“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
Neale Donald Walsch
Mumbai Hyderabad Road Trip
Like many other travellers, I love driving. And as the quote above says, I got off the short-drive comfort zone to undertake a solo 1400+ km round trip! I discovered some of myself and unearthed a few travel treasures along the way. As promised, I will drive you down this journey as it unfolded.
Road trip Checks
Here is a quick check-list of all car essentials. Besides a pre-check of oil, coolant, and water, ensure the wipers, indicators, and the electrical work. Check air pressure and fuel up a day before. Keep all required documents (Insurance, Pollution under Control or PUC, and the FASTag sticker) handy. FASTag allows the vehicle to pass through tolls faster and is cashless. If ordering it online, allow a few days for delivery. Without this, you pay double the amount and take longer.
Closer to the start date, it helps to break down the miles to fit in quick breaks for meals, with a scope for tweaking. Study the route at an unhurried pace and see what is along the way – a special food joint, a monument, or a place of interest that could take away time.
Day 1 – 731 kms to go; Mumbai – Pune
Starting from Mumbai at around 8 in the evening, I reached Pune by 11.30 pm for a restful slumber.
Pro tips:
- Factor in traffic
- Layovers are not a waste of time
Day 2 – 565 kms to go; Pune – Basavakalyan – Hyderabad
A 7am-departure ensured I beat traffic and be out of city limits in 60 odd minutes to reach NH65, my passage to Hyderabad.
After refuelling mid way, I was to drive until lunch time when a colossal fort structure loomed ahead, 45 kms past Solapur. This had not featured in my online recce of the trip and I reached out for Google Maps. At 300 kms from Pune, Naldurg Fort, a medieval period structure, looked inviting. As I drove on the peripheral road, the surrounding river made me stop to take in the formidable beauty of the fortress.
With 265 kms more to clock for the day, I skipped Naldurg and left for Basavakalyan Fort, another medieval fort I had planned to see. Basavakalyan fort is 80 kms from Naldurg which includes a 10km detour off NH65. It took me a little over 3 hours to explore it and a famished me found lunch at Punjabi Dhami family restaurant within the city.
From then, the next 180 kms to HITEC (The Hyderabad Information Technology and Engineering Consultancy) City on the outskirts of Hyderabad was a breeze.
Pro-tips:
- Leaving early is helpful.
- Ask your hotel to provide a packed meal, or check out good joints along the way and plan your drive
Day 3 – Moula Ali Dargah and Mah Laqa Bai Tomb, Hyderabad
A half-a-day rest proved energising to make a trek to the mountain shrine of Moula Ali and traverse back to the tomb of his ardent devotee, Mah Laqa Bai.
Day 4 – Old City, Hyderabad
Dabeerpura Darwaza – Bibi ka Alawa – Purani Haveli – Charminar – Chowmahalla Palace – Purana Pul Darwaza – Government City College – Mahbub Chowk Clock Tower – Deodhis of the Paigahs on Amir-e-Kabir street – Badshahi Ashurkhana – Paigah Tombs
I maximised my day by leaving early (9 am). Except for Paigah Tombs, rest are located close to each other and best approached by foot.
Pro-tips:
- Local auto-rickshaws are the best way to travel since the old city is a maze of narrow lanes and a mass of humanity.
- Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate!
- You need an entry ticket for Charminar, Purani Haveli, and Chowmahalla Palace.
- Chowmahalla Palace allows only mobile phone photography. Purani Haveli is a museum and doesn’t allow indoor photography.
Day 5 – Golconda Fort – Taramati Baradari – Naya Qila – Qutb Shahi Tombs Complex
From Secunderabad, where I was staying, Golconda Fort is 14 kms away. It will be further for someone in Hyderabad. To get to the top of the Golconda Fort before the sun burnt me down, I reached the ticket window as it opened at 9 am. By noon, I was on my way to Taramati Baradari and Naya Qila which meant I could spend a relaxed 3 hours in the late afternoon admiring the Qutb Shahi tombs.
Pro-tips:
- For photography, choose the time of the day depending on the season, daylight availability, and direction/location of the place of interest.
- Remember that most monuments in Hyderabad are closed on Friday to accommodate prayers.
Day 6 – 530 kms to go; Hyderabad – Naldurg – Pune
Since I had left out Naldurg while coming, seeing it on the way back appealed to me. After a hearty breakfast at Sri Ayyappa Tiffins, Ramachandrapuram (outskirts of Hyderabad), for the next 4 hours, I drove on with focus and purpose to Naldurg. I had little choice as I had a vast fort to capture before driving another 300 kms to Pune.
Pro-tips:
- A heavy breakfast helps on a stretched-out day, with some snacks and beverages thrown in during the drive.
- Don’t pack too much in a day. Give some things a miss to cover for your return journey.
Day 7 – 153 kms to go; Pune – Mumbai
A nightcap at Pune allowed me to leave first thing in the morning to be back at Mumbai before traffic peaked.
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