Cheapest way to travel to and from Hyderabad airport

A small request to all: Enjoy nature, enjoy your travel but please don’t spoil MOTHER NATURE. Refill bottles, don’t throw plastic in water bodies or roads. Dispose your garbage at proper place. Cheers!

There are many ways one can travel to Hyderabad airport.

Meru cabs, Easy cabs, Sky cabs are the authorized metered cabs from airport to city @17.5 Rs/km(25% night surcharge) in addition to pre-paid taxi at Hyderabad traffic police counter at airport. There are other service providers in city like mango cabs, yellow cabs, delta cabs, dot cabs etc from 10 to 15 Rs/km with additional 25% night charges (from 10pm to 5 am). Bill from airport to different parts of city and from city to airport comes out between 700 to 1000.

Aeroexpress(bus service) from various points in city charges 200Rs for one side as fare and 350 as to and fro. Ticket is available at bus stops only.

And the cheapest way is go to the starting point of Mehdipatnam flyover, near Masab tank and find a lot of cabs waiting there for you, they will take you to airport for 30Rs. Most of the cabs have a scheduled pick up from airport and instead of going there empty, they would take a couple of travelers wanting to go to airport. Or you can find similar cabs at the entry point of ORR(Outer Ring Road) as well.

Same way at airport, go to the top floor and walk a few steps ahead of international arrival terminal. You will find some cab stopping in front of you and you can take a ride for 20-30 Rs upto last point of ORR meeting Kondapur or the end of Mehdipatnam elevated road.

Another option is - sometimes you will find taxi guys at aeroexpress bus stands asking 100 Rs for taking you to airport and it will be your personal taxi.

I recently tried this and liked everything about this option, but you have to be careful about your personal security. 

In search of tea

Aah.. I am still in a shock mood about what I did last night.

Well, all I wanted was tea at the restaurant next to my neighborhood. It was 11:30 pm, when I finished my dinner and thought of going out for a walk in search of tea, I had 10Rs in pocket and went straight to my routine tea shop. But it was closed at that time. I could see 2 roads from there, 1 which I follow daily for going to office and 2nd towards Secundarabad. For once I thought I will go back, get some more money, wear a jacket(as it was a little cold at night), take my bike and find a tea shop.

And the other moment I saw myself in the mirror of a car, oops I had gained weight, was my first thought. Let me walk on the road I take daily for office as it was familiar. I kept walking and even after 2-3 kms I couldn't find any tea shop. I was disappointed and just at the time when I was planning to walk back, some disturbing thought came in my mind.

"Am I getting too old?", "Am I used to luxuries now?", "Am I really so boring to head straight to bed and sleep". And in the mid of all these questions, a lorry slowed down at the junction where I was standing.

My thumb got up, though I was not sure if the driver of lorry would stop or not. To my surprise, he stopped and asked me to come inside.
He was a Muslim guy with well kept beard and was wearing a clean Kurta. I told him that I am just searching for good tea somewhere I don't know where. He said he is going to drop some stuff and can take me to his home for tea, but he was too simple to understand that just getting tea is not in my mind. We kept moving and reached Outer Ring Road from where he had to hit the highway.
He asked me to get down there as he was not sure if I will get tea anywhere else on the way. I asked him to drop me at some roadside Dhaba where truckers would come. I checked his watch, it was 1:10 am.

We kept moving, and he stopped at a Dhaba after some 20 minutes. I thanked him and he moved ahead.
I was in shorts and bathroom slippers and somehow people there started staring me for no reason :P
I felt a bit awkward but went straight to the guy at counter and asked for a tea and aloo bonda. I had 10 Rupees only and I got nice tea and bonda. After eating when I was about to leave, the Dhaba owner sat next to me and asked me how I landed there. I explained him everything that I wrote above and praised his tea.

He offered me another one, which I gladly accepted. After chatting with him for some more time, I thought of taking out my mobile and checking the time. But how does it matter, and I left that place. Crossed the road and started walking. There were only cars and no one stopped. After walking for about 50 minutes or so, I felt really thirsty. But I was enjoying, I stopped and thought I will get a ride and will not walk more. A cab stopped and driver demanded for 20 Rupees, I had no money, even if I had at that time I wouldn't have given him as I was looking for real adventure. After more than 100 failed attempts, 1 car stopped with 2 guys in it.

I don't know the place, didn't bothered to check the time and they were nice to take me along with them. They were brothers who were supposed to go to their sister's place to attend some 'puja' in the morning. I was happy and they dropped me on the main road in my locality, they had to travel some 20kms extra but they didn't hesitated to drive for those extra kilometers as they were running ahead of their scheduled time.

I reached home and checked the sky, it was changing color from black to purplish black. It was 5:15 am at that time and I slept.

Woke up at 11 am and went to office today at 2pm. Came back now and still amused by my crazy effort to get a cup of tea last night. :)

Ladakh revisited!

It's been more than a month since I am in South India, just now opened window of my posh 12th floor flat and the cool breeze brought some memories; memories of my last trip to Ladakh, one of the very few that I want to forget, as the more I think about it, the more I become restless to go back to Ladakh.

On 15th day of July 2011, I flew to Leh and at 7 a.m. in the morning got myself a room for 200Rs at Chanspa road. After having a mint tea there I slept only to wake up at 1pm. For all those who don't know, acclimatization is very important for 1-2 or may be 4-5 days(for some) at high altitude places. It was a Friday and I thought of going out for lunch, had a discussion with the guy at Tourist Information Center and got to know that the bus to Pangong lake runs only on Saturday, Sunday at 6:30 am from Leh.

I wanted to attend a festival at Shachukul, a strong reason why I was in Ladakh at that time, and for reaching Shachukul I needed to get down at Tangste (110 kms from Leh on Leh - Pangong stretch). I went to DC office and got a 6 day permit for myself only at 50Rs for Pangong and Nubra valley. Lot of walking on first day, had my lunch - momos and soup and it was then that I felt a bit uncomfortable with some heaviness in my head.
I immediately rushed to my room and tried to sleep, only to keep waking up at intervals but yes I slept a lot that day.

My room in Leh

Busy street in Leh

Polo ground being used for parking

Day 2: Saturday, 16th July 2011:
I could only manage to start from my guest house at 7:30 am, reached bus stop at 8 and got to know from locals that bus for Pangong already left at 7:15. So there I saw another bus going towards Hanle and I thought may be I could go there, but 40 kms from Leh, just at Karu I saw the bus that I missed and foreign tourists getting their permits checked. I got down from my bus and went inside the bus. I was feeling relieved that I got my bus and will reach Tangste in time, but the bus was very slow.

I was among a few people who covered most of their journey on the roof of the bus, so we were not asked for a ticket. General rule goes like this: If you get a seat, you will be charged for a full ticket, if you are standing inside, you have to pay half the price of the ticket and if you are on the top of the bus, it's free.
I was in the last category, I enjoyed the ride up to Changla, it was bumpy, slow but exciting. I made friends with some locals and a few foreigners and we all had a nice time, exchanging our life stories.
My Ladakhi friend was an army Jawan and he took off for 3 days to attend festival in Shachukul.


The bus reached Tangste at 2:30 pm and I, along with a few others got down there. After having my lunch I was undecided on whether I should stay at Tangste or walk towards Shachukul which was a good 8-9kms from Tangste. An old french man was the first to start walking towards Shachukul, and a group of volunteers also started, so I thought I may manage to walk 8kms in a group but it won't be possible for me to walk alone the next day. So we all walked, it wasn't easy and since I landed in Leh just a day back, I was feeling breathless. Somehow, we reached Shachukul as we got a jeep for last 4kms. At Shachukul, there was no place to stay, the frenchman had a sleeping bag and he got permission to use open space in front of a house, the other 5 volunteers knew someone and they stayed in the house of that local family. Though a monk offered me a place, but I wasn't feeling comfortable there, I wanted to sleep well for that night as I was tired so I decided to come back to Tangste as the festival was scheduled on 17th and 18th July.

Came back to Tangste and found a very nice home stay - Namatsey guest house at Tangste, the family was really nice. An old uncle and his wife, their one son and his wife and their 1 year old grand-daughter. As the night approached, I felt short of oxygen so I dozed off at 8pm.

Just before Chang La

Lamu

On the way to Changla

Chang La

Yana, MArika, lamu and Panvel

He wanted to eat Camera

Tangste town

Another mode of hitchhiking

My beautiful room in Tangste

Day 3: Sunday, 17th July'2011:
The next morning was really good for me, a fresh one. After having my breakfast I decided to go out and have a walk in the town. I met a few local boys and they wanted to know about my life back in Delhi, so I sat with them and we chatted till 3 pm. Aah, I should leave for the festival now, but the uncle told me that they will be going to festival on 18th with family and I could go with them and by 4 pm it would be finished. I had no problems.

So there outside our home, we were sitting and talking, just when I saw a group - A couple from Prague(Panvel and Yana) and a German girl(Marikaa). They were coming back from Pangong lake and wanted to go to Shachukul for festival. I asked them to stay in Tangste and go to festival the next day, they too came in the same guest house where I was staying. We had good conversation there and had dinner together. Next morning they were wanted to attend the festival very early and go back to Leh.


Day4: Monday, 18th July'2011:


This day I met a local guy - Ali. He was helpful and friendly and was working for J&K State Government and was meeting people in and around that region to install Solar Power equipment in the villages. Then I went with family to Shachukul monastery for festival. It was a good experience with masked men dancing and were dressed as monsters.There is this saying that when a person is on his deathbed, a scary man comes and takes away his soul, so the person about to die gets scared from this man, so scared that leaving breathe becomes difficult for him. So these men with scary masks were there so that people see them, remember them and don't feel scared from them at their death bed, so that the death becomes easy for everyone.

After coming back from festival, I hitchhiked to Pangong lake, had lunch there. I tried to ask for a ride from some Indian people, couples and families but may be I was looking dangerous to them and I couldn't convince anyone to take me to Pangong. Then came a Scorpio with a few foreigners and it took me no effort to mingle with the group and they took me for a ride. Pangong lake was very much commercialized in 3 years, last time when I visited the lake it was very isolated. So I dropped the idea of staying there for the night and came back to Tangste with a group of middle aged men from Punjab who were there on a Innova. They were fun guys to be with.

After coming back from lake I went to riverside with Ali, who took a bath in the river. I too wanted, but water was too cold for me. Ali kept eating chips and chocolates and told me that he don't eat outside food. He refused tea and Maggi that I offered him later at my guest house. It was 2 days after when I got to know that Muslims of Ladakh (predominantly Shias) won't eat at a Buddhist kitchen. Well, not a good fact to know but I wish people set aside their old beliefs at least for some good. But they have their own reasons, that in year 2006 there were conflicts between Muslims and Buddhists there and Muslims were forced to leave Ladakh for Kargil but snowfall started and they were out of their homes without food and at that time Buddhists didn't let them eat anything and kept them starved. At that time, Indian Army mediated and sent Muslims back to their homes. Again, all stories from different people.

Then I sat with uncle who by now had become frank with me and was not hesitant to drink his rum in front of me. I promised the family to return back there whenever time allows me.

At Shachukul

Traditional Ladakhi lady

Ali in his Gypsy

As we all know - Pangong lake

Day 5: Tuesday, 19th July 2011

Next morning Ali helped me in getting a local taxi, the taxi driver took 5 hours straight and I was in Leh. In the taxi was a cobler and his wife from Rajasthan who were working in Ladakh for full year. One uncle who told me proudly he has been to Delhi also and told me stories about bad people in Delhi. "I know, even I don't like them that's why I am here", I smiled and replied back to him.
Got a room in Leh and met Rajiv, my friend from Delhi who was there. Spent rest of the day with him and mailed a few friends from a net cafe.

Day 6: Wednesday, 20th July 2011


One of the Rajiv's old roommate was a Ladakhi, and Rajiv was keen to search him. But where, we didn't knew anything except that he lives somewhere near Fort Road. We casually asked from a local about his friend's father name and we were bang on the target. He told us about their hotel near airport and we went there. He welcomed us with a beer and we were supposed to meet Marika and 1 of Rajiv's friend - Lily at 3pm to walk around Leh. We visited monastries, palaces and a few other places.

Later in the evening, we relaxed at a cafe in Chanspa and shared our experiences.

Kashmiri Rista(meat balls) and pudina rice

DAY 8: Leh - Alchi - Likkir - Leh

We booked a taxi to visit Alchi monastery and Likkir Gompa on last day of my stay in Leh............ Ok now got to sleep, will update it some other time!