1. Street food. I know there’s been a fair bit of uncertainty about eating food from street vendors, but I’d highly encourage giving it a try now that it’s been a few weeks. Some of the most delicious (and cheapest) food I’ve had so far has all been from street vendors. If you’re up for it, a good place to start is a few minute walk from home. Turn left out of At Home, then take the first right and follow that road all the way down until you see a collection of carts and huts (about three minute walk). Try some dosa, idly, or a buffet style lunch - all for less than 60 rupees!
2. For anyone interested in the arts, go and check out Lamakaan. It’s a “cultural space”, that hosts a bunch of events related to theatre, literature, and film. It’s also a place you can go to work (wifi not strong enough for class, but good for readings). Almost guaranteed to meet interesting people if you go for a couple of hours, so for anyone hoping to connect with the arts scene here, check it out here.
3. With the first break of the semester coming up, I thought I would suggest one way of getting around the country. Overnight buses. You can take buses from Hyderabad to a number of different cities across India, be they 8 hours away or 24 hours away. There are sleeper buses too, so you can board in the evening, sleep through the night, and wake up in a new city. An inexpensive way to explore India, and a rather unique experience. This website should do the job: https://www.yatra.com/bus-booking.
4. For some incredible street art, head to Maqtha Art District, which is full of colourful, full-building murals and smaller, tucked away paintings. To see some of the best young artists in India's work, take an afternoon to wander through the streets in this area. To learn more about it, have a read of this article: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-telangana/hyderabad-gets-its-own-art-district/article22363634.ece.
5. Lastly, if you’re missing the superfood bowls and green juices of San Francisco, you might want to try out Healthie. It’s the fastest growing food start up in India, and they are set up in Hyderabad. You can order online and get it delivered to home, and the food is great and very healthy. Check it out here.
