If it was one habit in 2021 that proved to be detrimental to mental health, then it is the suffering of being confined within your home for prolonged period. If you are an IT engineer, or any other profession that mandated Work-from-Home model, you are going to better connect to and love this travelogue. In essence, this is an extension to earlier travelogue on fulfilling a travel wish in the COVID-19 world. Here’s the link to that travelogue.

Ever since the pandemic originated and IT organizations took stance on the Work-from-Home approach, life of software professionals has been terribly awful. Sitting all day long within the four walls, staring incessantly at the computer screen, attending endless official meetings, alternating between countless scrolling on social media feeds and work laptop, the screen time only grew by leaps and bounds. A recent survey by LinkedIn shows what the employed professionals have to say about the current working culture. Here’s the link to complete article.  And, with a series of extended lockdowns, it was frustrating to be not permitted to go out onto the streets and go about anywhere without any restrictions. To top them all, the profusion of vigorous travel restrictions such as entry to vaccinated tourists, mandatory medical tests and other protocols were acutely distressing for planning a leisure trip in 2021. Fortunately, at the time our travel, certain south-Indian states relaxed such curbs and were open to travelers with scanty restrictions. And I grabbed this opportunity with open heart!

Mentally exhausted and devoid of motivation, my wife and I drafted several escapades from the excessive burnout of Work-from-Home IT culture. This was our first long travel together and I wanted it to be trouble-free. Obviously, harboring an intense penchant for mountains and trekking, my first choice was to explore these less crowded destinations. However, there are few pre-requisites that must be fulfilled to be fit for the mountains. Hence, I deferred this plan.

After several rounds of enquiries and collecting information online, we arrived at a decision to visit an offbeat destination. I call this offbeat, because such travels are unconventional based on the history of travels I have had. I must give credits to my wife for planning this travel. This was her long pending wish and a bucket-list item too. And, for me who had always opted for non-touristy destinations, this travel provided me with several unique experiences. From shooting street visuals to Heritage structures to random people, I got to explore different genres of photography!

JOURNEY TO THE CITY OF PEARLS:

Hyderabad, the city of Nizams, welcomed us with overcast weather conditions. After a few mandatory selfies at the railway station, we hired a tuk-tuk to our hotel.

Day 1:

On Day 1, we began our exploration with a visit to the glorious Birla Mandir. Built on a 250 feet high hillock, 2000 tons of pure white marble, and idols of presiding deity in granite, this temple is a modern-day architectural marvel. No baggage can be carried within the temple, neither does photography of any type is allowed. Although, one can visit the temple any time of the day, it is best to visit around dusk and night. This is when the temple is illuminated and to catch a glimpse of bird’s eye view of the city of Hyderabad glittering all around.

Next, we went on to visit the most prominent and recognized heritage structures in India. The Charminar is a landmark symbol of Hyderabad and the Emblem of State of Telangana. Walking around the Charminar structure and the surrounding area, we admired the beautiful amalgamation of the past and the present. The plethora of local markets displaying variety of apparels will certainly leave one spellbound and spoilt for choices. We spent the entire day at this spot relishing the crowded local markets and window shopping. It was only after we had handful of shopping bags on our arms and realizing no more purchases can fit in them, we sensed the need to rest, and hurried over to our hotel room.

Day 2:

Day 2 was largely leisure commute around the city using public transit facilities. We did multiple metro-rail trips to go around the city to get an overview of the city’s prominent landmarks, posh localities, suburbs dotted with IT companies and many such. We started the day with a long commute to Ramoji Film City, situated in the outskirts of the city. At the time of our visit, Ramoji Film City was closed. The security guard informed us that ever since the pandemic began in 2020, the facility was kept closed to tourists and visitors. However, it was scheduled to be thrown open for all from October 2021.

Dejected with the closure of Ramoji Film city, we then, took the long way back to the city to a popular restaurant – Kritunga. Based on the information we got from the locals, the current chief minister of Andhra Pradesh has a majority stake over this restaurant. It was a large restaurant with seating capacity of over 75 to 100 and to our surprise it was fully occupied. Curious to know the reason behind its popularity, we decided to play the waiting game. The wait ended after 20-long minutes and we placed our orders. We weren’t thoroughly impressed with the food. We would recommend this place only for those who like spicy food.

Later during the evening, we went on to visit the popular and most sought-after promenade, the Necklace road. There are three adjoining parks that it connects to. Due to time constraints, we decided to visit the famed Lumbini park. It’s a perfect place for all age groups to relax and rejuvenate. Its proximity to the famous standing statue of lord Buddha at the largest artificial lake of Asia, the Hussain Sagar lake, makes this park a worthy visit anytime of the day. There are ample recreational activities for across age groups. There are variety of boating services from the park to the statue of Buddha and it is best enjoyed during evenings at around sunset and beyond.

Day 3:

On day 3, we headed to what is known as secret lake – Durgam Cheruvu. This aspect of secrecy is largely attributed to it since the lake is hidden between the posh localities of Jubilee Hills and densely populated Information technology companies at Madhapur. We, not only, admired the lake but went around the localities dotted with plush luxury residential apartments and colonies.

Not far away from the lake, Shilparamam, is another popular hangout destination. It is a shopping destination showcasing various artefacts and handicrafts from across India. Once again, we had a great time shopping. Also, this is an ideal place for long walks. The lush green parks, walkways, water bodies, pedal boating, and mini zoo, all at minimal charges is an ideal choice for anyone wanting to spend time with the nature.

 

By evening, we travelled from one end of the city (that’s largely calm) to another end of the city (bustling with crowds). Our visit to Golconda fort wasn’t a pleasant experience. Firstly, it was a weekend. Hence, people thronged to this heritage site in large numbers. Secondly, I wasn’t allowed to carry my camera bag filled with accessories. Among the several guidelines by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), no camera accessories can be carried to any site under the provision of ASI. The absence of trustworthy luggage collection centers around the site meant that I had to forego visiting Golconda fort this time. It was getting dark, and I wanted to visit the Charminar area for some night shots of the monument. After an hour of devoting time for location scouting and shooting dramatic visuals of crowded shopping scenes, it was a moment to rejoice! I was happy to see all my efforts fetching me the results I wanted!

 

Day 4:

Day 4 presented us with several challenges. Because of cyclonic activity in and around Hyderabad, the city experienced widespread rains, and we stuck in our hotel room. With no other places conducive for visit during the rains and our time ticking fast towards hotel checkout, we did not want to waste our time and hence vacated the hotel room. We kept our luggage in the reception area and headed straight to Shilparamam again. It is better connected to metro-rail and has every facility within its premises to be used on a day-to-day basis at a nominal charge of INR 60. Once again, we had a fabulous time! This place has its own charm! Do not miss this place when you are in Hyderabad.

The rains were in no mood to relent and we had our train back to home scheduled late in the evening. As and when the downpour decreased, we hurried our way to the nearest metro-rail station. We managed to board our train back home just in time.

Yet again, this trip will remain etched in our memories for years to come! I hope you enjoyed reading this travelogue. See you soon with another fascinating journey!

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