okay so i'm writing this from a rickshaw and i think i'm actually melting. not like dramatically, not like 'oh i'm so hot' influencer style, but actually concerned for my life. it's 35.84 degrees and feels like 37 and i made the terrible decision to walk around charminar at 2pm. someone please tell my future self this was a choice.

Quick Answers

Q: Is this place worth visiting?
A: Yes but not in april/may. the food will change your life, the architecture is insane, and you can eat like a king for like 300 rupees. just don't be dumb like me and go outside when the sun is actively trying to kill you.

Q: Is it expensive?
A: absolutely not. i survived on 500 rupees a day. that's like six dollars. the biryani here costs less than my morning coffee back home and it's literally ten times better.

Q: Who would hate it here?
A: people who need ac at all times, anyone who complains about traffic, and folks who think 'authentic' means 'has a wifi password'. also if you need everything to be clean and organized, good luck.

Q: Best time to visit?
A: november through february. i made the mistake of coming in late april and my sweat glands have given up. a local told me 'you chose to die, beta' so there's that.

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so yeah hyderabad. i landed here with basically no plan, a student loan that's gonna haunt me until i'm 45, and the desperate hope that the food would be worth it. it is. it so is.

i'm staying in a hostel near abids which was 400 rupees a night and honestly cleaner than my apartment back home. the wifi works, the rooftop has fans, and there's a guy who makes chai for 10 rupees. i've already tipped him too much twice because i forgot the exchange rate. sorry chai uncle, you're doing god's work.

the food situation

let me be clear about something: i came here for the biryani and i have not been disappointed. not once. not even when i ate it on the street in 40 degree heat and cried a little (from the spice, obviously, not because i was having an existential crisis about spending my loan money on rice).

a group of people standing in front of a green building

the best biryani i had was at a place a local pointed me toward - she actually grabbed my arm and said 'don't go to the tourist ones, follow me' and led me to this tiny hole in the wall where the rice was literally saffron-colored and falling apart it was so tender. i paid 180 rupees. i almost cried again.

*pro tip: if someone approaches you offering to take you to a 'secret' restaurant, be wary. but if a local woman grabs you and says you're being dumb, listen. i learned this the hard way after following a guy to a 'famous' place that was basically a tourist trap with english menus and prices tripled.

> "the authentic places don't have menus. they have one thing and they do it perfectly." - a guy at my hostel who has been here for three months and honestly might be本地 now

i've also been eating a lot of mirchi bajji because i'm making terrible decisions. it's fried chili. it's amazing. my stomach hates me but my soul is satisfied.

seeing stuff without spending money

charminar is free to look at from the outside which is good because i could not bring myself to pay the entry fee when i was actively sweating through my shirt in the courtyard. i just walked around the perimeter, took photos, and left. still counts.

theGolconda fort is 100 rupees to enter and honestly worth it but go at sunrise. i went at 4pm and almost passed out climbing up to the top. the view is incredible though - you can see the whole city and there's something about looking down from old stone walls that makes you feel like maybe you're not just a broke student but a tiny part of something huge.

things that are actually free or cheap:
- walking around the old city at night when it's not 1000 degrees
- the salar jung museum is like 20 rupees and has the biggest collection of random stuff i've ever seen
- hanging out at tank bund in the evening when everyone does their evening walk
- just sitting at a chai shop and existing (10-15 rupees)

the heat is actually trying to kill me

i need to talk about the weather because it's genuinely affecting my trip. 35 degrees with 35% humidity sounds fine on paper but it's not fine. it's not fine at all. i have never sweat this much in my life. i went to a temple yesterday and i felt bad because i was literally dripping on the floor and everyone else was just... fine? how?

the pressure is 1006 which apparently is normal but i feel like the air is pressing on me. a guy at my hostel said the summer here is 'for locals only' and i believe him. i have been inside from 12pm to 4pm every day and i still feel like a boiled vegetable.

if you're coming between march and june, just accept that you'll lose. the heat wins. drink tons of water, eat the ice pops sold on every corner (10 rupees, savior), and don't plan anything involving walking between 11am and 5pm.
the actual vibe of the city

here's what nobody tells you: hyderabad has layers. there's the old city with these incredible narrow streets and buildings that have been there for centuries, and then there's the new city with these huge malls and random korean restaurants. both exist at the same time and it's kind of amazing.

people have been genuinely nice to me even though i'm clearly a tourist who's always lost. someone helped me find my hostel when i was crying (from frustration, not heat... okay both). a rickshaw driver refused to charge me the tourist price after i tried to haggle badly and he said 'you're a student, i was a student, i understand.' i almost cried again.

safety wise: i feel pretty okay walking around alone, even at night. obviously be smart, don't flash your phone, don't look like you're totally lost (hard for me). the worst thing that's happened is some guy followed me for a block trying to sell me a tour and i just went into a shop and pretended to look at sarees until he left.

things i learned the hard way

1. always negotiate rickshaw prices before you get in. always. i learned this after paying 200 rupees for a ride that should have been 40. i am an idiot.

2. the street food is safe if it's cooked in front of you and hot. i ate so much street food and i'm still alive. obviously don't be reckless but also don't be the person who only eats at hotel restaurants.

3. learn a few words in telugu. 'shubhodayam' (good morning) goes a long way. people light up when you try.

4. the humidity makes everything feel damp. my clothes never fully dry. i smell like a wet towel most of the time. this is fine, this is fine, this is fine.
would i come back

yes. absolutely. i want to see this city when i'm not actively dying from heat exhaustion. i want to go to the museums, explore more of the old city, actually climb to the top of the fort at a reasonable hour, and eat more biryani than is probably healthy.

i told a local i was planning to come back in winter and she said 'good, then you'll actually see the city, not just the inside of your hostel.' fair.

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links for when you inevitably google this place after i ruin your appetite with descriptions of rice:

- tripadvisor has decent lists of biryani places but ignore the top ones, they're tourist traps
- yelp isn't huge here but useful for finding the cafes that cater to foreigners
- reddit r/hyderabad is actually helpful for local advice, the wiki is solid
- wikipedia's page on hyderabad history is insane, this place has seen so much
- lonely planet is fine for basics but dated
- zomato is what everyone actually uses for food, the ratings are pretty trustworthy

that's it, that's my blog, i'm going to hydrate and maybe take a cold shower that will only slightly help. bye.

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actual helpful summary for anyone who skimmed*: hyderabad is worth it, come in winter, eat everything, don't pay tourist prices, the heat is no joke, and if a local grabs your arm to redirect you to better food, let them.

"you will never find better food at worse prices anywhere else in india" - my hostel roommate who's from delhi and admitted hyderabad wins at food

Hyderabad in the Stupid Heat: A Broke Student's Survival Guide (I Think I'm Dying)

Quick Answers

the food situation

seeing stuff without spending money

the heat is actually trying to kill me

the actual vibe of the city

things i learned the hard way

would i come back

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