders juggle with the bottles and makes sure that every single person is entertained well. The care taken by the entire staff to know regulars with their names sure pays well.

Escape
The incredible interiors, substantial space, a sizeable screen and melodious music are reasons enough to visit Escape. Proving its name, Escape gives its visitors a chance to escape from the chores of day to day life.

Shopping

Pearls, Pochampalli silks, vegetable-dye paintings, miniature paintings, lac bangles, block-printed textiles, handlooms bedspreads. The list is endless. The shops on Patthargatti Road provide a variety of saris, silks, cottons, and readymade outfits. Recommended shops are Kalanjali, PublicGarden, and Meena Bazaar (in Tilak Road and Basheer Bagh).

For pearls, visit Mangatrai (outlets in Patthargatti and Basheerbagh) or Lepakshi, the Government of Andhra Pradesh's handicrafts emporium at Gunfoundry. The Cottage Industries Exposition (Begumpet and Sarojini Devi Road, Secunderabad) is a good hunting ground for handicrafts, carpets, furniture, linen, and miniature paintings. If you are the Begumpet outlet, you could hop over to Contemporary Arts & Crafts (in Panjagutta area). The shop prides itself in its beautiful collection of fabrics, objects-de-art, table and bed linen, wooden and wrought iron furniture, beautiful tea cups, paintings, and home accessories.

Your next halt should be Lad Bazaar, also called the 'Bridal Bazaar of Hyderabad'. The real draw is the exquisite range of stone-studded lac and glass bangles. Nayeem Bangles and Jewellery Shop specialize in stone, shellac and metal bangles in all the possible colours. The designs are intricate and eye catching. The Sultan Zari Palace specializes in rich zari and zardozi (fine gold-thread embroidery) saris and wedding outfits.

Tourist Offices

The Andhra Pradesh Travel & Tourism Development Corporation (APTTDC) is the state's tourism department. It is responsible for the promotion and management of tourism in the state, and the APTTDC officials are probably the best equipped to deal with visitor queries. The office in Hyderabad is on Bund Road, next to the Lumbini Park Tank. It is open everyday from 10:30 am to 6 pm. Telephone: (040) 7816375.

The Government of India tourist office in Hyderabad is at the Sandozi Building in Himayatnagar. It will be able to provide you with valuable information on travelling anywhere in the country. It is open from Monday to Friday 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Railway stations and central bus stations usually have a tourist office counter too.

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