How to spend a day in Hyderabad

If you are visiting Hyderabad to watch a match, there are a host of things you could do in your spare time.

The city neatly divides itself into the old and the new parts. In the south you have the "old city", which houses monuments, museums and palaces, and on crossing the Musi river and travelling north, you have a bustling modern metropolis with malls, multiplexes, five-star hotels and even a film studio.

Start your day with breakfast at the self-service Udupi restaurants that offer excellent and affordable traditional south Indian fast food. You are likely to find one near your hotel. Braver souls can try the traditional paya soup (made of mutton trotters) served in restaurants near Charminar.

For anyone looking for a taste of the old-world charm of Hyderabad, Charminar is the best place to start. You can get there by bus from a number of places in the city. The markets at Charminar do not open till almost 11am (the local traders refer to any time before this as "subah subah", or "early morning"), so you can walk around in relative peace if you get there by 9am. Do take the effort to take the stairs to the terrace of the monument for a good view of the city and a closer look at the minarets.

After that, walk to Mecca masjid and the Chowmahalla Palace. By the time you are done looking around the two (say, by noon), the market will be buzzing with activity. The chudi (bangle) bazaar in a lane adjoining Charminar has tens of shops selling bangles made of lacquer (yes, the same stuff cricket balls are coated with), and the jewellery shops lining the street are a good place to buy Hyderabadi pearls. To be safe, visit the bigger shops, which tend to be more reliable. Many of these also provide a corporate discount if you have your ID card available.

For lunch, head over to Shadab or Bawarchi for a sumptuous feast of Hyderabadi biryani. Try the khubaani ka meetha for dessert. The many Kamat restaurants in the centre of the city or the Taj Mahal Hotel at Abids are good option for vegetarians. Other than Shadab, these places are about 7km to 10km from Charminar but are well worth the hassle of the extra travel.

After lunch you could visit the Salarjung Museum on the banks of the river Musi, only a couple of kilometres from Charminar. It is the largest art collection in the world that belonged to one man, with artefacts from India, Persia, China and Egypt, and a fine collection of European art.

You could also head to Golconda Fort, where the Kohinoor diamond was mined, and the Qutub Shahi tombs, after lunch. It is a bit of a climb up to the fort but the unique architecture and acoustics of the place should not be missed. They have a sound-and-light show at the fort after dusk, which you can attend on a non-match evening. The fort is about 10km from Charminar and there is no direct bus service, so a cab or an auto-rickshaw would be ideal.

Towards evening, you can go to Tank Bund or Hussain Sagar, a man-made lake in the heart of the city, before heading to Uppal for the match. There are multiple buses to this area but again no direct service.

Take a boat ride to the Buddha statue in the middle of the lake, or head over to Lumbini Park for a musical fountain show or to the NTR Gardens for some peace and quiet. Stop to snack at the "Eat Street" nearby. You could also spend the afternoon and early evening at the Birla Mandir, built of marble, and the science museum and planetarium next door. There is even a stall in the planetarium premises offering pearls at moderate prices.

If museums and forts don't interest you, go to Tank Bund directly from Charminar, with lunch on the way at Bawarchi.

For wildlife enthusiasts, or folks with kids, the Nehru Zoological Park is a wonderful way to spend the day, but avoid visiting on Sundays when it will be very crowded. You could follow it up with a visit to Tank Bund in the evening.

You could also skip all of the above and instead spend a day at Ramoji Film City on the outskirts of the city before the match. The ticket to the film city includes lunch.

For those looking for a more urban form of entertainment, Prasad's IMAX near Tank Bund offers an enticing prospect. Hyderabad has some of the lowest ticket prices for cinemas and an enthusiast will find hard to resist an offer to watch an IMAX film for just Rs 250.

The city also has a thriving theatre scene. The Hyderabad Film Club hosts screenings and film festivals but these are likely to clash with match timings. Cultural events are scheduled at Ravindra Bharati theatre, in the heart of Hyderabad. Check the events section in the local newspaper for the day's highlights.

The Begumpet and Banjara Hills neighbourhoods have a number of malls, restaurants and hotels where you can spend a day indulging in shopping and other entertainment, though there is nothing specifically Hyderabadi about these activities. But these areas are far from the stadium, so wrap up early. Some of the places here also show matches on giant screens and will have offers going on through the IPL season. You can easily combine shopping/dining in these areas with a visit to the Tank Bund in the evening.

Tips for spectators
Watching a cricket match in Hyderabad, like anywhere else in the country, comes with its own set of challenges. The retail ticket sale is usually through "e-seva" centres for India matches and varies each year for the IPL. Refer to local newspapers for the latest information. Tickets bought online need to be redeemed for "actual" tickets beforehand at the Gymkhana ground, which is about 10km from the Uppal Stadium. If you are in the city for a short while, get someone else to collect them for you.

The ticket prices for the IPL are much higher than for international matches. The north and south pavilion stands (first floor) offer the best views. However, if you have a ticket for the western stand (also first floor; cheapest prices) and manage to get in early, you can take the seats at about long-on. These offer the best value for money.

Mobile phones, food and binoculars are usually not allowed inside. Rules regarding this tend to change for every match or tournament, so check beforehand. Note that there is no place to deposit your belongings outside the ground in case you are turned away.

Try to get to the stadium at least 30-40 minutes before the match. Unfortunately the best way to reach the stadium is by private transport, though buses do run in the area. On the way back, there may be cabs belonging to BPO offices that are willing to pick up passengers after 10pm, but it's better to book a taxi for the return journey if you do not have your own vehicle.

The city does have a good bus service and all the places mentioned in this article are well connected. Check with locals or your hotel staff for the best routes between specific points. There is also a dedicated bus service to and from the airport into the city. If you're not used to travelling by bus, booking an all-day cab, even for a single person, will prove very convenient and an affordable option compared to hiring numerous auto-rickshaws through the day.

Finally, before leaving the city, don't forget to pick up a box of Karachi biscuits for the folks back home. These are available at many supermarkets now, and even at the airport.