Must Do's in the City of Pearls: Hyderabad

One of the must see places in Hyderabad is the Salar Jung Museum, huge museum and a lot of things to see. It is basically a blend of cultures, from Indian to European to Japanese and Chinese. The museum consists of vintage furniture, walking sticks, crockery, carpets and paintings form a different era. It may take up to two days to see the whole museum which is divided in different wings and the same are numbered. Take up one wing at a time and then move to the next. There is an age old clock which shows the correct time since years, it is an attraction in the museum because of the way it functions. You can easily spend hours in the museum if you are willing to see each and every room like I did. The furniture is exquisite and so is the porcelain crockery. The museum also consists of famous paintings and sculptures.

Birla Temple is another must visit place while in Hyderabad. Located at a height and in the center of the city, it is an extremely beautiful and peaceful temple. The view from the top of the temple is magnificent.

Golconda Fort almost surprised me! I didn’t expect the fort to be so huge and carry such an amazing history. A few movies like Tere Naam have been shot in the fort. You make the choice to see the whole fort or only half of it. The whole fort takes upto 3 hours to see because of the number of steps that take you to the highest point of the Fort. (Wear shoes!) There lies a temple at the highest tip of the fort. Advice- Take a guide so you will be able to learn about the history of the fort because there is nothing that provides you the details of the same. You may walk up to the tip of the fort but will not know anything about the history of the same, also you may miss out on a few important areas that lie hidden in the fort. Hence, take the services of the guide and take a tour of the whole fort. A light and sound show is organized at the fort around 6 pm (timing varies according to season). If you have seen the fort, then you may skip the show but if you haven’t walked all through the fort, then this will help.

Charminar is of course the most famous point of the city. Ensure that you do not go there on a Sunday or a public holiday otherwise it will be extremely crowded. Located in the middle of old city, there is a lot of traffic. Worth visiting once. Laad Bazaar lies adjacent to Charminar.

Lumbini and NTR Gardens, located near the Hussain Sagar Lake are both consisting of plantation and a few rides for children. You may visit either of them or give them both a miss.

Snow World is a park made for all the snow lovers. You may visit or give it a miss. The park is made with fun rides and games, a time osf around an hour is provided for you to stay inside the park. Everything is surrounded by snow and is a major attraction for children.

Chowmala Palace is also a museum which consists of ancient items similar to the Salar Jung museum.

The Taj Falaknuma is a palace which has been converted into a hotel property by the Taj Group. Amazing hotel with the best views of the city, it lies at a distance from the city. Worth a visit if you have an extra day and are willing to spoil yourself in luxury. There are entry fees for entering the hotel property.

The famous Hyderabadi biryani should be tried at Paradise Hotel which has branches located at various areas in the city. Also famous there is a dessert known as qubani Ka meetha which is made out of dried apricots, worth a try! The very famous Karachi Bakery has many branches located in different parts of the city. There is not much to shop from Hyderabad, except lac bangles which are specially for the ones who love a bit of bling and glitter. Lac bangles can be purchased from the Laad Bazaar which is located right adjacent to the Charminar. There are loads of shops selling bangles. If you want to buy genuine pearls, then do not buy from Laad Bazaar. Bargaining will help and the prices are adjusted deeply. There are malls in the city featuring all the famous brands, located mostly at Hi-tech city and Banjara Hills. Banjara Hills and Jubilee hills are the cosmopolitan areas of the city where a lot of politicians and celebrities reside.

For the ones who love pearls and are willing to buy them from the famous City of Pearls, here is a piece of advice- you never know if it is genuine or fake. Hence, take precautions and make your buy from a reliable shop which does not believe in bargaining. Check for yourself and confirm about the genuineness of the pieces before you splurge on them.

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