Haiderabad

Eat

No visit to Hyderabad would be complete without sampling its unique cuisine, a rich blend of royal Mughlai flavours, Nizams special, and spice-up culinary traditions of South India such as: Hyderabadi biryani, pathar-ka-ghosht, nahari, haleem, double-ka-meetha, khubani-ka-meetha, seviyon-ka-meetha and kheer.

A popular dish of Hyderabad is biryani. It is prepared with a blending of Mughal kitchen and the style of cooking practised by the Nizams. Hyderabadi biryani has a distinct aroma. Garnished with pudina, fried onion & boiled eggs. Mostly it is served with dahi-ki-chutney and mirchi-ka-salan. Biryani was traditionally made with goat meat, but in modern times it has many variants like lamb biryani, chicken biryani, biryani khaam, biryani zard or zafrani or the most exotic of all joban malti biryani in which mutton, partridges and quails were cooked with rice. thumb|right|260px|Hyderabadi Biryani (left) and other dishes (right) thumb|right|Osmania biscuits from Hyderabad

There are many stories about biryani. One of them says, in 1398 legend Turk-Mongol conqueror Timur brought a pot full of rice to feed this army.

Culinary delicacies of Hyderabad include:

Kachchi gosht ki biriyani, of Hyderabad, where raw meat is stir-fried with spices (masala) for a couple of minutes and then covered with rice and put on dum. Today, biryani is also made using vegetables, chicken, seafood and beef. The beef biryani is known as Kalyani Biryani, available at many small eateries in the city. …

Drink

There is plenty to do at night in Hyderabad, though local regulations have most places serving last drinks by 23:00. On weekdays, drinks in some of the pubs have the best offers, as most clubs are empty until Thursday or Friday nights, when the clubbers emerge. But the sheer number of nightlife spots makes it hard to choose which ones to list. As a general rule they tend to be clustered around Begumpet (Secunderabad) and Road No.1, Banjara Hills (Central).

Alcohol is available easily from numerous liquor shops, known as wine shops in local parlance, spread across the twin cities, in restaurants with bars attached (including most upscale ones) and in pubs.

Warning: Drunk driving is not tolerated, and police enforce the rule strictly. After 11:00PM, almost all the roads have police patrols and check for drunk driving. If caught, you may end up paying fines, apart from the vehicle being seized and a couple of rounds to the police station in worst scenarios.

Some of the good pubs and bars are part of hotels, and they have been covered along with their hotel listing under Sleep.

Sleep

Accommodation in Hyderabad is unlikely to bust your budget, especially when compared to cities like Mumbai or Bengaluru, and rooms are usually easily available. However, because the city sprawls so much, you need to be careful about the hotel location if you want to avoid a long commute and traffic bottlenecks.

Plentiful budget accommodation is to be found around the Nampally railway station and in Abids, Koti and other new city areas for a few hundred rupees a day, and tourist attractions aren't very far off. However, the facilities tend to be basic, the towels aren't necessarily clean, and air-conditioning tends to be extra. It might make sense to pay a little more and choose mid-range accommodation. The area around Hussain Sagar Lake, Begumpet, Punjagutta, Somajiguda, Banjara Hills and Lakdi-ka-Pul is close to both tourist attractions of the old city and the business areas of the new city. Hotels in Secunderabad might be slightly far for the tourist, but may still work for the business traveller.

Hotel rooms tend to be expensive and scarce closer to HITEC City, and commuting from any of the above areas, except perhaps Banjara Hills, is not a good option because of the traffic. Areas around HITEC City are Madhapur, Kondapur and Gachibowli. For longer term stays, you might want to consider serviced apartments.

Stay safe

Hyderabad used to suffer from terrorism between 2007 and 2013. There were bomb blasts at Mecca Masjid, Lumbini Park, places often frequented by travellers and also at busy marketplaces. Since the city is free of terrorism since 2014, the chances that you will be in danger are quite low. However, you should still make your own risk assessment, as the intrusive security will more likely dampen your enjoyment of your Hyderabad vacation than any physical danger. Every shopping mall, theatre and palace has metal detectors and security guards patting you down.

The Old City used to be a communally sensitive zone, and a venue for religiously aggravated riots between Hindus and Muslims. It was common for the police to impose a curfew in that area while the rest of the city went about life without any problems. The area remains at the heart of Hyderabad's crime wave, and though many tourist attractions including Charminar are in this area, it is best to avoid late night visits, especially if you are a woman.

Beyond these, Hyderabad is rather safe for visitors. Muggings and violent crime are uncommon, and most crime involves thefts. Chain snatching is common in the city, and one has to be watchful in crowded areas. The usual tourist-oriented scams in India are not as bad in Hyderabad as in other places. However, foreigners will be hounded for money at tourist sites like the old city. Just ignore the beggars and they will go away.

Respect

Due to an influx of young men and women from various parts of the country, Hyderabad's culture and attitudes have taken a turn towards modernity. However, the Old City is still deeply conservative, so dress appropriately.