Hyderbad - an Indian Highlight

---

We flew from Goa to Hyderbad since a road trip through the country would have been a challenge given time, roads, and Ravi’s fractured ankle. We received first-class treatment at the airport lounge, rubbing elbows with a Bollywood actress as we awaited takeoff from Goa.Instead of taking a shuttle bus from airport to the plane, Ravi was taken via wheelchair, and lifted into the plane, wheelchair and all – quite the experience!

We were received very warmly at Ravi’s parent’s apartment in Hyderbad, and we all enjoyed reconnecting and meeting more of Ravi’s cousins over Indian Chinese food. It felt really good to be welcomed as if we were coming to our own home.

The next morning, we slept in, tired from the cars / planes, and had a delicious South Indian breakfast at Ravi’s cousin’s apartment. His cousin was so generous in gifting me a beautiful saree and bracelets. We then made our way through Hyderbad to the much needed spa, where we were pampered with a hot shave for Kostek and a manicure for me. Restored with a great meal and refreshed like Dorothy and crew from the Wizard of Oz in the Emerald City, we set out to meet the Wizard, or in this case, the Nizam at the Falaknuma Palace, once the home of the richest man alive prior to World War I, the Nizam of Hyderbad.

Falak-numa literally means "Like the Sky" or "Mirror of the Sky" in Urdu. It is the only seven star hotel in India and is believed to be the grandest of all palace hotels in India.

Our friend Deepthi has restored palaces in Hyderbad, and she, her husband, and son flew from Pune to Hyderbad to give us private palace tours. The grounds were really magnificent. The palace is now open for private tours and is also a boutique hotel. Guests of the hotel are escorted via horse drawn carriage to the front, and they still follow the custom of opening the carriage doors in the same way they did when the Nizam resided there.

The palace has been fully restored, and magnificent fountains, tapestries, the largest dining room table in the world (108 ft) for 100 guests (with 100 butlers) were certainly opulent. The Jade room, ladies drawing room, and crystal chandeliers were highlights of the impressive space.

The palace is shaped like a scorpion, and we finished the tour with a delicious Italian dinner in the ‘tail’ of the structure. Ravi gifted us a beautiful coffee table book of the palace and the renovations. It will be great to read the book back in NY and think about our time here together.

The following day, we set out to explore the city and a guided tour of the Chowmahalla Palace, also thanks to Deepthi. The Chowmahalla palace was once 60 acres large, and the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, where the Nizams entertained royal guests and visitors. We heard a funny story that the head of Rolls Royce did not believe the Nizam was the richest man alive. The Nizam purchased a few Rolls Royce cars and used them as garbage collection vehicles around the city. When the head of Rolls Royce realized his error, he bought the cars back, and gave the Nizam a grand Rolls Royce, which has won multiple car shows.

We then went to an amazing lunch at the Taj hotel, where we had traditional Hyderbadi cusine, including vegetable biryani and haleem. We also did a little shopping in Hyderbad, and Ravi’s mother gifted us a beautiful engraved wooden sign bearing our last name, just like the one Ravi’s parents have.

We really enjoyed spending time with Ravi’s family, a warm welcome and stay with great company, food, and memories. Ravi and his family have been amazing hosts to us – Thank you!!

We wrote the above blog entry from our resort on island of Ko Yao in Thailand, where we are enjoying the sound of the ocean, our villa with the private plunge pool and delicious Thai food. Also, a very happy 40th Birthday today to my sister Eileen - she is celebrating with her husband beachside in Anguilla! We will be back with an update from Thailand soon!

---