Visiting Hyderabad, India - any suggestions?

[J3anyus]

Work is sending me to Hyderabad, India for awhile, and I'll be going out there this Thursday. What kind of cool stuff is there to do while I'm there? I keep reading about Golkonda Fort, but I'm curious what other things there are that I might not have heard about.

What about restaurants - is there anywhere I should make sure to go to while I'm there? I loooooove food of all kinds, and am willing to try pretty much anything.

Thanks for the suggestions

 

[akshatp]

What nationality are you? Just curious because if you areborn/raised in the states and never been to India, you may be in for a culture shock

Although H-bad is pretty well developed due to alot of big companies IT and CC out there

 

[clamum]

Isn't theprodigalrebel from there? GIT IN HERE BUDDY.

 

[Born2bwire]

All I can tell you is, no matter how you try, you won't be able to pronounce Hyderabad correctly.

 

[OUCaptain]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire
All I can tell you is, no matter how you try, you won't be able to pronounce Hyderabad correctly.

It took me longer just to try than it did to read the whole thread.

 

[Cristatus]

Originally posted by: Born2bwire
All I can tell you is, no matter how you try, you won't be able to pronounce Hyderabad correctly.

Try pronouncing it high-dru-bad, with a "rolling R" and the bad as "bahd".

Here's a sound file from wikimedia.

 

[OdiN]

Don't.

 

[SandEagle]

don't drink the water, but do try the kabobs

 

[SagaLore]

I haven't been to Hyderabad yet, but my recommendations in general:

If "while" is only a few weeks, then don't drink the water or brush your teeth with it, don't put ice in your drinks, don't eat any raw salads. Fruits are okay if they're freshly peeled.

If "while" is a few months, then go ahead and drink "filtered" water, brush your teeth with the tap water, eat all the raw veggies and fruits you can. You'll get the runs. DON'T take an anti-diarrheal. Eat lots of yogurts and curds. Drink lots of water. If the runs lasts longer than 2 days, then take cipro, but keep eating and drinking everything. Your tract will now have the correct flora to handle the local bacteria and you'll do fine the remainder of the trip.

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: rrahman1
don't drink the water, but do try the kabobs

... and the biryani

 

[J3anyus]

Originally posted by: akshatp
What nationality are you? Just curious because if you areborn/raised in the states and never been to India, you may be in for a culture shock

Although H-bad is pretty well developed due to alot of big companies IT and CC out there

I'm born/raised in the US and I haven't ever been to India. I'm definitely expecting a big culture shock, and my coworkers who've been there before have given me lots of tips about what to expect. From everything I've heard, it sounds like it's going to be very, very different from anywhere I've ever been before.

Originally posted by: SagaLore
I haven't been to Hyderabad yet, but my recommendations in general:

If "while" is only a few weeks, then don't drink the water or brush your teeth with it, don't put ice in your drinks, don't eat any raw salads. Fruits are okay if they're freshly peeled.

If "while" is a few months, then go ahead and drink "filtered" water, brush your teeth with the tap water, eat all the raw veggies and fruits you can. You'll get the runs. DON'T take an anti-diarrheal. Eat lots of yogurts and curds. Drink lots of water. If the runs lasts longer than 2 days, then take cipro, but keep eating and drinking everything. Your tract will now have the correct flora to handle the local bacteria and you'll do fine the remainder of the trip.

Makes sense. I'll be there just over 2 weeks, so I'm planning to go with option A I have a whole bunch of cipro though in case I get sick, which seems pretty likely.

Originally posted by: George P Burdell

Originally posted by: rrahman1
don't drink the water, but do try the kabobs

... and the biryani

Awesome, sounds good. I remember hearing about biryani awhile back but I had forgotten about it. I'll make sure I talk to the people at our Hyderabad office to see where I should find some

Thanks to everyone who has replied so far!

 

[SAWYER]

I hear that rats are a lovely sight this time of the year.

 

[alfa147x]

Dude i was born in HYD moved here when i was 2

but we do go back every 3 years

go to city center and eat at the "Sahib Sindh Sultan" and if you like clubs check out the one next door "firangi pani"

 

[alfa147x]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell

Originally posted by: rrahman1
don't drink the water, but do try the kabobs

... and the biryani

Oh my god i am salivating as i read this thread!

remember the legal drinking age is 25 but i had no problem with most places (17)

try the thumbs up with some vodka



JSK i dont drink, i did have 2 - 3 drinks when i was out with my cousins

 

[akshatp]

If you are paranoid about your health, travel shots are a good idea too. I think the usual concotion they give is Hep A/B, Polio, Typhoid... and Malaria pills but I heard these have nasty side effects so stay away from the pills and dont get bit by any mosquitoes! (Take plenty of Off!)

 

[alfa147x]

Oh for biryani go to "paradise" great food, my uncle's office is right in front of it

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: akshatp
and Malaria pills but I heard these have nasty side effects so stay away from the pills and dont get bit by any mosquitoes! (Take plenty of Off!)

The 1 pill per week anti-malaria may cause weird dreams, and in severe cases hallucinations.

I used to take the 1 pill per day, didn't really have any side effects (made me a little tired though).

Now I don't take any pills, but try and drink as much tonic water as possible. It contains quinine, which is extracted from a bark, and has natural anti-malaria properties.

 

[The Stigenator]

make sure you drink enough water. cause thats the only thing thats gonna save you.. and take shots before you leave..

and take off! for you ... you're going in teh summer, if you loose power its gonna be hella hot!

 

[alfa147x]

Originally posted by: TheGoodGuy
make sure you drink enough water. cause thats the only thing thats gonna save you.. and take shots before you leave..

and take off! for you ... you're going in teh summer, if you loose power its gonna be hella hot!

last summer it got up to 108 every day :|

 

[J3anyus]

I live in Arizona and it gets up to 115+ every summer for weeks at a time, so I'm hoping the heat won't bother me too much. I've been watching the weather in Hyderabad and it looks like it gets into the high 90s or low 100s most days, so I think I should be alright. I've heard that shorts are a bad idea in India though (disrespectful and only worn by children), so having to deal with the heat while wearing long pants is going to be a new experience for me.

I start taking malarone (anti-malaria pills) tomorrow and I've already gotten a million vaccinations, so I should be okay with that. Too bad there's no way to prevent the inevitable traveler's diarrhea

Thanks again to everyone who's replied so far, it's definitely helpful.

 

[summit]

off doesn't work on mosquitoes in asia. try the stuff they have there works so much better but probably is a carcinogen.

 

[gsethi]

Avoid tap water and filtered tap water(you dont know when filters were changed last). Only drink bottled water (brand names...cant recall the name for Coca-Cola brand there...it started with "K" iirc). I was born and raised in India (came to US when I was ~16). Went back to visit New Delhi after 10 years and only drank bottled water or carbon filtered tap water. I accidently drank regular tap water one day and fell sick.

My dad (who lived in India for all his life...again been here for ~10 years) also fell sick when he drank tap water.

And oh..it will be summer there...so will be HOT like hell. Also, take cough drops with you. The pollution can be bad (I used to start coughing heavily everytime I left the house in Delhi...was perfectly fine 2nd day after I came back to US).

Again...brand name bottled water and good quality food from decent restaurants and you should be fine.

PS: it was a culture shock for me also.

 

[jai6638]

The brand gsethi refers to I think is "Kinley".. Try to avoid Bisleri since there was a big controvery about how their bottles are usually tampered with..

 

[Born2bwire]

Originally posted by: Cristatus

Originally posted by: Born2bwire
All I can tell you is, no matter how you try, you won't be able to pronounce Hyderabad correctly.

Try pronouncing it high-dru-bad, with a "rolling R" and the bad as "bahd".

Here's a sound file from wikimedia.

I'm told I still don't say it right.

 

[ViviTheMage]

free trip, sweet!