Hyderabad

Hyderabad is very much a city where two ways of life — ancient and modern — exist side by side. 

Sophisticated five-star hotels, shopping malls, eating places and entertainment facilities sit next to a maze of markets and tiny houses while large vehicle-choked roads meet narrow ancient lanes.

You’ll find the people here are very warm and friendly and, since becoming involved in the booming IT industry, Hyderabad is starting to become much more cosmopolitan.

If you are heading for Hyderabad, hold on tight: this is a city on the move. Nicknamed "Cyberabad," the city has taken major strides since the early nineties in establishing itself as an Indian hub for the IT, pharma and biotech industries. The city is also now a major center for higher education, boasting a staggering 13 universities and business schools.

The capital of Andhra Pradesh is cleaved in two by the River Musi and crowned by the magnificent lake Hussain Sagar. Hyderabad is flanked by its twin city, Secunderabad, which lies immediately north of the lake.

Prior to partition, Hyderabad was the capital of one of the largest and richest princely states of India. Its cultural heritage from this period strongly persists today and is one of the city’s major attractions. The city is an expat heaven; here you can find literally hundreds of gyms and yoga centers, a gratifying selection of pubs (such as 10 Downing Street) and, famed for being a city of literature, it boasts a decent smattering of foreign bookstores and book vendors on the streets. The shopping here is fantastic; whether you are seeking out organic produce or Guess jeans, you’ll generally always find what you are looking for.

India’s 4th-largest city has its fair share of slums, poverty and pollution. Hyderabad’s streets, positively choked with motorbikes, rickshaws and buses, are a constant peril. But its downsides are more than compensated for by the city’s dynamic tapestry of local, mouth-watering cuisines, colorful cultures and by its warm, welcoming residents. Hyderabad is a forward-looking, dynamic city that is easy to regard as home.