I hope your seatbelt is securely fastened, cause I’m taking you on a little journey.

I spent a bit more than a week in India for work. It’s my third visit to the country. The first time, 3 years go, somehow was a coincidence: I just wanted to go an a holiday and the tickets to Dehli happened to be in my price range. I’ll never forget this first indian experience, which became one of my best travel memories. Since then, I’ve always said to myself that I would be back.
See, India is one of a kind. It is beautiful, joyful & colourful while being harsh, brutal and sometimes untouchable. A whole universe of paradoxes.

Come back I did, not for tourism though. Where? Hyderabad, in the Andhra Pradesh state. The name might not sound very familiar to us westerners, but it is the fourth most populous city in India. And it prides itself with a shiny nickname: the City of Pearls.

The fabric of my Sari
My first 7 days there consisted of one single activity: work. I would only go from the hotel to the convention center and back. One night, I got to wear a Sari for the first time in my life. It’s a pity I don’t have any good picture to show it, only this one I took with my phone.

Can you imagine how difficult it is to put it on properly? I needed the help of an Indian lady to do it. Thankfully she was patient and obviously mastered the procedure. Once she was finished, I totally felt like a princess.

Anyhow, fortunately, we managed to step outside on our last day. I cannot even find the words to tell you how refreshing it was.

The Qutb Shahi Tombs

As we entered the site and I saw these domes, it instantly reminded me of Aladdin, even though the Disney movie isn’t set in India. There were absolutely no other tourists than us. The place was calm and so spiritual.


 Golkonda Fort
Very close to the tombs lies the ruined city of Golkonda. The whole of the Golkonda Fort complex and its surrounding spreads across 11 km of total area, and discovering its every nook is an arduous task. A visit to the fort reveals the architectural beauty in many of the pavilions, gates, entrances and domes. Divided into four district forts, the architectural valour still gleams in each of the apartments, halls, temples, mosques, and even stables.

One thing for sure, climbing up the fort at noon under 35° wasn’t the best idea in the world. My head felt dizzy for the whole afternoon. But it was worth it.

The Charminar
Hyderabad’s most iconic monument, the Charminar is an imposing mosque dating from 1591. It is surronded by many little streets full of small shops, making the Laad Baazar.

As much as I love to travel, coming home truly is a nice feeling. And yes, besides the people I missed while away, I also missed blogging. Proof? I arrived this very morning and I am already writing this article :)

Sara.