There are times in the life of every guy when he finds himself trying to impress a woman, despite all his good sense. And there are times in the life of every woman when she finds herself subjecting herself to that, despite all her good sense.
Good sense obviously doesn't always prevail, but you might as well try to get out unscathed. I mean, there are so many things that can go wrong when you take a woman out. For example, you are speaking passionately about how you think June is the best month of the year (or something equally inane), and a droplet from your mouth lands on her. Or you stretch trying to show off your biceps and belatedly remember the hole in your shirt at the armpit. Or the pizza crust you're trying to break using a knife and fork suddenly lands on the next table and the middle-aged man there passes a rather undignified remark like "Ammayi pakkanunte ollu teliyatledaa?"
These are the hazards of the endeavor - you gotta live in constant fear of 'em, telling yourself that no pain, no gain (and, once you're wiser, what gain - but let's not digress). But there are some that you can avoid. Mostly location-specific embarrassments, like being hounded by a new beggar every 2 minutes, having a 90% male crowd around you that is 100% sex-starved leer shamelessly at the lady and pass lewd comments from hear-shot range, smelling unfriendly odors in the air and having to interact with unfriendly watchmen.
And that's where we come in. fullHYD.com presents a series of articles on the best places to go out on a date in town. Theaters, parks, restaurants, game centers… we'll have them all covered. And here is the first of them. The best outdoor locations in and around town to go to for a dignified ambience and a nice time (well, it's all perspective!).
GANDIPET
Gandipet comprises the most happening amusement joints in the city. 20 km outside the city towards the west, it has, in its vicinity, one of the most scenic spots in Hyderabad, the Osmansagar lake. There are whole loads of picnic spots around the lake making it an ideal getaway for families during the weekends.
Osmansagar - lake of the setting sun
The 29 sq km reservoir was formed by damming the waters of the river Musi. There are steps on the landward side of the bund that lead down to a small park from where you can wander off into the scenic rock formations that abound in this area. There are several decent dhabas nearby to take care of the hunger-pangs.
The popular resort Treasure Island is three-quarters of a kilometer from the Osmansagar Lake. TI is the center stage for all the star-studded music concerts, and comes alive on weekends with some mind-blowing music played at a deafening wattage. There are plans to bring the top rock bands in the country - Agni, Moksha, Parikrama, Pentagram etc., to play in our own Hyderabadi version of Woodstock, with the bands playing continuously one after the other for thirty-six hours. Keep watching this space for the info.
Elless World - fun at the edge of town
Also situated in Gandipet is the first theme park of its kind in AP, Elless World. It is open from 12 noon to 8pm, though the park authorities claim that they let couples (only) in as early as 9:00am. There are different kinds of rides like the dragon-roller coaster, Dream Girl (a diagonal Ferris wheel) and striking cars. The entry fee is Rs. 65 per person and Rs. 50 for kids less than a height of four feet. The ambience is not that great, but it is worth a visit at least once. One other feature is that if your group has more than 50 people you can get a discount of 20% on each ticket.
But the resort that steals the thunder in the Gandipet vicinity is Ocean Park. It is located just beside Elless World. The park is open from 11am to 8pm. It has got some wonderful water slides going by names like body slide, crazy cruise and zip zap zoom. It is greatly recommended for people who revel in having a blast in water. And that forms quite a majority.
Ocean Park - for the ablutomaniacs!
Though the fare is a bit expensive - tickets for adults cost Rs. 150 and Rs. 90 for children, with the parking and food being additional expenses - it's worth all the fun guaranteed in the water. School students will be charged Rs. 60 per head plus Rs. 15 for lunch, while for college students it is Rs. 100 with an extra Rs. 15 thrown in for lunch. But there should be a minimum of 50 students to avail themselves of these packages.
You can also hold birthday celebrations, conferences (?) and parties here - you need to contact their main office at the Blue Chip Arcade in Himayatnagar. The telephone numbers are 322-3824 and 322-5660. You can also call the park directly at 08413-33335, 33336.
Ramoji Film City - tinsel town in town
RAMOJI FILM CITY
Here's where the dreams of the most majestic kind are made and sold. It is the largest film studio in India (and it also claims to be larger than Universal Studios in Hollywood). Spread over 2000 acres, RFC has prime areas for shooting movies. There are more than forty gardens of all varieties, and elaborate sets that include jails, railway platforms, airports and the like.
RFC is open from 9am to 6pm, with the option of spending the night in one of the many graded star hotels. The cost of spending a day here is Rs. 150 per head. If you happen to be film buff, déjà vu is assured. And you might even catch a star delivering his dialogues or shaking a leg. There is also a special honeymoon package for newlyweds. For details please contact the film city at 925-46555 or call their city office at 323-5678.
DURGAM CHERUVU
Of the many scenic lakes in Hyderabad, Durgam Cheruvu, or the Secret Lake, near Jubilee Hills holds a place of prominence. The reason for this intriguing name is that it probably was a well-kept secret twenty or so years ago when there were no proper roads to get there. But that's not the case anymore.
Durgam Cheruvu - the hidden delight
The rock formations here are really breathtaking. Climbing one of the many hillocks that surround the lake would get you get a stupendous long range view of the area, with the Hi-Tech city just about visible.
THE SHAMIRPET PARK
The Shamirpet Park - a little bit of wilderness in your life
The lake here, situated 24km north of Secunderabad, is the most verdant of the lakes. Its isolation is an added advantage, offering you a serene ambience. There is also a deer park situated here. There are some cottages that can be rented through De Lara Resorts and Orchards Ltd. You can call them at 928-44510/928-44520.
RUNWAY 9
Hyderabad can also pride itself upon being the possessor of one of the very few go-karting tracks in India. Runway 9 is located near Kompally on the Medchal road, about 9km from Paradise circle. Though go-karting is the main attraction, there are also other sports like pool, archery, shooting and roller-skating on offer.
Runway 9 - the go-karters' paradise
There are also plans to open a cybercafé and a disco. But go-karting remains the most popular sport here, with the cost for four laps being Rs. 125. Runway 9 is open till 11:30 at night. You can book it for parties too. For details please call 928-32753.
THE HUSSAIN SAGAR LAKE
The Necklace Road - when driving is not what you want to concentrate on
If driving outskirts is not your cup of tea, you still have the Necklace Road and the Hussain Sagar lake to fall back upon, right in the heart of the city. The Necklace Road is a long road encircling the lake. With lawns overlooking the waterfront, it looks especially beautiful at night, when it is lit up.
There is also the Lumbini Park at the beginning of the road (on NTR Marg), a family place that is pretty crowded on weekends. The Tank Bund and the Necklace Road are good for aimless drives, but stationing your vehicle there while sitting in it may invite unfriendly cops - especially on Necklace Road. A P Tourism also offers rides on motorboats in the Hussain Sagar. This is quite fun in the nights when the lake looks like that ->! Only, at Rs. 75 a person, it is expensive too!
Hussain Sagar - glitter around the icon of serenity
So there. These are the places that you can take the lady to, places with a respectable ambience.
This is not a comprehensive list of parks in town, and you'd doubtless see some notable absences. Well, we're telling you where to go to.
1 comment:
Thank you.. Till now I thought Hyderabad is not a good place to trip in, specially with gf. Now you showed the way to exploit Hyderabad places with gf. Thank you.
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