Hyderabad - the Falak Numa Palace

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A 7.00am start, driving through the incredibly poor rural part of Maharashtra state, then passing through the coal mining district of the state, and a particular rural hell of a small city called Wani where everything seemed to be to do with coal and everything was covered in coal dust. Eventually we hit the highway and headed south for Hyderabad. Suddenly we were passing through rice paddies and banana groves. Such is India.

After speeding along the best highway we’ve ever encountered in India we hit Hyderabad, where it became clear our driver had no idea how to get the hotel. An hour and a half later we completed our extensive tour of the city at snail like speed and reached the welcoming comfort of the Falaknuma Palace. After passing through two separate security checks, your luggage is whisked away and you get into a horse drawn carriage for the ride up the hill to the palace. You are welcomed by rose petals cascading down on your important personages as you mount the staircase to enter the palace.

The palace was built by the Nizam’s prime minister at the turn of the last century and represented all his dreams. Sadly he only got to live in it for 2 years,
after which he invited the Nizam to dinner. The Nizam liked it so much his hapless minister offered it to him! It is entirely in European style, with priceless artefacts at every step. We joined the palace tour last night, led by a historian with free champagne to sip as you wander round. Such hardship.

The service is extraordinary and takes some getting used to. Every guest is assigned a personal butler (a young Indian lady in our case, not your usual image of a butler) and nothing is too much trouble. There is a pillow menu in case the ones provided don’t suit. Liveried flunkies attend your every need with elegance. If you sit by the pool you’re immediately provided with cold water, cold face towels and an iced tea – and so on. The rest of the trip can only be a letdown after this.

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