i 85 construction Good what s on guides include Channel 6 (www.channel6magazine.com), GO Hyderabad and City Info. The

Sankranti (Jan, statewide) This important Telugu festival marks the end of harvest season. i 85 construction Kite-flying abounds, women decorate their doorsteps with colourful kolams (or rangolis rice-flour designs), and men decorate cattle with bells and fresh horn paint.

Good what s on guides include Channel 6 (www.channel6magazine.com), GO Hyderabad and City Info. The juiciest is Wow! Hyderabad (www.wowhyderabad.com; 25). The Deccan Chronicle is a good local paper; its Hyderabad Chronicle insert has info on happenings.

Nand International HOTEL $ (%24657511; www.nandhotels.com; Kacheguda Station Rd; s/d/tr from 535/635/735; a) The Nand is a pleasant surprise near Kacheguda Station. It has a roof garden i 85 construction with potted geraniums (and chai on order), sitting areas, water coolers, and well-looked-after peach-coloured i 85 construction rooms hung with weird mixed-media art.

interstate mile marker map So come, but only if you re prepared to dig for the jewels to be found here. Keep your eyes open and

So come, but only if you re prepared to dig for the jewels to be found here. Keep your eyes open and your curiosity sharp and you re bound to find something that even Andhrans, in their modesty, hadn t thought to mention.

oWaterfront ASIAN FUSION $$$ (Map p902; %65278899; Necklace Rd; mains 175-650; hnoon-2.30pm & 7-11pm) The outdoor deck here on the water (dinner service only) may have the best ambience in all of Hyderabad, with soft lighting overhead, the Buddha Statue and the entire Hussain Sagar and the Birla Mandir all twinkling in the distance. Eating indoors, alongside enormous picture windows, isn t bad either. But it s the Chinese, Indian and Thai food that s to die for their take on phad kea mou (noodles with tasty bok choy) is a must-eat.

4 Sleeping & Eating Hotel Ashoka HOTEL $$ (%2578491; Main Rd, Hanamkonda; r from 600; ai) Good-value rooms near the Hanamkonda bus stand and the 1000-Pillared Temple. Also in the compound are a restaurant, a bar-restaurant, a pub and the veg Kanishka (mains 75 to 125).

new jersey toll calculator Forty kilometres southwest of Vizag is this stunning Buddhist complex (admission free; h9am-6pm), be

Forty kilometres southwest of Vizag is this stunning Buddhist complex (admission free; h9am-6pm), better known by the name of its two hills, Bojjannakonda and Lingalakonda. Used by monks from the 1st to 9th centuries AD (p910), the hills are covered with rock-cut

Hyderabad is a city known for its love of good food, and locals take great pride in their city s off erings. Andhra Pradesh s cuisine has two major influences. The Mughals brought tasty biryanis, haleem (pounded, spiced wheat with goat or mutton) and kebabs. The Andhra new jersey toll calculator style is vegetarian and famous for its spiciness.

i 90 traffic report YMCA HOSTEL $ (Map p896; %27801190; secunderabadymca@ yahoo.co.in; cnr SP & SD Rd, Secunderabad; r f

Hyderabad owes its existence to a water shortage at Golconda in the late 16th century. The reigning Qutb Shahis were forced to relocate, and so Mohammed Quli and the royal family abandoned Golconda Fort for the banks of the Musi River. The new city of Hyderabad was established, with the brand- new Charminar as its centrepiece.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC; %24-hr info 23450444; www.aptdc.in; h7am-8.30pm) Bashirbagh (Map p898 ; %23298456; NSF Shakar Bhavan, opposite Police Control Room); Secunderabad (Map p896 ; %27893100; Yatri Nivas Hotel, Sardar i 90 traffic report Patel Rd); Tankbund Rd (Map p898 ; %65581555; h10.30am-5pm) Organises tours.

YMCA HOSTEL $ (Map p896; %27801190; secunderabadymca@ yahoo.co.in; cnr SP & SD Rd, Secunderabad; r from 500, without bathroom i 90 traffic report from 350; a) One of the better cheapies, this cheery hostel has clean, no frill rooms, some with private i 90 traffic report balcony. It s near the clock tower.

ontario airport directions Tirupathi s bus station (%2289900) has buses to Chennai (deluxe/Volvo 70/155, four hours) and Hydera

Hyderabad owes its existence to a water shortage at Golconda in the late 16th century. The reigning Qutb Shahis were forced to relocate, and so Mohammed Quli and the royal family abandoned Golconda Fort for the banks of the Musi River. The new city of Hyderabad was established, with the brand- new Charminar as its centrepiece.

Tirupathi s bus station (%2289900) has buses to Chennai ontario airport directions (deluxe/Volvo 70/155, four hours) and Hyderabad (deluxe/Volvo 408/717, 12/10 hours). Tonnes of APSRTC and KSTDC buses go to Bengaluru (deluxe/Volvo 153/365, six/five hours), and seven buses go to Puttaparthi daily (express/deluxe 165/227, eight hours). ontario airport directions

fort mchenry tunnel toll rate The Vizag area s natural harbours have long been conducive to dropping anchor, which helped monks fr

Indian Airlines (%2283992; Tirumala Bypass Rd; h9.30am-5.30pm), 2km from town, has daily flights to Delhi via Hyderabad. Kingfisher Red (%9849677008) plies the same route, including Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam. Book with Mitta Travels (%2225981; Prakasam Rd; h9am-7.30pm Mon-Sat, 9am-12.30pm Sun), next to Manasa Fast Foods, 2km from the train station.

Golden Glory Guesthouse HOTEL $ (Map p902; %23554765; www.goldengloryguest house.com; Rd No 3, Banjara Hills; s/d incl breakfast from 650/900, s incl breakfast without bathroom 290; aW) Nestled among the mansions of ritzy Banjara Hills, fort mchenry tunnel toll rate this gem of a hotel scores big on location. Tucked down a quiet residential street, it s the perfect place to escape fort mchenry tunnel toll rate the madness of Hyderabad. First impressions are grand with sparkling lobby and spiral staircase, and while the cheaper fort mchenry tunnel toll rate rooms are boxy, they re very clean and good value (and include a simple breakfast). Pricier rooms are more spacious with balconies and bathtubs.

If you re pressed for time, APTDC runs three-day tours ( 1950) to Tirumala from Hyderabad. KSTDC (p 849 ) and TTDC (p 998 ) offer the same from Bengaluru and Chennai, respectively. APTDC also has a full-day tour ( 340) of temples in the Tirupathi area.

The Vizag area s natural harbours have long been conducive to dropping fort mchenry tunnel toll rate anchor, which helped monks from Sri Lanka, China and Tibet come here to learn and practice meditation. Bavikonda (h9am-6pm) and Thotlakonda (h10am-3pm) were popular hilltop monasteries on the coast that hosted up to 150 monks at a time with the help of massive rainwater fort mchenry tunnel toll rate tanks and, at Thotlakonda, a natural spring.

a map of the 50 states The monasteries flourished during the Theravada period (Bavikonda, from the 3rd century BC to the 3r

The monasteries flourished during the Theravada period (Bavikonda, from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD, and Thotlakonda, from the 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD) and had votive stupas, a map of the 50 states congregation halls, chaitya-grihas, viharas and refectories. Today only the ruins of these massive monastic compounds remain, but they re impressive nonetheless, with a placid, almost magical, air and sea views to meditate on. Bavikonda and Thotlakonda are 14km and 16km, respectively, from Vizag on Bheemli a map of the 50 states Beach Rd. Vizag s autorickshaw drivers charge around 400 return to see both.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation a map of the 50 states (APTDC; %24-hr info 23450444; www.aptdc.in; h7am-8.30pm) Bashirbagh (Map p898 ; %23298456; a map of the 50 states NSF Shakar Bhavan, opposite Police Control Room); Secunderabad (Map p896 ; %27893100; a map of the 50 states Yatri Nivas Hotel, Sardar Patel Rd); Tankbund Rd (Map p898 ; %65581555; h10.30am-5pm) Organises tours.

The best beach for swimming is at Rushikonda, 10km north of town, one of the nicest stretches of coast you ll fi nd this side of India. Weekends get busy and take on a carnival-like atmosphere. Surfers keen for a paddle can rent decent boards from local surf pioneer, Melville, at SAAP