traffic on merritt parkway drive into town. BUS Frequent public buses depart from the PTC for Jubilee and Imlibun stations. Mor

Hotel Shadab INDIAN $$ (Map p900; High Court Rd, Patthargatti; mains 60250; hnoon-midnight) One meal at Shadab and you ll be forever under its spell. The hopping restaurant is the place to get biryani ( 95 to 200) and, during Ramzan (Ramadan), haleem. It has even mastered veg biryani (!) and hundreds of other veg and non-veg delights (if you try the chocolate

Laad Bazaar MARKET (Map p900) West of the Charminar, the crowded Laad Bazaar is the perfect place to get lost. It has everything from fi ne perfumes, fabrics and jewels to musical traffic on merritt parkway instruments, traffic on merritt parkway secondhand saris and kitchen implements. Artisans are tucked away creating jewellery and scented oils, large pots and burkas. The lanes around the Charminar also form the centre of India s pearl trade. Some great deals can be had if you know your stuff.

drive into town. BUS Frequent public buses depart traffic on merritt parkway from the PTC for Jubilee and Imlibun stations. More comfy are AC Aeroexpress (%18004192008; h24hr) traffic on merritt parkway buses ( 175), which run half-hourly to Charminar, Secunderabad, Begumpet, Mehdipatnam and Hitec City.

Hotel Harsha HOTEL $$ (Map p898; %23201188; www.hotelharsha.net; Public Gardens traffic on merritt parkway Rd; s/d incl breakfast traffic on merritt parkway from 1600/1800; aW) Rooms don t have tonnes of character, and can be noisy (ask for a rear facing room) but they re bright, have fridges, the furniture is in good taste and the art is a step up from the usual schlock. The overall effect is polished but comfy. The lobby smells like success, with lots of glass and marble. One of the city s best deals.